Gardens and politics have long mixed. From Louis IX lording it over nature in the ultimate display of power, to the soft diplomacy of colonial diplomats, to the Urban Garden Revolution in Cuba. The Chelsea Flower Show is no stranger to floral power play either and has long been touted as the first ‘society’ event of the year, associated with corporate networking, celebrity photo-calls and royal patronage.
Read MoreDo plants hold the key to our future? Efforts to understand, and harness, the potential of the plant world has broadened to cover everything from climate change to mental health, involving everyone from plant scientists to urban planners and even psychologists.
Read MoreAfter the winter of 2011/12 I confidently predicted, to anyone who would listen, that due to the long cold winter we were bound to see a bumper apple harvest that autumn.
Read MoreThere are lots of exotic plants, and exotic looking plants, that will grow happily in our gardens in the UK, to help create a tropical paradise in your own back yard. A sunny sheltered site is best and while a few of the plants listed below may appreciate some extra winter protection, most are fully hardy:-
Read MoreLincolnshire is a long way from the South Pacific but I have seen some gardens this summer that would have made Joseph Banks proud. He was one of the many explorers and plant hunters who, over the last few centuries, were responsible for bringing exotic species back to our shores.
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