Kate Charles

Red flower closeup, poinsettia, cuetlaxochitl

The 12 Plants of Christmas

The festive season would be somewhat soulless without the traditional plants of the season. Flowers, herbs, foliage, and spices which recall memories of Yuletides past, through sights, tastes and smells. The origins, history, and folklore of some of these traditional plants, though, might surprise you. Mistletoe (Viscum album) has long been revered as a symbol …

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Brown frog head peeking up from a pond which is covered in pondweed.

Working with Water – How to incorporate water in your garden design.

There are few sounds more peaceful than the sound of water, and when planning your garden, it is likely that you’ll want to consider ways of including water in your design. There are various benefits to adding water to your garden; some of which I’ll cover here. 1: The sensory appeal Water, whether running or …

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Beautiful pink rose with multiple petals

What’s In A Name – Binomials and why they matter to every gardener.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet” William Shakespeare Indeed, it would. But if you were to ask for ‘daisies’ at the garden centre, you could be after Mexican fleabane, Shasta daisies, Marguerites, Common daisies, Ox-eye daisies, or a host of other daisy-like plants. …

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Common daisies scattered amongst green grass

Time For Turf – the (fake) grass isn’t always greener!

Since the creation of AstroTurf in the early 60’s for purely sports purposes, fake grass has unfortunately crept its way into many urban gardens. Offering apparent convenience and low maintenance, it’s purported by its manufacturers to be the ideal garden solution – however, as we are about to discover, the (fake) grass is not always …

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A distant English countryside summer view framed by trees on the Malvern Hills.

Stress Free in Worcestershire – why there’s more to this county than sauce!

Being outdoors is one of the most suggested ways of alleviating stress; and for a very good reason – it works! Whether that be going for a walk in nature, growing your own food, or simply sitting and watching the world go by, being outdoors is possibly the easiest, most accessible and enjoyable way to …

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