Frustrated by the limitations of container gardening on our balcony, we wanted a garden, so some years ago we relocated from London to the Cotswolds. We got our big garden,...
The garden is full of high summer flowers to bring into the house – it’s such a lovely thing to do and helps you really appreciate the detail of your...
Summer in the garden can be unpleasant for hay fever and asthma sufferers, but this needn’t be the case with the right plant choices. Here’s what to consider. As a...
Nigel is Professor of Planting and Urban Horticulture at the University of Sheffield. He’s a horticulturist and designer and has pioneered innovative ecological approaches to planting gardens and public spaces...
Paul and Pauline McBride designed and created this garden from scratch. We first asked them: What was the thinking behind the design? The overall design is a spiral intersected by...
From wild flowers to sedum growing above extensions and sheds, people are increasingly realising the benefits a green roof can bring. Not only are they attractive, they also help keep...
Gardening writer, broadcaster and lecturer, Peter shares his wealth of experience on this horticultural podcast. He talks to horticultural experts from all aspects of the gardening world, from designers Ann-Marie...
Roast chicken in the garden, anyone? If lockdown inspired you to cook al fresco, but you’d like to do more than grill a sausage, it might be worth investing in...
The Virgin Gardener podcast presented by Laetitia Maklouf and Andrew O’Brien is aimed at anyone wanting to green up their space – indoor or out. They have a fabulous line...
Parasols are perfect for creating soothing shade in a favourite seating or dining area in the garden. And with climate change and our growing understanding of the damage the sun...
William Dyson is the Curator at Great Comp; he also runs his own nursery specialising in salvias which is situated within the garden. Can you tell us about the different...
When he’s not on screen or stage, actor Nigel Havers enjoys working in the garden, describing himself as a keen gardener. Becoming a home owner, after buying a house in Wandsworth...
With their gorgeous scent, frilly blooms and beautiful colours, sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) make wonderful summer cut flowers. They take a bit of tending to, but the rewards are more...
White is out, in comes something warmer. Rendered garden walls painted a crisp white is a classic look. However, the mood in garden design is turning towards something softer with...
Whether it’s for a moment’s pause or a longer rest, a variety of seating in multiple areas of the garden allows you some calming time out. Mornings and evenings are...
The use of ollas - unglazed porous clay vessels - is an ancient technique for irrigation, saving time energy and water. It’s a simple idea: the clay pot is buried...
This is a podcast devoted to growing fruit and vegetables presented by Laura, the editor of Grow Your Own Magazine, and other members of the team. The show focuses on...
Michael Marriott is one of the world’s leading rosarians. He is also well-known for his rose garden design and his common sense approach to looking after roses. Can you give...
Gardener, writer and television presenter, Alan Titchmarsh, 71, has most recently been on our screens presenting ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’ and ‘Spring into Summer’. Married to Alison for 46 years,...
The peonies are beginning to wane, but the roses are coming in abundance. Some good varieties for cutting includes R. ‘Irish Hope’, a pale-yellow floribunda; R.’Winchester Cathedral’, a lovely white...
Low maintenance, evergreen and drought tolerant, sedums are perfect for containers. So, it’s no surprise that large ceramic bowls and stone troughs with a collection of low-growing hardy sedum are...
One of the many wonderful things about gardening is that it helps us cultivate our ability to nurture. As humans, caring for something is intrinsically rewarding and mood-enhancing, says the...
The tropical garden trend continues to be popular with people seeking a ‘holiday’ feeling in their own garden. Gardens created using lush, leafy exotics work particularly well in urban situations,...
There’s increasing evidence linking a healthy gut to our physical and mental wellbeing. A healthy microbiome (the ecosystem of micro-organisms in the intestine) helps us digest our food and absorb...
We talk to Tom Coward about developing the historic gardens at Gravetye Manor, East Sussex, created by the ‘wild gardening’ enthusiast William Robinson during the 19th Century. How do you manage...
There’s masses to pick in the garden right now to bring inside and enjoy, whether you have a cutting bed or well-stocked borders. Peonies make wonderful cut flowers, especially the...
When he’s not presenting TV programmes including Good Morning Britain, Ben Shepherd enjoys spending time in his garden with his wife Annie and two boys Sam and Jack. Pictures of...
In the newly revamped plant-based podcast, Michael and Ellen discuss everything from garden design to growing your own fruit and vegetables, with lots of tips along the way. The pair...
Aside from blankets and layers, you might think that firepits are the most eco-friendly way of keeping warm outside, but unless you do your own logging, wood has to be...
The Japanese have been creating beautiful, balanced gardens for centuries. These carefully curated versions of the natural landscape create a calm space designed for contemplation. So, what are some of...
The TV and radio presenter has talked about how her garden has been a great comfort, while her husband Derek Draper continues to suffer the effects of Covid 19. Their...
Creating displays from garden flowers is fun and creative, and the act of scouring the garden for colour each month will help ensure you have flowers to pick all year...
As well as covering boundaries, hedges define the structure of a garden, anchoring the design, creating stability and acting as a crisp foil to more ephemeral planting. Designers are finding...
Tell us about your journey to head gardener here and what you love about it? My mum used to work at Waterperry so I’ve been around the garden all my...
With the weather warming up and garden gatherings back on the cards, you might want to liven up the atmosphere with a little music. There’s an increasing range of wired...
Gardening vlogger Tony O’Neill is a full- time firefighter, but his real passion is gardening and he has created a YouTube channel to offer practical advice on growing organic food...
A good pair of scissors is always useful for gardeners for cutting twine, snipping herbs or a spot of deadheading. And the good news is Fiskars, makers of the iconic...
Pretty bulbs are springing up now in the garden, and although it can feel a shame to pick them, making a small posy to admire up close adds freshness to your house. ...
A passionate gardener and designer, Mike Palmer has recently launched his own podcast. He already had a busy Instagram account where you can see him live on his ‘Sunday Stroll’, showing...
Dreamy romantic gardens seem to be having a revival in the world of garden design. Their untamed wildness ties in with the trend for naturalism and there’s something comforting about...
Charlotte has established a hugely successful garden design business creating stylish and elegant contemporary gardens. She also won a Gold medal at the 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower Show as well...
The sight of billowing pink or white cherry blossom against a cloudless blue sky is a joy to behold. In fact, this vision gave such comfort during the first Covid lockdown...
