Welcome to The Garden Notebook — a journal of thoughts, tips, and seasonal musings from life among the borders.
Here you’ll find a growing collection of reflections from my own gardening journey — practical advice, stories from the soil, and inspiration drawn from the ever-changing rhythm of the year. Whether you’re battling clay, coaxing colour into shade, or simply enjoying a quiet moment among the plants, I hope these posts offer encouragement and useful ideas to carry back into your own patch of earth.
Settle in, have a read, and feel free to share your own garden stories along the way.
What to Do Now the Heatwave Has Passed: Helping Your Garden Bounce Back (and Plan for the Future) According to the Met Office, the recent heatwave has finally broken, and
by Bee50 Garden Ponds: Why Adding Water Might Be the Best Thing You Ever Do for Your Garden You can be pottering in the borders, watering the veg, or sitting
Oakleaf Hydrangeas – A Shade Garden’s Hidden Treasure You know those plants that quietly win you over—not with fireworks, but with a slow, unfolding charm? That’s the oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea
The Secret Power of Scent in the Garden You might walk into a garden and admire the colours first, or the way the light falls through the leaves, but the scent often stops
Why Aren’t My Irises Flowering? Common Reasons and How to Help Them Bloom Again There’s a quiet kind of majesty to an iris in full bloom. Those ruffled petals catching
Mid-June and the Mood of the Hydrangea – How to Keep Yours Thriving as the Season Shifts There’s a particular feel to the garden in mid-June. Spring’s softness has hardened
Not All Clay Is the Same: Understanding the Types of Clay Soil in UK Gardens When we say “clay soil,” it conjures up a universal image, sticky, slow-draining, heavy to
Fatsia Japonica: Bold, Evergreen, and Full of Surprises You know those corners of the garden where nothing seems to want to grow? The ones that always feel a bit forgotten—north-facing,
Dragonflies in the Garden: Natural Mosquito Control with Beauty and Balance “The dragonfly brings dreams to life, not just with wings, but with what it keeps at bay—mosquitoes most of
Raised Beds on Clay Soil: Are They Worth It? If you garden on clay soil, you’ll know it comes with two distinct personalities—sticky and unworkable in winter, then dry and