The Gardener Magazine

The Gardener is a monthly, national magazine dedicated to inspiring gardeners, providing practical advice and showing step-by-step garden projects. Our monthly features include garden design, in-depth plant features, growing vegetables and herbs, water gardening, garden wildlife and pets, specialist plant articles and much more. We have an extensive database on our website that is growing daily.

WELCOME

African grace for shade • If you have shade in summer, which turns into sun in winter, plant three indigenous shrubs adaptable to such conditions and which will supply something of interest to you and value to wildlife in both scenarios.

Dirt DIARIES

Garden GALLERIA

COTSWOLD DOWNS retreat • Nestled within the rolling hills and tranquil surroundings of Cotswold Downs Estate, a garden once deemed largely inaccessible and rock-strewn has been transformed into a lush, multi-dimensional retreat.

GARDEN VIBRANTLY! 3 Eye catching tropical shrubs • Lush and layered planting is one of the key elements of tropical garden design, as is year-round colour interest at eye level. Following is a top choice of three low-care shrubs with bold and bright foliage colours to play this role.

Carnations MAKE A COMEBACK • Vintage-inspired trends have brought carnations back because of nostalgia, but they are also worthy of their spotlight.

LANDSCAPING narrow passages • How to maximise style and function in tight spaces

Greening the Karoo • When two talented and passionate conservationists combine forces, you just know that good things are going to come from the union.

ON THE GARDEN MENU

IN THE GARDEN WITH TANYA

Low maintenance gap filler

Don’t let autumn ‘fall’ by the wayside • As summer fades and autumn’s golden light takes centre stage, get your pre-winter showstoppers nourished and healthy for their spectacular reveal.

Busy in the garden with…

More to do in March

Sweat for the sweet peas • These pretty spring-flowering plants do not thrive unless their soil has been prepared really well. It is a hard job to do, but it is worth the effort if you think about all the fragrant flowers you will be able to pick later.

Special care for the greedy feeders

Sowing in April

Inspirational

Beat the blues WITH BULBS • Magnificent flowering bulbs can turn any space into an exotic paradise.

ALKALINE SOIL A Gardener’s Guide • If your garden is thriving with leafy greens and cabbages, but the blueberries and rhododendrons seem to struggle, the culprit might be hiding under your feet. As the foundation of strong plant growth, soil – more specifically, alkaline soil – may be to blame.

PLANT a striking combo • Anchor a charming ‘Jennifer Susan’ in a prime spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, dot a few royal ‘Magic Mona’ around it, and allow groups of ‘Everillo’ to illuminate the scene with its golden glow. This will create an elegant plant combination in your garden – a creation which will go beyond autumn!

Best seed-sowing advice

GREG’S TOP TIPS

Tips

Pool care in autumn • Everyone has had a good time in the pool this summer, but before exchanging swimming trunks for jerseys, checking that everything is fine with your pool is a good idea.

Pest watch

What to prune now

The colourful cultivar… • Crassula ovata ‘Hummel’s Sunset’ dresses up in vibrant shades in winter. Its leaves, which have yellow, orange, and bright red shades, intensify when it is cold outside.

Propagate now • April is a good month to try your hand at taking hardwood cuttings from many trees, shrubs and climbers.

For the love of KOI

FREDDIE’S FAVOURITES

Grow Wayne’s favourite things

ROSE OF THE...