The Mahonia japonica prefers shade because it naturally grows in a woodland setting, but it will grow just as well in a semi-shaded location. Once fully established it can reach a height of around 200cm and a wider spread of around 400cm, so it eventually makes quite a large evergreen shrub, providing plenty of interest in terms of colour all year round. These are typically grown because of the dark green foliage along the bottom…

If you have clay soil, you might be thinking that you can’t possibly grow any plants because so many plants require rich, loamy and perlite-infused soil, or at the very least free-draining soil, and this isn’t usually the case when you have clay soil. The problem with clay soil is that it’s typically compact so it’s very difficult to get water to flow through it or allow struggling weak roots to get down into it.…

If you have a shaded area in your garden you might think that’s the end of it, that you won’t be able to grow anything well. We often think that having a shaded garden means the end of beautiful flowers and colourful blooms but that’s simply not true. You can brighten up an otherwise sheltered area in your garden with colourful shade-loving plants that will come back year after year. The 12 best perennials for…

Without pollination, your plants won’t be able to produce enough fruit or seeds, which is not just upsetting to the overall quality of your garden but can inhibit food production and food sources for wildlife as well. Honey bees, in particular, are an essential part of the agricultural world and it’s only through pollination that we get seeds and crops year after year. All about the bees In the UK there are over 250 types…

Springtime, especially the beginning of spring is a perfect time to plant your perennials seeds. You have spent hours gazing through seed catalogues and garden centre seed shelves and choosing your favourite ones, but how do you grow quick-growing perennials from seed? The good news is it’s quite easy if you follow these simple steps. You will be pleased to know that you don’t need any expensive growing equipment, although it can be beneficial to…

Skimmias are evergreen shrubs that reach about one metre in height and spread once they are fully established. They are often grown for their stunning foliage and if you have a male and female plant growing together then you can enjoy stunning berries from the female plant, which makes them particularly good for providing winter interest. Growing Skimmia Shrubs Before you plant one of these shrubs you need to make sure that you have the…

If you have healthy perennials it’s important you divide them regularly, just to make sure they continue to perform as well the following year. This is something that is quite easy to do and it’s perfect for all clump-forming herbaceous perennials, even plants like ornamental grasses. Most perennials will do much better if you divide them every 2 or 3 years. If you want to increase how many plants you have in your garden by…

If you are growing a Mahonia shrub it’s important that you keep it healthy and well-maintained. One of the things you should do to help it remain healthy and grow well is to prune it. Pruning the Mahonia aquifolium – Oregon Grape / Mountain Grape Firstly there are two different classes of Mahonia. The first is called Mahonia aquifolium and these are the lower growing evergreens that flower in the spring. These smaller Mahonias typically don’t…