Petra Hoyer Millar

Petra Hoyer Millar

An escapee from long humdrum career in financial services sector, Petra Hoyer Millar is the editor of The Dirt News, the new industry news platform for the horticultural professional and enthusiast. As a member of the garden press, she also writes for Gardens Illustrated, English Garden Magazine, Inside Horticulture, and Garden Media Guild magazine. Hoyer Millar gardens feverishly in Oxfordshire, the adventures of which appear on her blog; the Oxonian Gardener. Fully stocked with RHS horticultural credentials. When not blogging or writing, she is part of streamHM, web design & build.

Green Finch on feeder

Wildlife

Trichomonosis: Are our bird feeders up to scratch?

Could our feeding of wild birds, be aiding the spread of trichomonosis which has caused rapid decline of the British Greenfinch population and poses a threat to other beloved garden birds?

Neil Frame and his Polypodium cambricum

People

Meet Neil Frame and his fern….

Asthall Manor gardener and long time fern aficionado, Neil Frame has made botanical history by his discovery of a special Polypodium cambricum, aptly named, ‘Neil Frame’…

Haws indoor pots

Business

Highlights Glee 2024

A walk through our highlights of Glee 2024, held at the NEC in Birmingham.

Alitex staff at RHS Chelsea

Case Study

Alitex case study: Happy employees is good business

Staff are a company’s most important asset but even though many businesses sing to this mantra, there are often cases where employees fall into the lesser valued categories of company stakeholders.

RHS Hampton Court exhibitor Proctors Nursery

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

The eye-catchers of the 2024 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

There is ample inspiration to be found at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, from small planting pockets to large show gardens, specialist nursery exhibits and sustainable gardening inspiration throughout – herewith our 2024 highlights.

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Highlights RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2024

Returning to the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace from 2-7 July 2024, the annual RHS show, stretching over 31 acres is packed with all things gardening – herewith a few highlights…

Elho indoor plant pots

Business

Elho: The journey to 100% recycled products

Dutch producer of sustainable flower pots and accessories, achieved their goal to produce all their products from 100% recycled plastic – their impressive sustainability journey merited further investigation.

Events

Charm personified: The Royal Windsor Flower Show

At the behest of their charming Show Director Alex Denman, I attended last weekend’s Royal Windsor Flower Show for the first time on behalf of thedirt.news, and was immediately smitten….

The most delicate of blooms on the charming Species P. Trifidum Pelargonium

Events

Celebrating scented pelargoniums with Cath Kidston

Known best as the founder of the British home furnishing retail company, but few may know that Cath Kidston is also a talented gardener and avid collector of scented pelargoniums.

Flowers by Dan Pearson and Huw Morgan

Plants

Floral inspiration by Huw Morgan

A flash of floral inspiration for the bank holiday appeared on the Dig Delve yesterday which was simply too beautiful to pass us by.

Floret Farm Originals Flower Seeds by Erin Benzakien

Plants

Floret Originals flower seeds available in the UK

The flower seeds bred by the figurehead to flower farmers, Erin Benzakein of Floret Farm in the Skagit Valley, Washington will be available in the UK thanks to Alma|Proust….

Hedgehog

Wildlife

Hedgehog conservation initiaves

To mark the upcoming Hedgehog Awareness Week (5th – 11th May), thedirt.news sheds light on the various conservation campaigns and initiatives working to halt their decline.