I absolutely adore smaller gladioli like Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus. It can naturalise, which is a really positive thing for the garden. For anyone who’s terrified of having pink in their ga

Dahlias are gorgeous. They’re easy to care for, which is a bonus when you’re a grower, and florists absolutely adore them as a focal flower. Their vase life is about five days and, once cut, they don’

Because we garden organically here, we are at the mercy of slugs and snails, which means we have good years and bad years when it comes to dahlias. We could lift them, grow them on, then plant them ou

One of the most underrated summer flowering bulbs is eucomis, or pineapple lily. Everyone thought they weren’t hardy, but they’ve proved to be very hardy – although they don’t particularly like wet wi

IN the swelter of last summer, a coolly ...

In the first of a two-part series, Mike Palmer celebrates his favourite fuss-free hardy geraniums for sunny borders