Gardening
Guidance
Joe Whitehead
Head gardener at Burghley House, Stamford gives us an insight into his world...
Your favourite tree? - Any type of birch tree, I love the whole genus!
Favourite flower? - Dieramas, snowdrops and sweet peas
Tips to create a meadow... the meadow maker - yellow rattle - is key. Find fresh seeds and scatter as soon as they are ready. For annual meadows, sow seeds by the end of February. Don't Cultivate (dig) deeply, no more than two inches.
Tips to create a cutting garden.... don't forget the sweet peas! Sow in both autumn and spring for a longer season. Choose a sunny spot and mix in both annual flowers, bulbs, perennials and foliage. Sow cornflower and nigella, both hardy annuals, in the autumn and then tender annuals like ammi major and zinnias in the spring.
How to compost... turn monthly! Adopt a three pile system, and position your compost heap on soil if possible. Add a 50/50 mix of green and brown stuff (leaves, woodchip, paper, cardboard) and most importantly wee on your heap!
Products to enhance roses/plants - SB Invigorator, organic insecticide and Maxicrop plus Sequestered Iron as a foliar feed or drench
Leonie
Owner of Stamford Botanics
Most houseplant problems start with overwatering. Instead of watering on a set schedule, check the soil first - if the top layer feels dry when you bury your finger in the soil, it’s time to water; if it’s still damp, wait a few more days. This simple habit helps prevent root rot and keeps your plants healthy and thriving throughout the year.
01780 752 328
Adam Frost
TV Presenter and Garden Designer
"It's going to take us back to Geoff Hamleton, and that is the "importance of soil."
For me, it all starts there. I try to understand the soil and look after it properly. I still single dig, and then I mulch afterwards. So my main advice would be this: "understand your soil and care for it."
That’s the most important thing we have in the garden. Honestly, it’s the best tip you’ll ever get. Everything else, you can more or less work out as you go.
Bulb Depth
All can be planted between Sept & Dec
Plant bulbs from September to December in well-drained soil, ideally set on a thin layer of horticultural grit to improve drainage and prevent rot. Space well for airflow, water once, and let winter cold trigger healthy spring blooms year after year.
Plants currently in stock from Shaun’s “Garden Hacks in a Heatwave”
From www.yougarden.com
Plant Product number
Lavender 'Sensational' 511754
Verbena bonariensis 560910
Agapanthus 'Purple Poppin' 561371
Sedum 'Atlantis' 560609
Euphorbia 'Miner’s Merlot' 511386
Jasmine (Trachelospermum) 550229
Strulch 100086
110 litre compost
(50 + 60 litres)
reduced peat 100206
A few of my favourites...
Yarrow Achillea millefolium. Sea Holly Eryngium planum. Catmint Nepeta × faassenii.
Lavender Lavandula angustifolia. Stonecrop Hylotelephium spectabile. Wallflower Erysimum × cheiri.
Russian Sage Salvia yangii. Globe Thistle Echinops ritro. Coneflower Echinacea purpurea. Bearded Iris Iris germanica.
Verbena Verbena bonariensis. Helenium Helenium autumnale. Agapanthus Agapanthus africanus. Thyme Thymus vulgaris.
Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus. Wormwood Artemisia absinthium. Rock Rose Cistus × purpureus. Mexican Daisy Erigeron karvinskianus. Sea Lavender Limonium latifolium. Lamb’s Ear Stachys byzantina.
The Colour Wheel
The colour wheel is a useful guide when...
... choosing plant combinations, helping you create harmony or striking contrast in the garden. Colours opposite each other—such as purple and yellow—produce vibrant, high-impact pairings that stand out from a distance. Adjacent colours, like blues and purples, offer a more soothing, cohesive look. Triadic combinations, using three evenly spaced colours, add balanced variety without chaos. Foliage tones also matter, as greens can unify brighter blooms or soften bold schemes. By using the colour wheel as a reference, you can design planting displays that feel intentional, visually appealing, and seasonally consistent.
Don't stick to solid bright colours, the wheel works well using pastels, as here with a purple and pastel yellow scheme. Add texture and now it's a whole new ball game!
Foxtail lilies, pale delphiniums and a blue geranium look great together. Adding the fennel brings in another dimmension... texture, frothyness!
Don't stick to solid bright colours, the wheel works well using pastels, as here with a purple and pastel yellow scheme. Add texture and now it's a whole new ball game!
Foxtail lilies, pale delphiniums and a blue geranium look great together. Adding the fennel brings in another dimmension... texture, frothyness!
Don't throw them away
Use fallen or freshly cut logs and branches...
Put fallen logs to good use by creating a wildlife-friendly log shelter. Logs can edge woodland paths or be placed informally in borders, but stacking them offers far greater benefits. The gaps between layers form valuable hiding places, while the shaded, central logs stay damp and rot faster—perfect conditions for a wide range of species. Moist spaces beneath peeling bark attract woodlice, spiders and beetles, providing a rich food source for hedgehogs, frogs and shrews. Meanwhile, the drier crevices become winter refuge for butterflies and ladybirds.
Even a modest log pile can support an impressive array of life. It offers habitat, hunting grounds and shelter for insects, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Fungi, wood-boring insects and beetle larvae thrive within the decaying wood, in turn feeding predators such as toads, hedgehogs and birds. With minimal effort, a simple stack of logs can quickly develop into a vibrant, self-sustaining wildlife community.
Help out a Robin
Robins thrive in gardens that offer shelter, nesting places, and reliable sources of food and water. You can support them by planting shrubs and trees, creating wilder corners such as log piles, providing a ground feeder with mealworms, seeds and suet, and ensuring fresh water is always available.
Food and water
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Encourage natural prey: Build a wildlife-friendly garden with log piles, compost heaps and patches of long grass to attract insects—the robin’s main food source.
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Provide extra food: Use a ground tray or bird table to offer mealworms (live or rehydrated dried), suet, seeds and fruit.
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Keep water accessible: Maintain a clean, shallow bird bath for drinking and bathing, especially in winter when water may freeze.
Shelter and nesting
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Plant dense cover: Trees and shrubs protect robins from predators and harsh weather.
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Install open-fronted nest boxes: Position them discreetly among climbing plants or thick foliage.
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Create natural nesting spots: Allow some areas to grow wild and include log piles, as robins often nest close to the ground in dense vegetation.
