The other day, I wandered up the garden to find that some of my favourite emerging phlox had been razed to the ground, devoured by something which left just the stems at ground level.
Gardening
Don’t go animal cracker
Blast away the blackspot
As if aphids, vine weevil and lily beetle aren't trouble enough for us all at this time of year, when your roses show signs of blackspot you may wonder if it's time to throw in the trowel.
Colour swings your mood
Are you a person who goes for hot reds and acid yellows or do you prefer a softer palette of pinks, creams and soft blues?
Gardening gifts for guys
If your dad wants to make the most of the garden in so-called 'flaming June' and beyond, then you can make his Father's Day by buying him a gift which will make his job easier or simply make him smile.
Soggy, boggy bliss
The other week, maverick designer Diarmuid Gavin advised gardeners that they would have to roll with the weather to ensure their gardens survived and thrived the extremes.
Roll with the weather, says Diarmuid
You would have thought that when he moved to a new house in Wicklow, known as the Garden of Ireland, Diarmuid Gavin, the enfant terrible of the gardening fraternity, would have wasted no time hauling in the diggers, landscaping materials, amazing plants and architectural altars.
100 years of inspiration
So, what are we going to learn from this year's internationally acclaimed horticultural show?
Keep bees buzzing
Reports that our bee population is at crisis point as numbers have been hit by bad weather and particularly long winters should prompt responsible gardeners to protect our bees by creating a prosperous environment for them.
The Swedish approach to gardening
Swedish design goes much further than Ikea, thanks to Swedish garden designers including award-winning Ulf Nordfjell, who is currently preparing for his forthcoming show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Boost your lawn this spring
Gardeners who didn't want to venture out in the freezing weather at the beginning of the month may now be looking at a moss-ridden, lumpy lawn with scatterings of bald patches, a world away from the velvet carpet of grass they desire.
West finds time for his allotment
His commitment to show gardens for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show the past two years has meant that garden designer Cleve West's beloved allotment has suffered as weeds have sprung up and slugs and snails have built their own thriving community among his prized vegetables.
New patio plants on trial
Wondering what to put in your patio containers this summer? My pansies and violas are looking so forlorn I'm already thinking I'll ditch them in favour of some higher achievers in this unpredictable British weather.
Campaigns
Voice For Victims
Voice for Victims is a campaign aimed at promoting the rights of those affected by child sexual abuse.
This is Guernsey
Guernsey Press
Useful Links