Immersing yourself in the sensory elements of the garden is a great way of creating a haven from the busy world. And while the health benefits of a garden’s visual...
Some of us enjoy being alone more than others. But if Covid has meant spending more time in your own company than you’d like, research by the RHS shows that...
Designers are increasingly turning to bricks and clay pavers, to add warmth, character, texture and pattern to hard landscaping. Reclaimed-style bricks have a rustic charm that work well in a...
Tell us about your journey into horticulture After being made redundant from my job as a broker, I started my own gardening business and trained in horticulture. I saw an...
You’d be surprised how much there is in the garden in February to pick and bring inside. Snowdrops, primroses, violets, aconites, or anything else you can find, make pretty posies. ...
One of our foremost gardening writers, Anna Pavord is extremely well respected for her horticultural knowledge and articulate, engaging writing style. Born in 1940 in Abergavenny, both Anna’s headmaster father...
Organic gardener, author, blogger and vlogger Tanya Anderson’s successful YouTube channel, Lovely Greens, has masses of weekly posts on organic vegetable gardening as well as growing herbs and plants for...
Coldframes are a useful bit of kit for extending your growing season. Basically, a box that lies flat on the ground with a transparent sloping roof, a cold frame allows...
If you’re struggling to remember which bed you planted the onions in last, or the name of a particular variety of perennial that did well, perhaps this is the year...
Using fresh herbs in your cooking gives really lifts flavours and the smart indoor garden from Veritable allows you to have a range of fresh herbs and mini vegetables throughout...
In its video guides, the UK’s biggest organic gardening charity, looks at a range of different solutions to gardening without chemicals. Chris from Garden Organic is a fan of houseplants...
Who: A talented garden designer with a light touch, Sarah’s exquisitely sensitive planting style is informed by her empathy with the natural landscape. Her scope is wide ranging, from public...
Dried foliage and seedheads used to have a dusty image, but a new breed of florists is using them to create bouquets with a fresh contemporary feel. Using ornamental grasses...
Planting more trees is invaluable for the environment and helps complete a garden by adding height, shade and an extra layer of beauty and year round interest. Multi-stem trees in...
There’s nothing like making plans to give you a sense of purpose and positivity. So, put the kettle on and start a list of your good gardening intentions for the...
As well as making wreaths, Christmas is a great time to adorn your staircases, mantelpieces and tables with ivy and other evergreen foliage. And going out on a bright winter’s...
Not much is left in the veg patch at this time of year, but we can always rely on harvesting Brussels sprouts for Christmas. Here are three ways to cook them...
Whether it’s making a morning coffee with fresh beans, or having a G&T by the fire whilst counting your blessings, rituals are part of our lives. Research reveals these little...
With more of us spending time at home, garden rooms are increasingly in demand as another place to work or exercise in, or simply to escape to. But there’s lots...
The wildlife TV presenter has always been passionate about nature, but seems to be becoming increasingly keen on gardening. One of her latest passions is growing dahlias. “When I hit...
Decorating your garden with twinkly lights creates a welcoming and fun festive atmosphere – something we need this year more than ever. Here are a few things to bear in...
If you’re missing your weekly fix of Monty Don in his garden while Gardeners’ World has its winter break, this could fill the gap. In his weekly Youtube vlog, Martin...
Whether you’re an amateur or professional, there’s always so much to learn in the world of horticulture and garden design. This is something garden designer Annie Guilfoyle is passionate about,...
Bulbs are a must for early spring colour, and if you haven’t yet planted yours, there’s still time. It can be a labour-intensive job, but having the right tools saves...
Kiftsgate Court Gardens; Three Generations of Women Gardeners by Vanessa Berridge is published by Merrell Situated high up on a north Cotswold hillside, right next to the more famous...
Parsnips are fabulous winter root vegetables that can be harvested up until January, once the foliage dies back. But their flavour is improved if you wait until after the first...
Low maintenance gardens are ever popular in our busy world. A design that includes good structure with plants and materials that don’t need much upkeep will avoid the garden looking...
The days are getting shorter and temperatures dropping, but don’t let it get you down - embrace winter’s beauty with cheerful berries, bark and blooms. Berries and hips: As well...
Winter and early spring is the best time to feed birds, especially during cold snaps, when their natural food supplies are low. Like us, different species eat different things, so...
Charlotte Petts presents a thought-provoking show about nature in both the countryside and urban spaces. She talks to a wide range of gardeners, designers and environmentalists covering everything from healthy soil...
We interviewed Jessica Evans, head gardener at Knightshayes Court, a National Trust garden in Tiverton. What do you love about the garden at Knightshayes? I was drawn by the plant...
Julie Walters is one of our best-loved actresses, but she is just as happy pottering about in the garden as treading the boards these days. She even celebrated being made...
Autumn is a good time save seed. Leave a few flowerheads on your favourite plants after they've finished blooming to allow the seeds to ripen – aster seeds are attached...
With Halloween and Thanksgiving upon us, now is a great time to get creative with pumpkins. These huge striking orange fruit look almost surreal growing on the earth connected by...
As the temperatures drop, instead of packing up the garden for the winter months, why not embrace the Scandi ‘hygge’ way of life? This advocates wrapping up and enjoying the...
One of the great joys of plants is being able to give and share them. A garden filled with flowers that remind you of your favourite people appeals on an...
As well as being beautiful and relaxing, gardens can also shield us against air pollution from fossil fuels and petrol that damage our health. According to the World Health Organisation, 90%...
The hedgerows are brimming with sloes, so remember to take a pot with you next time you go on a nice autumn walk and gather enough to make some sloe...
The fashion for naturalistic planting continues, and key to this soft, unstructured look is using ornamental grasses. When planted amongst perennials and loosely pruned shrubs, they give the garden wonderful...
The actress, famed for her role in the BBC drama Silent Witness, loves to unwind in her garden. ‘I’m a big gardener, I love gardening’ she says, recently telling Woman...
Winter violas are wonderful hardy little gems that will flower on through the coldest months. Try sowing some seeds now to flower in a few months’ time. Sow seeds thinly and evenly in...
Homegrown apples are a world apart from supermarket-bought ones. An apple tree, with its gorgeous spring blossom and autumn fruit makes an attractive and wildlife friendly addition to any garden,...
