Gardens
Create, captivate, cultivate: 2026 RHS Flower Shows applications now open
Garden designers are invited to submit their applications to design a show garden for the 2026 RHS Flower Shows at Malvern, Badminton, and Sandringham.
Gardens
Sold down the plot: Allotments at risk?
Last weekend’s news reported a concerning story that the Deputy Prime Minister granted councils the authority to sell allotments to finance spending.
Gardens
Blueprint for flood resilience: Flood Re opens Howbery Park garden
Flood Re launches their permanent, free public access, flood resilient garden at Howbery Park in Oxfordshire, helping to develop resilient approaches to flooding.
Wildlife
Less rain, fewer blooms: The push for more drought resistant plants for pollinators
On account of the reduced blooms on summer flowers, the Royal Horticultural Society has said that drought resistant plants have never been more important for pollinators
Charity
HRH The Princess Royal opened Horatio’s Garden Sheffield & East
Designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg, the charity’s eight garden at the Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield has opened.
Gardens
Kew’s new Carbon Garden: Planting today for tomorrow
One of its most ambitious garden projects, Kew Gardens reveals new permanent garden, showcasing the potential of plants and fungi to combat climate change.
Gardens
Heritage meets innovation: Kew Palm House to undergo net-zero renovation
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has submitted a planning application for a landmark renovation of the iconic Palm House and Waterlily House.
Events
From curtain to cornice: The Genius of Sir John Vanbrugh
Castle Howard, Blenheim Palace, Seaton Delaval Hall, Grimsthorpe Castle, Kimbolton Castle and Stowe House join forces in celebration of Vanbrugh’s life and achievements in 2026, his tercentenary year.
Gardens
Eythrope’s 150th Anniversary Open Day: The remarkable walled garden of Miss Alice de Rothschild
Eythrope Gardens, the private retreat of Miss Alice de Rothschild (1847-1922) will open its gates for a special Open Day in August, as part of the garden’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
Gardens
Double win for RNIB Legacy Garden at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse
Designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes, the garden, which explores the experience of living with sight loss, wins top awards at the RHS’s inaugural flower show in Yorkshire.
Gardens
Record Green Flag Awards for UK parks & green spaces
In recognition of achieving the international quality standard for parks and green spaces, 2,250 parks and green spaces across the UK gained a Green Flag Award in 2025.
Environment
Fenugreek and Okra can remove microplastics from water
Stringy, sticky polymers extracted from sliced okra and blended fenugreek seeds can trap microplastics in a variety of water sources.
Business
Thames Water brings in hosepipe ban
The water firm has announced the introduction of a hosepipe ban across Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire.
Trees & Shrubs
Voting open for the 2025 Tree of the Year competition
The 2025 Woodland Trust Tree of the Year competition looks to celebrate the value of trees in our cultural history.
Design
Urban greening: Wisteria bus station
The ‘bus pergola’ in Heerlen, the Netherlands, is a fine example of urban greening, integral to the revitalised Maankwartier city centre.
Gardens
Garden drought dominates RHS enquiries
The Royal Horticultural Society has seen a threefold increase in drought-related enquiries from its members this year, with many reporting damage to evergreens.
Design
Dutch Landscapes Team wins Prize for Creation at the 2025 International Garden Festival
Will Dutch and team at Dutch Landscapes has been awarded the Prize for Creation at the 2025 International Garden Festival at the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire.
Environment
First hosepipe ban in Yorkshire
Effective on Friday, Yorkshire will be the first UK county to implement water usage restrictions due to the prolonged period of dry weather.
Environment
Severn Trent urges customers to help save water
Following the dramatic drop in rainfall during record hot weather, Severn Trent Water urges Staffordshire customers to save water as reservoir level fall.
Awards
Winners 2025 Henchman Topiary Awards
The Henchman Topiary Awards recognise exceptional skill, creativity, and passion in the art of shaping and maintaining remarkable living sculptures.
