Health
Gardens to fall in love with on Valentine’s Day
With a focus on a romantic day out, the National Garden Scheme’s new Valentine’s Day campaign serves as a reminder of the health benefits of visiting gardens in winter.
Worth a read
New era of garden visits
When it comes to visiting gardens, we seem to be on the fringes of a new era of more relaxed, exclusive and quirky garden tours.
Gardens
RHS gardening predictions for 2025
Based on member enquiries, the Royal Horticultural Society has published its gardening predictions for the new year, bringing hope for a revival of the front garden.
Business
Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2025
For 2025, the Pantone Colour Institute selected PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a brown hue imbued with richness, suggesting of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee.
Business
Houseplants: seasonal saviours for the last-minute shopper
Around one in seven of all houseplants sold in the UK’s garden centres are purchased in December.
Charity
The gift of grasses
Working with its charity the Knoll Gardens Foundation, Knoll Gardens gift ornamental grasses to local community groups to create attractive spaces for benefit of the community and promoting wellbeing.
Gardens
Harris Bugg Studio appointed to revitalise Barbican Conservatory
Landscape designers Harris Bugg Studio have been appointed to revitalise the planting of the remarkable, eco-brutalist design of the iconic Barbican Conservatory
By the bye
Festive lawn competition
The Lawn Association has launched a festive competition to celebrate the lawn in December and January.
Charity
Botanical gardens amongst the £16.7 million grant recipients of the Julia Rausing Trust
Charitable fund, the Julia Rausing Trust has awarded £16.7 million in heritage grants to UK cathedrals, botanic gardens, and museums and galleries
Charity
Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum granted £190,000 for community project
The Julia Rausing Trust has awarded the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum a £190,000 grant to invest in a community-led tree planting project
Gardens
Fifteen new gardens become RHS Partner Gardens
With gardens across the UK, France and Italy, fifteen unique gardens become Royal Horticultural Society Partner Gardens in 2025.
Charity
Record National Garden Scheme donations in 2024
2024 proved to be another landmark year for the National Garden Scheme with the charity donating a record £3,501,227 to nursing and health beneficiaries from this year’s garden opening season.
Research
Phytophthora ramorum sniffer dogs
Innovative project by Forest Research, successfully trains detection dogs to specifically identify the tree pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum
Gardens
New culinary venture, the Cordia Collective to open at Borde Hill in 2025
Green Michelin star chef, Chantelle Nicholson will be opening the Cordia Collective within the Grade II listed country estate, Borde Hill.
Plants
National Trust announces recipients of Trees of Hope
Marking National Tree Week, the National Trust announced the recipients of the much-loved Sycamore Gap tree saplings grown from its seed.
Plants
Trials show peat-free growing media outperform peat equivalents
RHS trials show peat-free growing media retains water better than peat equivalents, producing better quality or similar plants
Exhibitions
Garden Futures Exhibition: Designing with Nature
Initially held at the Vitra Design Museum, the Garden Futures exhibition in Rotterdam explores the history and future of the modern garden.
Plants
National Tree Week 2024
Taking place from the 23rd of November until the 1st of December, National Tree Week promotes the benefits of trees, encourages the planting of trees, and celebrates the valuable role they play in the environment.
Plants
Six weeks to save houseplants, says RHS
The RHS is urging gardeners to check in on the health of their houseplants this week as it prepares for a sharp increase in reported problems in January.
Environment
Biodiversity eDNA study across forests in the UK
A comprehensive biodiversity study is being conducted by means of innovative eDNA Technology across 250,000 hectares of the UK’s forests to ascertain the condition of nature and the variety of wildlife in our forests.