gardening

The crowning glory: Daisy varieties are abundant but echinaceas reign supreme Nigel Colborn says echinaceas season runs from now throughout autumn  There are fewer than a dozen wild echinacea species — all American natives  UK-based gardening expert says they thrive in good light and well-drained soil  By Nigel Colborn for the Daily Mail Published: 17:06 EDT, … Read more

Colour me happy! Fragrant phloxes help brighten up those tricky gaps between seasons Nigel Colborn says border phloxes are valuable summer perennials Colourful, fragrant and with sturdy stems, best could carry flowers in September UK-based gardening expert they grow best in fertile, free – draining soil By Nigel Colborn for the Daily Mail Published: 22:05 … Read more

The butterfly effect: Small changes can help these creatures thrive in your garden Nigel Colborn said false eyes and fancy patterns give butterflies their beauty British gardener said they are always more abundant in a wildlife-friendly garden He said if garden is insect-rich, songbirds, hedgehogs and other creatures thrive By Nigel Colborn for the Daily … Read more

Wild about orchids: Exotic-looking and hardy, these lovely plants are perfect for brightening borders Nigel Colborn says 52 orchid species are native to Britain and are flowering now   He said these colourful plants are perfect for brightening a summer border  British gardener says his favourite is D. foliosa, which comes from Madeira By Nigel Colborn for the … Read more

Stars of the rose show: Shrub varieties are easy to grow and there’s one for every garden Nigel Colborn says shrub roses are far less trouble to grow than bush varieties  Shrub roses less likely suffer from pests or diseases and many need no pruning British gardener says favourites include R. Nevad and R. Marguerite Hilling … Read more

Prickly customers: Thistles can be intrusive in the garden and spiky on the skin. But, says Monty Don, their fantastic flowerheads make it all worthwhile Monty Don reveals how different thistle varieties thrive at Longmeadow  UK-based gardening expert says Echinops ritro is happiest in some sunshine He claims its pom-pom blue flowerheads are worth the horribly prickly leaves  By … Read more

Over the years I have accumulated orange and lemon trees without ever consciously looking for them and certainly not with the intention of making any kind of collection. At the time of writing, I have nine – mostly lemons but with three oranges.  The most recent are a couple of whoppers I bought on the … Read more

Loopy about lupins! These versatile favourites give a riot of colour all summer Colour of lupins run from blue, pink, red and white through creams to yellow Lupins are easy to grow from seed and much cheaper than buying plants Gardening expert Nigel Colborn, says lupins prefer free-draining soils in sun By Nigel Colborn for … Read more

Poppy love: Monty Don adores promiscuous poppies, with their beautiful blooms and stunning seedpods. Here he highlights his favourite types of all… Monty Don says 3,000 of the 17,000 seeds poppy flower produce remains viable British gardening expert’s favourite is opium poppy, Papaver somniferum It grows in almost any conditions and reappears year after year … Read more