Huw is only in his early twenties, but he has been creating YouTube videos on veg growing since he was 12 and is incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable. His hands-on advice...
If you’re in the market for some more garden furniture and are wanting to do something about the environment, the DuraOcean could be the answer. This ground breaking chair, designed...
Drifts of lilac-coloured lavender, humming with bees against a blue sky is a wonderful summer sight. As well as being beautiful, lavender can also be dried – hanging the sprigs upside-down...
The Garden Ninja, aka Lee Burkhill, is a garden designer from the north of England whose YouTube videos give clear, practical advice on design and gardening, helping people avoid common...
The much-loved gardening broadcaster and writer was born in Germany in 1955 – the youngest of five siblings - and christened Montagu Denis Wyatt Don. He is married to Sarah...
Everything is growing very fast now, with plenty of harvesting, deadheading and seed-collecting to be done. Here’s how to keep the garden looking good into autumn. Keep deadheading annuals, perennials and...
Plums are a delicious tangy fruit, great eaten raw but also great for stewing or making jams, crumbles and tarts. ‘Victoria’ is a well-known variety and ‘Blue Tit’ and ‘Opal’ are...
Gardens are working harder than ever as people spend more time in them and appreciate their potential. Designers are increasingly creating separate zones with different purposes to maximise the use...
Gardens that stimulate the senses are a great way to create relaxing outdoor spaces, helping us to physically connect with nature. As well as the familiar scented gardens, tactile gardens...
It’s a joy watching bees in the garden. Sadly, however, they’re on the decline due to systemic pesticides and loss of varied habitats, amongst other things. Bees are vital for...
The latest innovations are designed to ease the strain and make gardening easier. The Bucketbarrow. The wheelbarrow is a mainstay bit of kit for gardeners, yet since its invention thousands of...
London-based gardener Sean James Cameron has been gardening for over 30 years and is passionate about growing his own produce and sharing his knowledge. His most recent videos follow his...
Much-loved food writer, TV presenter and former Great British Bakeoff judge Mary Berry may be renowned for her baking, but less well known is her love of gardening. ‘In another...
Beetroots are easy to grow and can be sown from April to June. Harvest them when they’re the size of a golf ball. They’re delicious and nutritious and great roasted...
Laid-back swinging seats are the height of fashion this summer and a great way of creating a holiday vibe in the garden. Designers are increasingly incorporating everything from hammocks to...
Like so many people, I’ve been appreciating my garden more than ever over recent weeks, but my favourite moment has to be first thing in the morning, before anyone is...
As the weather heats up, having cooling water in the garden is all the more appealing. It creates a calming focal point, adding gentle sound, movement and sparkling light to...
This lively and informative gardening podcast - which recently celebrated 10,000 downloads - makes for comforting and informative listening while you’re doing your gardening or cooking. Fellow head gardeners Saul...
In his new book, Greg explores a fusion between the ever-popular cottage garden of roses and foxgloves and the prairie-style planting of designers like Piet Outdolf, with swathes of grasses...
The trend for green or ‘living walls’ continues in popularity, in both domestic and commercial situations, as the technology advances and more specialist companies are set up. These walls are...
If you’re looking for extra growing space, either in a small garden or because you’ve already packed your garden to the rafters and want to squeeze in some salad leaves,...
Keep deadheading your roses religiously for a succession of blooms. Removing heads instantly smartens up the plant and can keep repeat-flowering roses going for months. Remove the flowers as you...
As if being a brilliant actress and generally classy woman isn’t enough, Judi is also passionate about nature. She is often seen at RHS Chelsea and has a peachy-coloured David...
Courgettes are hungry plants but easy to grow and versatile. Aside from ratatouille, they’re great raw and are easy to grate into salads with a bit of lemon and oil. Alternatively,...
As crafty projects go, this is pretty relaxed as you don’t need any tools or particular material, just twigs, wood and old pots lying around the garden – in fact...
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show may not have happened this year but we can still think of it while we prune back our late flowering herbaceous plants to avoid them...
The world of garden design is seeing a growing shift away from sleek minimalism towards gardens with character and texture, with greater use of recycled materials reflecting growing environmental awareness....
Listening to birdsong is one of the great pleasures of being in our gardens more. And while all birdsong is a delight, getting to know particular bird song brings even...
The award-winning and charismatic celebrity garden designer, presenter and writer, is media friendly and has appeared on various Youtube videos sharing her extensive knowledge and experience of garden design and...
The gardener and TV presenter of BBC2’s Gardener’s World is also a familiar face in the coverage of RHS shows – though we won’t have had the chance to see...
Eating your own homegrown fruit and vegetables is one of the best ways of keeping your immune system strong and healthy – so important at the moment. In particular, eating...
A delicious tart fruit, stewed rhubarb, flavoured with sugar and ginger, is fab cold with yoghurt or hot in crumbles. And it’s harvested from early spring when there are few...
Last month in our Potpourri magazine we ran a competition: write 200 words on the theme of Gardening in the Era of Lockdown and win a £100 Genus gift voucher. ...
If you you’ve noticed any bald patches in your lawn, there’s still time to reseed them. Rough up the area with a rake adding a bit of sharp sand for...
The Oscar-winning actress is a great believer in the power of gardening and has mentioned its benefits in various interviews over the years. She recently spoke about how it soothes...
The next time you weed a bed of nettles, crop them instead, well the tips anyway – they’re a surprisingly tasty, free and vitamin-packed fresh vegetable. They’re also excellent for...
Outdoor kitchens and firepits are big news in garden design. And this chimes with the current situation where we’re spending time at home, eating with the family. We were eating...
Having to stay home is forcing us to stop and appreciate nature instead of hurrying by. And while we can’t all get out into expansive landscapes, we can get close...
Gardeners use a lot of twine at this time of year for making pea and bean wigwams, tying in young stems and marking out lines for seed sowing. If you...
If you’re interested in growing vegetables with a no dig approach, this YouTube channel is an excellent resource. Charles Dowding is an expert in the subject, having pioneered the no-dig...
Normally, this slot in our magazine features gardens to visit around the country, but now with everything closed, we all need to focus exclusively on our own gardens. There is...
