What is chaos gardening and should we all be trying it? | House & Garden

Today we’re in St. Paul, Minnesota, visiting with Susan Warde.

Flowers, herbs and vegetables don’t need to be limited to the allotment and indoor pots. Garden wall planters are an attractive and space saving alternative, which make an excellent outdoor feature.

We’re off to Pennsylvania today to enjoy fall in Rhonda Molin’s garden.

From their effortless growth to their understated beauty, these Simple Flowers offer a delightful sensory experience that is surprisingly easy to achieve. Keep reading to uncover these fascinating blooms!

Here are key autumn garden tips plus 7 top suggestions of plants to plant now.

It’s fair to say that landscape architects and garden designers like to talk an awful lot about the bone structure of a garden. Not that they literally mean high cheekbones, the perfectly tip-tilted nose, or a sculpted jawline. Instead, they’re referring to those qualities of a garden’s design that help it to look good no matter what the time of year. For example, beautiful, expertly constructed pathways. A well-groomed hedge. Handsome walls. A perfectly positioned, well-chosen specimen tree. Timeless paving. Plus an attention to scale and proportion, and an understanding of space that includes a nod to the notion of the golden mean or golden ratio, sometimes also known as the theory of divine proportion.

Spring is when wildlife reawakens in our countryside, parks and gardens. Despite the cold chill still in the air, signs of spring will be starting to appear and our garden birds will become more recognisable during the breeding season. From the noisy Willow Warbler to the colourful Siskin, the RSPB help us identify what birds will be paying a visit to your garden this spring.

Nerine ‘Sparkle’ is a hybrid derived from the more tender N. sarniensis, the original Guernsey Lily. Ideal for growing in a conservatory or glasshouse, the sarniensis hybrids have a wider colour range than the hardier species, and typically their flowers appear before their leaves, on a tall, elegant steam.

The impressive topiary-framed Italianate formal gardens at Mapperton

The National Trust has been keeping some of the country's most treasured places safe for over 100 years now, making historic houses and gardens, as well as beautiful landscapes available to visitors. This summmer, take a trip to one of these gorgeous gardens and support their work, while taking in breathtaking displays of flowers, shady woodlands, and tranquil waterways. Opening hours and ticket prices can be found on the website of each garden.

In 1752, Britain changed its calendar from the old “Julian” style to the Gregorian version that most of Europe was already using. People rioted, demanding back the 11 days of their lives that had gone “missing” in the switchover, but there would be far-reaching effects too. Any festivals set by the phases of the moon continued as ever, but set dates, such as Midsummer and Christmas, now fell on the “wrong” days. Plants didn’t know this, of course, but it muddled folklore, making some customs even stranger to modern eyes.

Q: A honeysuckle and an elder tree in the garden have been ravaged by aphids. I was hoping natural predators might have a feast but there’s no let up so far. Is it a seasonal occurrence due to spring weather conditions or should I get pruning? JMcK, Co Dublin