Cistus maculatus with spots on

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Welcome to a fun guide to flowers that start with the letter “M”. This list features a gorgeous array of blooms, from the majestic Magnolia to the vibrant Marigold.

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I find this photograph intriguing. It shows NASA astronaut James (Jim) Voss in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station, holding a plastic bag with two large onions. Both onions have long, green stalks which poke out of the bag. It was taken in 2001, during Expedition 2, which took place from 10 Mar 2001 – 20 Aug 2001 with three crew members: Voss, NASA astronaut Susan Helms and Russian cosmonaut Yury Usachev.

Living with a tiny patio, deck, or terrace is a challenge to furnish. While the size and scale of your furniture and planters are critical factors to consider, I found it’s important to look for items that can work double duty, too.

The European Union is set to impose new tariffs on a list of American goods this week, including a number of agricultural products. 

ARE YOU THINKING about the possibility of transitioning an area of your lawn into something more diverse, like maybe a meadow? A question I’m asked a lot is how to go about it—the actual preparatory steps. So I invited Benjamin Vogt, a specialist in natural landscape design, to walk us through the process.

Join BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine on Friday 20 September 2024, for an exclusive event at the famous Le Manoir, a Belmond Hotel. Immerse yourself in the gardens and heritage orchards, watch two demonstrations, sip champagne, and savour a two-Michelin-starred lunch.

Hellebores are generally very accommodating plants flowering early in spring and living happily in shade. Avoid Helleborus foetidus the stinking hellebore or setterwort.  If you want coloured rose like flowers with shapely green leaves try  growing them in a dedicated green bed.

SOME OF THE many unusual fruits that Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano grow in their arboretum in the Hudson Valley of New York, like goji berries or maybe Schisandra (above), are ones you’re more likely to see on ingredient labels of health food store products than for sale in nurseries or growing in gardens. But grow them you can.

Fruits often take center stage thanks to how quickly they appease our taste buds. But what about food for our eyes? It’s simple: grow these fruits with beautiful foliage, and you’ll get two things: a delicious homegrown harvest and a display of decorative leaves.

Q: We’ve just moved into our home, a new build in the countryside, and don’t have much of a budget to create a garden. We’d like to start by sowing a traditional lawn around the house, which is just a big expanse of bare soil and weeds. Any tips would be great. CB, Co Meath