Don’t give up on daffodils that didn’t flower this year. Instead try splitting them to give them more space as it’s possible that they’ve become congested. Follow with a feed...
Radio 2 presenter, Zoe Ball is enjoying her beautiful new garden having moved from Brighton to a village in the Sussex countryside. She proudly posted on Instagram an image of...
We may all be in lockdown at home, but this Easter Sunday you can still treat your family to a delicious navarin, a French stew made with seasonal veg.Along with spring...
The colour of the year for 2020, according to Pantone is Classic Blue. This is a strong hue, which the colour company describes as a restful colour, which ‘brings a...
I really enjoyed listening to this informative monthly podcast presented by Chris Young, editor of The Garden magazines. Designed to complement the print content, it goes deeper into topics covered,...
Garden designers have been busy predicting trends for 2020 with large leafed plants and bolder colours anticipated to become increasingly popular. We asked leading Garden Designer Barbara Samitier (MSGD) for...
Mindfulness – which put simply means living fully in the present, rather than worrying about the past or future - has huge benefits including stress relief and better focus. Gardening is...
In April we ran a competition in our magazine inviting subscribers to send in no more than 100 words in answer to the question: Why do you garden?" The prize was...
In our March newsletter Potpourri 2, we ran a competition asking people to send us a short piece entitled "Memories of Gardening with my Mother". The prizes are a pair of...
At busy times of the year it’s easy for us to forget to enjoy our gardens and spend time simply sitting and looking. Having done just that, we're happy to...
We spent some time in the vegetable garden this week. Comprising more than twenty small raised beds, it’s taken a bit of a back seat in recent weeks and needed some...
As we mentioned last week, some time in the borders tidying, dead heading, and tieing-in would be the order of the day. Many of the dahlias had broken loose from...
We’ve paid the price again for having a few days away from the garden. The lawns are now meadows, the weeds are appearing everywhere, and the perennials in the flower...
Do your gardening clothes look like this? We're fascinated by what people wear when they're gardening. Email us your images and tell us what you like/hate about your clothes. Send...
This picture of leaves may seem unremarkable but it shows encouraging signs for those of us with who enjoy the glorious sight of a horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) in flower...
Fans of alliteration will enjoy recent posts from the Genus garden. Last time The Chelsea Chop. This week The Hampton Hack!! Quite where that name originated we don’t know but it...
We’ve written before about the range of climbing plants that envelop the walls here at Genus HQ. One such plant that we rarely see in other gardens is Schizophragma hydrangeoides...
Just like everyone else we’ve been experiencing extremes of heat in the Genus garden over the last week or two. Heavy rains before it all started have meant that soil...
We spent some time in the Genus greenhouse this week. Early mornings are always best for this operation before the sun creeps over the trees and makes temperatures under glass...
Another lovely week in the Genus garden and once again we're talking staking. Dahlias in particular have reached a point where they could quickly become a mess if high winds...
We’ve been having suspicions for a few weeks. Bark stripped off a pair of Magnolia stellata, a ground cover rose relieved of all its buds, little scuffs dug out around...
Some time was spent in the flower garden this week dealing with plants knocked by the previous week's rain and wind. Tidied up and staked where necessary, we managed to...
One of us had a week off recently. It coincided with the start of the lovely weather and was the perfect time to unwind by the sea. Unfortunately the garden...
We don’t have a huge collection of euphorbias here at Genus HQ but those we do have are cherished for their contribution to the beds and borders. In spring visitors...
In the Genus garden Malus, cherry, Sorbus, and Amelanchier are trees with exceptional blossom but a favourite on a totally different scale are the Aesculus trees - the horse chestnuts. ...
This week was particularly busy with an upcoming photoshoot looming and everything working around the unpredictable weather. With heavy rain from the start we spent time in the greenhouse potting...
We’re under more pressure than usual to get the garden looking nice due to an upcoming photoshoot at the end of the month. Looking at pictures from this time last...
More sowing and more mowing were on our list of jobs to get done this week. Cool mild weather has kept the grass growing and with one large orchard lawn...
Our attention was focussed in and around the Genus greenhouse this week with our seedlings getting either potted on or hardened off. The sunflowers ‘Ring of Fire’ and ‘Buttercream’ have...
‘Mind the gap’ is a familiar term with those of us who've been on the London Underground, but it's also become a common phrase here at Genus HQ in recent years. ...
With our grass now growing well, lawns were the focus for us this week. After edging they all received a pass from the mower and produced a surprising amount of...
The beautiful weather of the last few days has propelled us into seed sowing mode. The majority of our seeds are for annuals; gap fillers and punctuation points to be...
We've been cutting down our deciduous grasses this week. In summer one corner of our border is a beautiful tangle of tall perennials such as rudbeckia, helenium, helianthus, and dahlias. ...
The recent addition of French doors at genus HQ has opened up a whole new vista for us to observe while eating our breakfast. Unfortunately the planting in this area...
We’ve been wanting to enlarge one of our flower beds for some time and with beautiful weather still on the cards we decided to start work. The rather rotten wooden...
With a week of high pressure giving us glorious sunny days we decided to get into the vegetable garden and sow some broad beans. Very hardy, and very tasty, broad...
It’s March tomorrow and it's getting busy out there in the garden. As you can see, Joff has been pruning the roses in the Genus garden. Here are our top 10...
The milder weather we’ve been having over the last few days has enabled us to get on with the work that was postponed by the previous week's deep freeze. With...
What a week! Freezing cold temperatures, ground frozen, and scatterings of snow. Plans that were previously made to sow seeds suddenly seemed laughable and a quick mental pivot was required...
Mulching. We’re at it again! It was only just before Christmas that we were talking about spreading compost on the flower borders. It’s something we’re passionate about. A decade of...
When we first moved into the cottage at Genus HQ it had a functional but extremely ugly concrete garage. It’s the first thing we see on our return home and...
Gardeners are an optimistic bunch, never put off by failures, always trying again, and always looking to the future. Small but barely noticeable signs at Genus HQ have made us...
As you read this, galanthomania is sweeping the country and keen snowdrop fans, or galanthophiles, are dropping to their knees to inspect the delicate petals of some of the rarer...
Every six months we renovate our mulched tree circles in the orchard at Genus HQ. Weeds are removed, the edges clipped with our trusty French Bahco shears, and a top...
