It may seem obvious but in order to increase the number of pollinators and insects in your garden, it is important to increase the number of flowers. The more flowers a garden can offer throughout the year, the greater the number of bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects.
  
Why not plan a small area for cutting flowers? Not only will it attract pollinators, it will also create a patchwork of colour and flowers for cutting and displaying in your home.
 
All you need is a small area of bare soil where you can plant seedlings in neat rows. Seeds can be planted directly into the soil from the end of April. Once established in June/July, the more you cut, the more flowers will grow and therefore even more pollinators!
 
Take a look at the patchwork of flowers I am currently growing, they include:

1. Salvias & Calendulas
2. Scabiosa
3. Zinnias
4. Cosmos
5. Ammi

 
If you need help creating your own patchwork, or would like to purchase either seeds or my own range of potted cutting flowers, ready to plant out in May, please do get in touch.

The borders begin to come alive in March, most bulbs are showing some green if not flowers, and most perennial plants are beginning to show and put on a good amount of growth. It is also another good month for planting and adding more plants and interest to the borders. 

A shady border can hold a treasury of plants, often overlooked in our pursuit for sun lovers. Nearly every garden has a shady corner, even if you only have a single tree in your garden, you can create a relaxing place to be by planting shade loving plants.  
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These plants tend to flower in late winter to early spring, taking advantage of the light before the overhanging branches come into leaf and shade them out. They enjoy a well-draining, humus-rich soil. Plant them informally as if they were in a woodland setting.

My top 5 shade loving plants are:

1. Vinca aureovariegata. 
   A mat forming ground cover hardy evergreen shrub, with glossy variegated yellow leaves, which contrast beautifully with the single blue flowers in spring. 

 

1. Pulmonaria, commonly known as lungwort. 
   A clump forming deciduous perennial. Attractive speckled leaves and blue, white, or pink flowers in spring. ‘Blue Ensign’ is my favourite.

 

1. Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Copper Shield’ Fern. 
   A semi-evergreen fern with dark green foliage, new growth is tinged bronze-pink in spring. Create an architectural backdrop for spring flowers.
   
   
2. Corydalis ‘Berry Exciting’.
   A dainty clump forming perennial with pinnate yellow to green leaves and slender tubular pink flowers in spring.  

 

1. Fritillaria imperialis. 
   These architectural looking flowers are sold as a bulb in the autumn. Thick erect stems hold an umbel of bell-shaped orange, yellow or red flowers. Pictured here in my own garden, they do require some sun, but seem to thrive well in my dappled shade border.

If you would like help with organising and planning a shady border, or would like to order these or other shade loving plants, please get in touch via email, mobile or social media. 
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The novice gardener will probably consider January to be the dullest month in the garden. The time of year when the garden looks more brown then green, borders are bare and lifeless. The enthusiasm to venture into the garden is low.

Winter in the garden is far from dull and gloomy when you consider the wide palette of plants available. Coloured stems and evergreens give colour whatever the weather, and it is always surprising when flowers appear, however sporadically.

Here are my top 5 ‘Easy to grow’ winter plants, suitable for almost any garden.  They will give you structural interest, flowers, colour and even some scent.
 

1. Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’ A dense slow growing shrub with deep purple leaves, which almost shimmer in sunlight. In spring it produces contrasting light young green growth.
2. Cornus ‘Mid-Winter Fire’ A medium sized shrub which gives off a fiery, vibrant colour from its stems throughout winter. During summer it has dark green leaves and clusters of white flowers.
3. Carex ‘Evergold’ A small evergreen, ornamental grass that forms low hummocks of striking green and yellow striped leaves.
4. Hellebore A classic plant for winter interest, with elegant blooms in shades of green, pink, white, red. They are a must for any border.​
5. Osmanthus burkwoodii A rounded evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and highly scented white jasmine like flowers in mid-winter.

 
The list of plants with winter interest is endless.  If you need help brightening up your borders for January, or indeed are considering a new ‘Winter’ border. Please get in touch via email, mobile, or social media.

Mahonia x media ‘Charity’As the shops go into Christmas overdrive, it is hard to find plants for baubles.

December is a great time to get out in the garden and appreciate the evergreens. Hollies are thick with berries and Garrya elliptica, (which is a Marmite plant you either love it or hate it!) has pendulant tassels in winter. Whilst the spiky Mahonia is bold and architectural with its bright yellow flowers and black-blue berries. 
 
Mahonia x media ‘Charity’
This is an imposing plant, ideal for the large shrub border. Upright stems are topped with dark holly like leaves and during November-January each one is crowned with lemon-yellow flowers, with long strings of blue-black fruits. 

Sometimes slow to establish, but happy in most soils and situations making it easy to grow to a height of 1.8m.
 
Vicky’s Top Tip
Prune back flowered shoots in spring to keep its shape. On more established plants, cut out two or three older stems to encourage new growth from the base.

Despite the darkness and the cold that November brings, I encourage you to wrap up warm and get out into the garden this month. For November is one of the best months for planting dormant bare root shrubs and trees, and if you want to move any plants in the garden now is the time to do it.  

It also a good month to plant Tulip bulbs. 

Triumphant Tulips
Nothing can beat tulips for creating a riot of spring colour, the sheer diversity among these bulbs as well as being available in almost every colour imaginable, makes them unbeatable. One of my favourite and most reliable tulips is ‘Ballerina’ it combines well with contrasting purple, whether that be another tulip or a spring flower. 
 
Planting in November or even December is recommended for tulips bulbs, when the soil is cold and pests are less active. The soil should be moist but not water-logged.
 
Vicky’s Top Tip 
For easy planting, dig a hole the depth and width of a small spade and plant in three’s and five’s to create a naturalistic look in the border.