Come with me to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026

What a difference a year makes!  Back at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show earlier this month for a second year in a row, and I felt like I had it cracked!  Full of anticipation and excitement, but also with the benefit of experience, I was ready to enjoy all the best the RHS Chelsea Flower…

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Garden trends for 2026

Red wheelbarrow filled with garden leaves.

I love that gardens change all the time. I am drawn to gardening because of its endless possibilities and opportunities. We know for sure that our garden will look and grow differently every year and that the role of a gardener is to act as a guardian and facilitator of that change, for better or…

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Your Garden Story 2026 Resolutions & Inspirations

Person and dog in snowy field, trees background.

2025 was a year of travel and new experiences for me, so it was wonderful over the December holidays to stay put, be at home, spend time outside, enjoy family, and reflect on the year. We had two family weddings in close succession in 2025, my 60th birthday to celebrate, and we became US citizens.…

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An experiment in growing cut flowers

Colorful floral arrangement in a white vase.

Our garden in Litchfield, CT, is beautiful.  We live in town on a lovely street where people pass by every day. We know our neighbours, and we can get a cup of coffee or a good dinner with just a 10-minute stroll down the street.  We are also fortunate to have an 8-acre garden edged…

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Gifts for the Gardener in Your Life

Festive table with Christmas garland centerpiece.

As anyone who follows Your Garden Story will know, Lily is my constant companion in the garden.  Mostly she is trying to persuade me to play, but often she is content to sit, watch and smell the air.  It seemed only right, then, this year to start with a gift for any of you who…

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My Garden Story – Suffolk Chapter V

Person standing on beach with tall grass.

It has been so much fun reflecting on the garden project in Suffolk and it is a good example of the process of a landscape design project from start to finish.  It’s now just over three years since the project was completed but of course the development of the plants is just beginning.  From the…

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My Chelsea Flower Show Favorites

Wildflowers and grasses in a garden setting.

It’s nearly thirty years since I last attended the Chelsea Flower Show. We were living in a small rental flat in London with no garden. At the time, I had to visit my mother’s garden in Hertfordshire to stay connected to nature, and my fingers were a very pale green. We loved the atmosphere of…

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A Lemon Tree Grows in Lockdown

Lemons growing on vine under blue sky.

Like many of us during the pandemic, I found solace in experimenting with growing our food.  It was a joy to take the seeds from our everyday food prep and witness their transformation. With ample time on our hands, the entire family, including my son, Tom, and my husband, Richard, eagerly joined in.  Early spring,…

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Gardening Friends and Family II

Child smiling with bowls of cherries.

We had such great feedback on our first Gardening Friends and Family blog that we decided to do it again. Everyone loved hearing about John’s okra and hand-sketched vegetable garden plans, Melissa’s native shrubs and my Mum and her husband’s container gardening. The common theme was the joy of shared experiences and the delight in…

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The Power of Gardening: A Personal Reflection

Oregano plant, leaf rake, autumn leaves.

By Natalie Raum I was seven years old, dressed in pink crocs and cotton baseball shorts. Surrounded by a puddle of gravel, I sat in my parents’ driveway which was overrun with stubborn weeds. The weeds grew in every direction; a minefield of green heads popping up. When I pulled the weeds out of the…

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Your Garden Story’s 2025 New Year Garden Resolutions

Golden retriever sitting in the snow.

It’s been a cold start to the year in the northeast of the US. At this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, I try to remind myself that winter is an essential time to rest and reset for the year ahead. It’s generally accepted that winter begins on the winter solstice, 21st December, when…

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Holiday gifts for gardeners in your life

Woman holding an adorable golden retriever puppy.

Our family gift for the holidays of 2017 was our lovely dog, Lily. She has been the constant during lots of change these past few years, and initially, her role was to replace the void left by our daughter Ellie as she went off to college. Lily has become my loyal garden companion. Come rain…

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