Winter gardens concentrate the mind. It’s the detail that counts. Whether peering at the delicate formation of a snowdrops perianth, the frosted hairs on brittle seed heads, or the last...
Stepping out the back door of Genus HQ last week we were slapped in the face by wind and cold driving rain. As devotees of performance gardenwear we weren’t going to let...
A day in the fruit cage beckoned this week. The blackcurrants have responded well to a complete cut back and renovation that we gave them in late 2019. A wealth...
It’s that time of year again and the search for Christmas gifts at full throttle. Gardeners past enjoyed a now familiar set of innovative products bought as special gifts. During...
With the Genus borders planted up with tulips and wallflowers we were finally able to get on with mulching. This has been an annual operation since we moved here over ten years...
The first thing you learn when using ‘black’ plants in the garden is that they’re rarely black; dark reds, purples, and sometimes dark blues are usually the norm. Despite this,...
‘Hands up who likes blackfly’? No, we don’t either. They often appear suddenly in the garden and can cause several problems that need to be dealt with.The bean aphid Aphis...
We love Aeonium ‘Zwartcop’. It’s a tender branching succulent that can grow up to 1.2 metres high and is a perfect specimen to have as an architectural centrepiece in pots...
Good weather last week enabled us to get several hundred tulips planted in the borders at Genus HQ. This week we overplanted the tulips with the wallflowers that were sown...
We’re planting several hundred tulips this week. Hooray!! They arrived several weeks ago but we’ve been trying to make space in the beds to plant them. We’ve gone for some...
Ornamental grasses are extremely popular with gardeners in the UK. With their height, movement, and colour they easily earn their place in any garden. Last week could well have been...
Some days at Genus HQ have to be more about the infrastructure than the plants, so this week we put aside a day to complete a few practical tasks that...
It’s getting colder, the leaves are falling fast and it’s time to tidy up dead and tatty growth and prepare for winter. Protect slightly tender herbaceous plants like penstemon or Verbena bonariensis...
Ordering spring bulbs is an exciting job. An evening in with the fire lit, a cat on your lap, and bulb catalogues spread all around. Perfect!! But it’s not until...
It’s at this time of year that we realise the garden here at Genus HQ, whilst still retaining colour in the flower borders, is lacking colour elsewhere, particularly in the...
New french doors at Genus HQ have replaced a window and necessitated the removal of a grape vine that was originally trained over it. Groundworks had disturbed the roots, grapes...
The north facing wall of the cottage at Genus HQ has a number of climbers but in autumn the ‘orange peel’ clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’ shines a light into this shadier...
Autumn is the time to clear up the garden and begin soil preparation and bulb planting for next spring. Tall shrubs like buddleia which will be pruned hard in spring,...
You may remember our disappointment a few weeks ago when we wrote of the sorry state of the garden at Genus HQ after the winds and rain had battered the...
Plants are like children. There are the naughty troublesome ones that require constant supervision, the loud shouty ones that are actually quite delicate, and the ones that just quietly get...
Forward notes are a wonderful thing. There’s always so much to do in the garden that without some planning important jobs would be missed. And so it was this week...
We mentioned late season colour last time and we also mentioned that our focus was on our spring borders which have been lacklustre for the last few years. Consequently the...
We’ve been honing the late season colour palette of the garden at Genus HQ over the last few years, going from ‘not a lot’ to ‘more than enough’. Each year...
Scion, cleft, four flap, and whip are some of the terms we’re getting acquainted with over the next few weeks; words we haven’t used since our college days! Last week...
2020 must surely go down as the gardeners’ ‘year of the cherry’. We’ve waited years for our trees to produce a respectable crop and this year they excelled, benefiting from...
We’ve talked about the climbing plants at Genus HQ before and we’ve probably mentioned the philadelphus on the north side of the cottage. Planted in the border some years ago...
No not the latest football scores! We’ve already mentioned how organised we’ve been this year with our mulching and timely staking. Another job we carried out was the much vaunted...
We’ve started spotting one of our favourite plants in several gardens recently. Deservedly so. Dianthus carthusianorum comes from Spain and other parts of Europe where it’s primarily a grassland species but...
High summer is here with gardens in full bloom and plenty of vegetables to crop and enjoy. Here’s how to keep on top of it all: With garden centres teaming...
After the excitement of spring and the fecundity of early June we have started to fill areas in the garden with annual flowers. Some have already been sown in-situ and...
We’ve had a busy few days in the Genus garden. For some time a large Choisya has threatened to block a path and crowd out a lovely variegated holly. We...
Summer is here at last and roses and many perennials are flowering in earnest. There’s still lots to do but make time to appreciate the results of your hard work....
We paid for our enthusiasm and early planting when our french beans got nipped by the frost a few weeks ago but luckily a layer of fleece protected them from...
A couple of years ago, we were looking to change the factory where our clothes are manufactured. We had been using a facility in the east of China, but we...
Genus HQ is looking fabulous at the moment with the cottage swathed in climbers at their absolute prime. Blending the house into the garden, their enthusiasm for life requires a...
Last year we split and divided clumps of bearded iris that fill the border on the south side of Field Cottage. Each rhizome was carefully checked for disease, some were...
Every year we promise ourselves that we’ll be a step ahead with the staking of plants at Genus HQ. We rarely get it right but this year have avoided the...
Spring has sprung at last and there’s plenty to do in the garden. Here are our top 10 jobs for you to do now. Prune your penstemon now - provided there...
Lockdown is a great time to read and skill up, and for anyone wanting to learn more about garden design, this bestselling classic gives you a thorough grounding in the...
Visitors who come to Genus HQ pass by a small border that looks especially good at this time of year. Early primroses in February set the theme and are followed...
Located to the side of a small copse our woodland garden is a great success at this time of year. Recently carpeted with narcissi and snowdrops and containing a range...
A small bed against the north wall of Genus HQ is planted with a nice mix of geranium, hellebores, saroccoca, and bulbs. Several years ago a favourite philadelphus was threatening...
There are so many different reasons that people garden. Here is a selection of thoughts from our customers. I love being outside in different seasons working with the soil and...
Wonderful weather this week has allowed us to make some progress in the garden. An area in the woodland garden has a number of Betula jacquemontii underplanted with a variety of...
