A month in the life of… a thatcher

Ancient rural skills in a modern world

Throughout August I cut the box hedges that give shape to the vegetable garden. They’re just under waist height but that’s enough to protect most plants from the wind and they are a good dark backgrou

When I was aged 10, the farmers used to come round the schools to pick volunteers to work on the farms during the summer holidays, mainly to help bring in the harvest. The country was still building u

Frances Tophill, one of the UK’s most recognisable gardeners, tells Sue Bradley how she’s adapted to gardening in different areas and why she is on a mission to get more young people growing plants

It has been a long drive, but I need to get as far away from the city as possible. Somewhere near Andover the stupidity of what I’m doing hits me and I pull into a service station, get out of the car

A keen gardener’s love of colour and fragrance has resulted in a small garden with big impact