Soil
What a Handful of Garden Soil Can Tell You
A handful of garden soil reveals clues about texture, structure, drainage, and root space, helping you describe the…
The reading bed
All reading
Read the garden by its layers: the ground below, the plants above it, the visitors passing through and the seasons turning around it.
Plants
Upright, Mounded or Spreading: Which Plant Shape Fits a Border?
Plant shape for borders helps you judge height, width and direction before planting, so each plant has room and the…
Water
Rain Barrels Before Garden Taps Served Household Needs
Rain barrel history is easier to understand through household routines: see how roof runoff was collected, carried…
Wildlife
A Garden Is Not a Hotel for Wildlife
A wildlife-friendly garden can offer food and shelter without looking immaculate. Learn how to keep varied patches…
Seasons
A Late-Autumn Walk Around the Garden
A late-autumn garden walk helps you decide which seed heads, leaves, and stems can stay through winter, and which need…
The way we look
A garden is a conversation with its ground
The best garden choices begin with looking closely: at the soil, the light, the weather and the life already there.