So the Spring equinox has arrived, the time when the day and night are equally long, and we know we are moving towards the longer days of summer. Here in the Genus...
We spent some valuable time walking around the garden this week looking at jobs to do and making decisions on some shrubs that needed moving. Three philadelphus have been struggling...
With the recent wind and rain we’ve been holding back a few tasks that we could do if things got just too tempestuous to carry on working outside. Thursday was...
This week we started to replace the netting on our much loved and productive fruit cage. Stage one was carried out several weeks ago when a mistake was rectified and...
The snowdrops are in full bloom and we can just see the tips of the narcissus tete-a-tete, a sign that spring is just around the corner. Here are our top 10 jobs...
With the air crisp and the grass frozen we kept off the lawns last week and spent some time spreading compost on the vegetable beds and turning the heaps. Our...
We’ve just come back from a couple of days at the Sports and Outdoor Trade Fair. This is held twice a year, in summer and winter, and is the premier...
Visitors to Genus HQ have been met in recent days by an incredible scent. Along the path and next to the front door are some mature specimens of Sarcococca that...
This week our Garrya eliptica seemed to suddenly turn a corner. Almost overnight its long silvery catkins started to lengthen and our eyes were suddenly drawn to the back of...
Our lovely woodland garden at Genus HQ is planted with a range of spring flowering bulbs, shrubs, and perennials. Each year one of the Helleborus foetidus plants puts out curious...
We love feeding the birds at Genus HQ. A range of dishes from fatballs and peanuts, to suet pellets and niger seeds are on the menu and keep most of...
We’ve been clearing leaves from the lawns at Genus HQ with huge piles scooped, wheeled, and deposited into our wire leaf-enclosures. A large mound to the side of the driveway...
Not long after our first snow of the year air temperatures dropped sufficiently at Genus HQ for the pond to freeze over. A thriving home for wildlife including toads, newts,...
It's chilly, but there's still plenty to harvest, prune and tidy, and this is a great time to prepare for the busier months ahead. If your garden lacks winter interest...
We’ve had our first snow of the season at Genus HQ. Cold blustery showers on already very wet ground made gardening virtually impossible. Standing on the paths to avoid damaging...
Some of our favourite plants in the Genus garden are also some of the most successful; they put on so much growth that we dig up and divide them every...
Dry stone walls are a key feature of the Cotswolds where we are based, criss-crossing the hills and meadows creating beautiful field boundaries that total a remarkable 4,000 miles. Some...
Much maligned for strangling trees and pulling mortar from house walls, ivy (Hedera helix) is a plant that we should all try to love just a little bit more. Surrounded...
Every autumn our Cape Gooseberries announce themselves with bright orange lanterns that go hand in hand with falling leaves, the smell of wood smoke, and the gradual decline of the...
We are very lucky to have two semi mature horse chestnut trees in the Genus garden. They shelter our three large leafmould enclosures and provide us with a degree of...
Incredibly reliable and requiring so little attention our two Leycesteria formosa or Himalayan Honeysuckle are real beacons in the garden at this time of year. Making a change from the...
We love our beautiful anemones that grow quietly away with little fuss or interference from us. They bring a splash of light into the north side of the house, welcoming...
We always grow far too many tomatoes. Packets of tomato seeds seem to be one of the favourite choices for gardening magazines to give away and we sow all of these free seeds. Unfortunately,...
There’s plenty to harvest this month. And with the days getting shorter and cooler, try to make the most of the remaining warmth and enjoy your late summer garden. Dig...
Joff, our gardener, has been on holiday for the last three weeks so everything is behind and the rest of the team have been struggling to fit in some gardening...
It’s a very busy time in the Genus garden. The flower garden can pretty much look after itself for a few weeks, just a bit of weeding, tying in, and...
It’s June and the Genus garden is really beginning to bloom. The downside of all the seasonal growth is the constant battle with weeds. It’s one of the most important...
Last weekend it was World Naked Gardening Day and just for once the weather was kind to those busying with their borders in the buff. Here at Genus we are of...
We’ve been asking gardeners this question for some time now. The answers embody universal truths, as well as being as personal and individual as the gardeners themselves. They make great...
One of the very best things about Christmas is the gift giving, and how much nicer if those gifts come from the heart as homemade treats? The garden is a...
Although many gardeners might think that summer abundance is coming to an end and the only option is for their garden to look ‘green’ at this time of year, with the warmer climate we have these days, the summer in recent years...
The days are getting longer and, despite the most dreadful weather over the last few days, there is a sniff of Spring in the Genus garden, so we have started...
Well, it’s here. December has arrived. The weather for the past three days has been gorgeous, cold, crisp, and frosty. The garden looks like Christmas is on the way, so...
Too many courgettes? There are some really tasty ways to deal with the garden glutHere in the Genus vegetable garden, we have reached the season of the garden glut particularly...
The Chelsea show is now upon us. Fantastic.The other thing that gardener’s turn their attention to at this time of year as well, is the “Chelsea chop”. We’ll be out...
The snowdrops are out en masse in the Genus garden. Carpeting banks in the woodland garden they bring a little spot of liveliness into the otherwise bleakness of late winter....
It’s been chilly in the Genus garden this week, we think that autumn 2016 has probably arrived at last. The leaves have properly started to turn from green to their...
The Genus new edition gardening trousers come in three beautiful new colours. This is something that we have always wanted, and something that our customers have been asking us for....
The last few weeks have been such a very busy time for Genus, the big push for our trade stand at Hampton Court show, then running our Summer Sale as...
Well what an unusual month June has been this year. In many parts of the country gardeners have been dealing with wet and cold and un-summer like conditions. June 2016...
Well it looks like 2016 is going to be a great year for Genus. There are lots of exciting developments on the horizon. This week we have been busy visiting the ISPO...
Summer is definitely here. Even though this year has felt a little cooler than average (perhaps because of the weak El Niño we are experiencing at the moment) the temperature in...
It was such a lovely weekend here in the Cotswolds. Bright and crisply cold. The Genus garden received a little bit of tidying up attention. Whilst raking up the leaves I had...
I’ve just received a reminder about the clocks changing back to GMT. That will be the end of summer then! Not that you would know it. This year the Genus garden...
The last few days, it’s been raining a bit too much for there to be much gardening. However, the newly arrived chickens at the bottom of the Genus garden provide...
