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On a walk with my children, now in their mid-20s, I asked them what they remembered best from their school summer holidays. I expected to hear about the fiesta we witnessed in the heat of Tarifa, Spain, or be berated for the time I booked early flights to Crete, leaving us sitting in the waiting … Read more

Rare succulents, palm and monkey puzzle trees, beaked yucca and oriental hornbeams are just some of the new features in the historic gardens of England, as head gardeners get to grips with the changing climate this summer. In the Grade I-listed landscape at Sheffield Park and Garden, a historic English landscape in Sussex designed in … Read more

Your article paints a bleak picture of the challenges facing reforestation in the UK (In some UK woodlands, every young tree has died. What’s going wrong? 10 July). The failure of natural regeneration – driven by drought, heat, disease and deer grazing – is not just a crisis for ancient woodlands, it’s a stark warning … Read more

What’s the problem?I’ve heard “plant hygiene” mentioned, but I’ve no idea what it actually means. DiagnosisGood plant hygiene is the gardening equivalent of washing your hands – simple, essential, yet often overlooked. Neglecting plant hygiene can lead to the spread of pests, diseases and infections. Using dirty scissors, pots or tools can transfer fungi, bacteria … Read more

Name: Japanese maple trees. Age: First cultivated in Britain in 1820. Appearance: Wait, where’s mine gone? Well, go on then, describe it. I’m trying. It was here a moment ago. Oh God, has someone nicked it? I hardly think someone would have stolen your tree. Don’t sound so surprised. This is the fifth one of … Read more