Journal

In this exceptionally hot summer of 2026, with heat wave upon heat wave drying out even the greenest gardens and garden centres selling out of irrigation supplies, it is easy to think the best of the gardening season is already behind us. But look a little closer. This is when butterfly bushes begin to hum with butterflies, globe thistles become favourite landing places for bumblebees, sunflowers feed countless insects, and hoverflies quietly go about their work. High summe

The most familiar bulbs, like crocuses and tulips, are often seen as a sign that spring has arrived. But spring doesn’t begin just then. It starts much earlier, slowly and almost unnoticed, somewhere in the last weeks of winter. Sometimes the first signs even appear in January, with the first snowdrops. From that moment on, it continues, layer by layer, month after month, as each group of bulbs takes over from the previous one, creating a continuous flow of flowering that str

Even though the air still feels cold and nature looks quiet and asleep, work in the Reverie garden usually begins long before spring fully arrives. As early as February, when most plants are still dormant, the structure of the garden becomes clearly visible. With the leaves gone and the borders still open, it is easy to see where attention will be needed in the coming months. Late winter is the right moment for planting trees and shrubs that are still at rest. Bare-root pla

There is a particular moment in early spring when lungwort quietly takes centre stage. While many plants are still hesitating, Pulmonaria is already in full bloom. Low to the ground, its flowers open in shifting shades of pink, violet and blue, even changing colour as they mature. The effect is subtle from a distance, intricate up close. Beyond its beauty, lungwort is one of the earliest nectar sources available to pollinators. Bumblebees in particular seem to know exactl

A Bigleaf Hydrangea just before pruning Yes! The night frost has finally passed and hydrangeas are already pushing out large green buds. Time to prune. But how exactly does it work again? Some hydrangeas welcome a firm cut. Others will quietly refuse to flower if pruned too enthusiastically. The difference lies in one simple question: does the plant flower on old wood or on new growth? That distinction makes all the difference. Prune lightly: Hydrangea macrophylla Hydrangea