Nature & Garden

By mid-July the zucchini plant becomes almost comically generous, throwing out glossy fruit faster than any household can eat them. Rather than let them swell into marrows, catch them young and firm for these golden fritters, shot through with sweetcorn cut straight from the cob. Grated, salted and squeezed dry, the zucchini keeps the batter tender while the corn pops...

Libertia grandiflora, commonly known as New Zealand iris or freesia iris, is a striking evergreen perennial prized for its delicate white flowers held on tall, wiry stems. This elegant plant brings a lightness and architectural quality to borders, gravel gardens, and containers throughout spring and early summer. Its narrow, sword-like foliage provides year-round str...

As UK gardens bake under record July heat, the great compost debate reaches a boiling point. We put peat and premium peat-free alternatives head-to-head through a six-week heatwave to answer the question every environmentally conscious gardener is asking: does peat-free really work when temperatures spike?

July’s relentles...

Veronicastrum virginicum, commonly known as Culver’s root or blackroot, is a tall, elegant North American perennial prized for its distinctive flower spikes and upright architectural form. The plant produces long, tapering racemes of tiny, pale lilac, pink, or white flowers that rise proudly above a base of glossy, whorled foliage. It brings height and a cottage-garden charm ...

The Judas tree, Cercis siliquastrum, is a spectacular ornamental shrub or small tree prized for its prolific bright magenta-pink flowers that smother bare branches in spring. Native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia, it brings Mediterranean charm to gardens across the UK and northern Europe, thriving in well-drained soils and sunny positions. Its heart-shaped lea...