It was such a beautiful gardening weekend. The Genus garden is now really coming into life. After all the planting, weeding, hoeing, feeding and mulching it's sure to look good. Whilst we...
It’s been a weekend of seed sowing, potting-on, and mulching in my fruit and vegetable garden. Getting all this sorted, and listening to the Gardeners Question Time team at the Edible...
We’ve finally managed to harvest the parsnips. You need to wait until the leaves die down before lifting them, but that was in the middle of Christmas. When we finally had...
John Harrison bought a pair of Genus gardening trousers and took this photo of his old ones before throwing them away. He says: "I tend to kneel down when I'm...
It was interesting that Monty Don opened today's programme on the Great British Garden Revival with an explanation of how yellow rattle helps wildflower meadows to grow. It was only...
For some people, November means moustaches, but for us gardeners November means leaves. There are more than fifty trees in the Genus garden at Field Cottage. We have a spinney...
Gardening is an enjoyable activity that yields beautiful results, but did you know that gardening can also help secure your home? Here are some ideas for keeping your home safe...
Don’t try using the front door at Rugg Farm; plants are the doorkeepers here barring your access to the 200-year-old farmhouse and giving a clue as to what can be...
Entering through the gates at Plumley House the first things you see are huge granite boulders of monumental proportions deposited there at the end of the last ice age. Time...
An 18th century farmhouse with beautiful mixed borders and an exceptional range of roses. As you turn into the driveway of Susanna’s home near Bridgenorth the mid 18th century red...
Ruth and Neale Brydon had to wait eight years to find the perfect garden. After an eight-year spell working in the United States Ruth longed to return to the UK...
The gentle approach to Mary and John Thurston’s home ‘Rocklands’ in Gloucestershire is via a serpentine metalled driveway that weaves gently through camelias, rhododendrons, and mature sweet chestnuts. Access to...
An 18th century townhouse with a mature beautifully laid out garden with an exceptional plant palette. Jill and William Stewart have lived at their home near Towcester for 40 years...
In her 1913 collection of poems, Dorothy Frances Gurney wrote, The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer God's Heart in...
With careful planning, you can create a green haven on your balcony that’s full of scent and colour. First, it’s important to check how much weight your balcony can take,...
With a national lockdown and supermarkets depleted, producing your own fruit and vegetables has more appeal than ever. And there’s so much you can grow in the smallest of spaces....
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and with the shops filling up with cards and flowers it got us thinking about the relationship between women and gardening. I suppose...
Exercise addicts are always trying to convince us of the benefits of yoga – increased flexibility, stronger joints and bones and a relaxed body and mind. But did you know...
Gardens don’t have to be at ground-level: there are plenty of city dwellers making the most of their available space by creating picture-perfect gardens on rooftops and balconies. Here are five...
We have written a number of blogs about how great gardening is for improving gardener’s general levels of health and fitness. Our health and wellbeing though, is not just a...
Gardening is renowned for its therapeutic benefits, helping you to feel more relaxed, alleviating symptoms of stress and depression and allowing you to enjoy nature. In Japan, gardens are designed...
It seems that we are heading for a mass influx of Painted Lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui) over the next few weeks. Although we get these butterflies regularly during the summer...
One of the surprising things to pop up in the Genus garden lately was a bright shiny green beetle that was all over the sage and lavender bushes. Curiosity peaked,...
It’s the end of June and we are getting excited about Hampton Court Flower Show which starts soon. One of the specialties of the show is the grand display of roses as...
It’s just a few days to go before Wimbledon 2019 starts. It’s my only must-see sporting event of the year. The strawberries in the Genus garden have been in full...
In helping to design and plant out the Back To Nature garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, the Duchess of Cambridge is continuing a long tradition of gardening amongst...
There are many traditional Mother's Day flowers depending on where in the world you look. The British tradition of “Mothering Sunday” started in the sixteenth century and provided an opportunity...
The recent discussions on climate change in Poland, the Beast from the East followed by a summer drought, as well as the long line of record breaking years including the...
The concept of colours influencing our moods has been around for a long time. If you are interested in learning about popular interpretations of different colours with a view to...
Gardeners will know that gardening is not just a physical activity, it encompasses a philosophy of life, an approach to growing and a favoured set of techniques that vary from...
The country has spoken and it’s out of the EU we will come. There will now be a period of some uncertainty as we come to terms with the new reality and begin the process of untangling ourselves from a host...
Vita Sackville-West has many claims to fame. She was an accomplished writer and poet, circulated amongst the Bloomsbury Group attributed with modernising British social attitudes during the inter war years,...
We’re back after the excitement of Chelsea. The importance and popularity of gardens in Britain was of course really made obvious at the show. The range of items for gardens...
Time and again, surveys and academic studies prove what we’ve long suspected: gardening really does make us happy.A recent poll of 1,500 UK adults revealed that 80% of people who...
Now that the long Easter weekend is nearly here, there should be plenty of time to get out into the garden as well as enjoying eggs, buns and rabbits with...
It’s the month when resolutions are made and so very many people think about dieting to lose the extra pounds gained over the festive season. A recent survey showed that...
Herbs are a versatile ingredient for cooking, but they also have many therapeutic benefits, and can be used in a variety of health and beauty products. Here are some reasons...
Claudia de Yong is a garden designer with over fifteen years experience creating wonderful gardens for her clients. She has also won medals eight times at Hampton Court and numerous...
Gardening is not only good for your soul, it's also a great way to burn off calories in the winter months. For some people, a spot of gardening is their...
It’s Easter! This is traditionally the busiest period for gardening businesses. A spell of good weather at Easter brings gardeners with all kinds of interests and all kinds of skills...
Each member country of the United Kingdom has its own national flower. Here is a brief introduction to each: England – the Rose The rose has represented England since the 1400s...
Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us and thoughts are turning to gifts for our loved one. Flowers are always a popular choice, and the relationship between flowers and love goes...
Don’t panic! It’s the week before Christmas and the atmosphere is getting hectic. For many of us the thought that we need to find something special for that significant somebody...
This week we went along to the Bibury Gardening Club, which meets once a month, and is always a great place to socialise with other keen gardeners as well as...
We have already noticed what a barbeque summer 2017 in the UK is turning out to be, and the two heatwaves we experienced in recent weeks were unusual in their...
