There’s no time to waste; let me, Lee Burkhill, show you how to use this site to go from zero to Garden Ninja in a matter of helpful guides and gardening videos. If you want to become a fantastic gardener, then let me help train you at your own pace! I’m an award-winning garden designer […]

Quick answer: Sort apples as they come off the tree and use windfalls and bruised fruit first. Turn a glut into apple sauce, chutney or apple butter within a few days of picking, or freeze prepared slices for later. Unblemished apples wrapped individually in newspaper and stored somewhere cool, dark and around 0 to 4°C […]

Quick Answer Most UK garden plums are ready to pick from the second week of August through to mid September, with Victoria plums typically hitting their peak in the third week of August. A ripe plum will have full colour, a faint powdery bloom, a slight give when gently squeezed and will twist away from […]

Quick Answer Prune a plum tree in September, straight after harvest, and never in winter. Plums belong to the Prunus family alongside cherries, and a winter cut leaves the wound open to silver leaf disease and bacterial canker for months in cold, damp weather. Remove dead or crossing wood first, thin any congested growth, and […]

Quick Answer Crop rotation means growing a different plant family in each bed every year, usually on a three to four year cycle, rather than growing the same crops in the same spot repeatedly. It stops pests and diseases building up in the soil, keeps nutrients balanced, and improves yields. Group vegetables into families such […]

Quick Answer A hedge witch is a solitary practitioner of folk magic who works with the plants, trees and rhythms of their own garden and local land rather than through a coven or a formal Wiccan structure. The name comes from the old English wisewoman or wiseman who lived at the edge of the village, […]

Sowing seeds is an activity that brings joy and smiles all around to gardeners. Each year, gardeners and allotment holders around the country eagerly sow seeds of both flowers and vegetables to grow in their gardens. Sowing seeds is really cost-effective and offers gardeners an unbelievable variety of plants that you simply can’t buy from […]

Every year, right around the time the weather turns and clients start ringing me about getting their hedges sorted for summer, I have some version of the same conversation. Someone wants a hedge cut back hard, right now, and I have to explain why we’re either waiting a few weeks or checking very carefully first. […]

Whilst the weather here in the UK can be a bit temperamental, the summer often feels like a two-week affair before it disappears again. You would be surprised just how favourable our climate actually is for growing some truly awesome plants. If your garden is lucky enough to be in full sun, this list of […]