Garden gate

Geoff Hodge cuts through the undergrowth to help you choose a pair of loppers

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

THERE’S nothing better in midsummer than going into the garden and listening to the buzzing of bees going about their business – especially if you are taking the chance to sit and relax! Similarly, it

As the growing season comes to an end, many shrubs and trees will benefit from a judicious prune to keep them in good shape, to prevent them from outgrowing their space and to promote new blooms. Inve

Ten years after creating his much lauded Oudolf Field for Hauser & Wirth, Somerset, Dutch designer Piet Oudolf has returned to the gallery in Bruton with a new planting plan to revitalise its courtyar

Save seeds from the heads of grasses that may not survive the winter. Ornamental grasses such as pennisetum are marginally tender and particularly susceptible to frost damage when grown in heavy soil.