It has been an interesting year at Chelsea. The media has not just focused on the flowers. A spotlight has been shone on the people involved as gardeners and garden...
Woooooh! Spring seems to have sprung and suddenly there seems to be even less time in the day to get everything done than ever before. This last month has whizzed...
It has been a few weeks since the last Genus blog. You won’t be surprised to hear that’s because we have been really busy, not just in the Genus garden,...
We have already blogged about climate change and flooding in December, but the subject just won’t go away. We have been really keen to get out and start the late...
The British winter this year has been warm as well as wet. October, November and December have all been unseasonably warm. October was around 0.5 degrees warmer and was also a drier...
We are drawing close to the end of the gardening year. The Genus garden is being tidied up and put to bed for the winter. The long days pottering and working...
Genus founder Sue began gardening in miniature in her London flat using planters and window boxes as a route to releasing her gardening passion. There’s lots that can be done container...
The autumn this year is turning into a long and colourful affair. The flowering season in the Genus garden still continues into October and some of the fruit trees, particularly...
It may be disappointing to have suffered another wet and dismal August Bank Holiday, but the recent rain does mean that some of the vegetables and fruit in the Genus...
Fashion is not just about clothes. There are garden fashions too. Plants and planting styles that gardeners of all sorts fall in love with and get carried away by. Genus...
That's it then. The third week in May has arrived, the Chelsea Fringe starts and the real excitement of Chelsea week begins! One of the many new gardening programmes on...
The Genus team was recently busy at the Kew Plant Finders Fair. One of the ways we engaged with customers was to ask them more about what they wore when they...
Just like ourselves in the Genus garden, we know many gardeners who spend a lot of time choosing flowers they hope are going to perform really well in the conditions...
The hori hori knife all round gardening tool from Japan Genus is all about performance. We also pride ourselves on great customer service, enjoying conversations with our customers about their...
Want to stand out this Valentines? British grown spring flowers are gaining in popularity over imported roses We have noticed a bit of a push in the gardening community recently...
That’s it then, we have reached Twelfth Night which means Christmas and all the associated festivities are now all well and truly finished for another year. What’s to look forward to now?...
The horticultural and forestry world has been busy over recent years innovating around Christmas trees. It’s not just the introduction of new species of tree like the Scot’s pine or the Noble fir instead...
Monet’s garden appears to have become the latest battlefield of Anglo-Franco discord. An interesting article in the Sunday Times described the challenge faced by the Head Gardener at Giverny. James Priest...
Whilst not as internationally famous as Chelsea, Hampton Court Flower Show is the world’s largest flower show. It covers an area of 34 acres set inside the grounds of Hampton...
There is much talk of climate change and how gardeners will need to adapt their gardening practices as a result. When we think about the last few years it’s easy...
It is a fact that in our society neighbours seldom talk to each other. You can live for years next door to someone and never even know their name. A...
Five a day doesn't mean WEARING the fruit and veg Eating fruit and veg has been a big topic in the news for some time. In the UK the campaign to “Eat...
Earlier this week, we visited the Fashion & Gardens exhibition at the Garden Museum in Lambeth, London. Curated by Nicola Shulman, a well-known author and journalist, who is also a...
Susan Middletons old gardening trousers Thanks to keen gardener Susan for sending in this photo of her old gardening trousers. She can now enjoy her free pair of socks. To...
Radio 4 Extra is broadcasting a great programme on Gertrude Jekyll at 9am today, 1st February. Gertrude Jekyll (29 November 1843—8 December 1932) was an influential British horticulturist, garden designer, artist...
We are asking keen gardeners to send in photos of their old gardening clothes, and in return we're giving them a free pair of Genus socks. Thanks very much to...
Gardening offers many health benefits: it increases flexibility, provides a workout, helps to keep you supple and can even boost your mood, alleviating depression and anxiety. But for allergy sufferers,...
A new BBC series could see thousands of people who have lost their passion for gardening take an interest once again. ‘Great British Garden Revival’ is a 10-part series which...
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is often also referred to as winter blues or winter depression, and affects up to 20% of the population annually. It’s a type of depression which...
Gardening has been proven to have health benefits for everyone, particularly the over 60s, and helps to de-stress your body and mind. So why not use your garden to grow vegetables...
A study of over 4,000 people in Stockholm, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, has showed that regular daily gardening can prolong life by up to 30 per...
Sustainable gardening is nothing new: the concept actually came about during the First World War (1914-1918) with the invention of so-called ‘Victory Gardens' in which vegetables, fruit and herbs were...
Monty Don, presenter of the BBC programme Gardeners' World, has put forward his views that everyone in the UK should have access to a garden or allotment, especially young people between...
Sometimes, the best things are those which are unexpected, such as a garden on the roof of a tower block! Urban gardening is a movement sweeping the nation – here...
The charity Thrive has recently launched a new project, ‘Down to Earth’ in Gateshead and the West Midlands, aimed at helping ex-service personnel living with mental ill health or physical disability to ...
It seems gardening hasn’t just come to schools – it’s making its way to universities as well, starting with the University of Newcastle which has announced a number of innovative projects to...
Hidden among the more contentious educational reforms put forward by the government is a proposal to include gardening on the National Curriculum for students aged 7 to 14. The idea...
More normally associated with exclusive garden parties, Buckingham Palace is set to host a one-off football match to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the English Football Association’s formation. The game...
Gardener and amateur moth hunter Angie Hill got something of a surprise earlier this week when stumbled across a giant beetle. The creature, later identified as a European rhinoceros beetle...
Traditionally thought of as weeds, nettles are apparently receiving a warm welcome in some gardens. One online nursery is now selling nettles for £7.99, claiming that all of their initial...
Celebrity gardener Monty Don has spoken of the unusual way in which he once tried to impress his girlfriend by cutting her lawn with a pair of scissors. Unable to...
We loved the story we read the other day about 70 year-old Stuart Grindle, a retired joiner from Tickhill near Doncaster, who mows his lawn twice a day because he wants...
Flower gardens are popular all over the world, providing a tranquil and pleasant escape from the rush of the modern world. But where is the largest flower garden in the...
If you thought that gardening was the hobby of choice for older people, new research suggests that you could be wrong. Research by Stewart Garden has found that people aged...
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