Jean Vernon

A biennial is a plant that flowers the year after they are sown, and there are some really great types that you can grow.

Plant addicts really got a treat at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show. The hotly contested RHS Plant of the Year 2024 competition had some fabulous new plants on the shortlist.

Here’s a little glimpse of five fabulous show gardens at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Spotting a new bird species in the garden can be exciting. But how do you keep them coming?

Hellebores truly are the winter wonders of the garden. These beautiful plants have stunning winter flowers and are a beacon of hope in the coldest months of the year.

You don’t need to wait for some frost or snow to add some white magic to your garden, Jean Vernon has plenty of ideas.

Peonies are the must-have flower of the summer. Create the wow-factor in your garden with these fabulous, flamboyant flowers.

Jean Vernon explores what it means to have a resilient garden.

If you love roses, you will really appreciate these new rose varieties.

Jean Vernon finds some true botanical wonders from this year’s show.

Flower shows keep on giving, even if you didn’t actually get there yourself. Here are five highlights from this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

One of the best things about visiting a garden, is gleaning ideas for your own plot. So, a garden festival is a treasure trove ready to be mined.

In terms of gardens, there were some precious gems at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, says Jean Vernon.

Fed up with caterpillars and bugs in the garden? Then it’s time to attract the birds that eat them.

Infuse your ice cream mix with the heady scents of scented pelargoniums for a heavenly flavour.

Summer cordials are all the rage for pepping up your G&T or assuaging a summer thirst. Experiment with this basic herb cordial recipe and make it yours.

Jean Vernon’s guide on five summer flowering plants that will attract bees to your garden.

Preserve the fragrance of summer with this delicious recipe for rose petal jam. It captures the very essence of roses and lifts the spirits in winter.

As a nation we love feeding the birds. But it’s just as important to ensure they have a safe and reliable source of fresh water says Jean Vernon.

Leafcutter bees may leave unsightly holes in leaves as they cut small semi-circles to seal in their eggs; but these excellent pollinators are a true gardener’s friend.

We can all glean ideas and inspiration from RHS Chelsea, even if we don’t have a ticket. Jean Vernon highlights five fascinating plots at this year’s show.

It’s World Bee Day this coming weekend (May 20th 2023) so it’s the perfect time to tell you a bit more about some of your garden bees.

With the price of everything going up in the shops, growing your own has never been so relevant. It’s a bit like dig for victory, though this time it’s more like dig for survival.

If you are going to this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, be sure not to miss these exciting highlights.

Do you want to help the bees, encourage butterflies and harness the power of nature? It’s time to really think about how you can help pollinators, says Jean Vernon.

If you want to celebrate the King’s Coronation your way, why not throw a garden party at home

At the heart of many gardens is a lush green lawn. But it doesn’t have to be a tightly manicured carpet. Let it live a little so that it grows with nature says Jean Vernon.