The Frustrated Gardener

I've been working on an exciting new project, a podcast with my friend and fellow gardener Julia Parker. Finally, we have recorded and released episode 1, which you can listen to here.

https://frustratedgardener.com/2023/03/17/introducing-two-good-gardeners/

Is there any day quite as awkward as a substitute Bank Holiday? Although these rare days ought to feel like a gift, there’s something

https://frustratedgardener.com/2023/01/02/a-walk-on-the-wild-side/

You may have heard of the Chelsea Chop or the Hampton Hack, but have you been introduced to the Twixmas Tidy? If not, read on to discover how you might fill the strangely disorientating days betw...

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/12/28/introducing-the-twixmas-tidy/

As I take a break between cleaning the house, wrapping presents and mopping the water that’s dripping through the roof, I hear the lyrics

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/12/24/glad-tidings/

November is a ‘do or die’ month. The onerous first frost that gardeners mutter about signals the demise of all that’s tender. You can take a gamble for so long, but ultimately you must act ...

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/11/06/your-garden-in-november/

October can be glorious or ghastly, depending on how the weather gods are feeling. I recall travelling to Delhi in October 2011 and the

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/10/04/your-garden-in-october/

I’ve come to love September almost as much as May. It’s a month of gentle transition, bidding farewell to summer and ushering in autumn. Here's what your can be doing in your garden this mont...

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/09/04/your-garden-in-september/

This time next year we'll probably be moaning about the cold and wet. Meanwhile it's clear that UK gardens and gardeners are ill-equipped to cope with extended, hot summers. Here's how we've cope...

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/08/14/a-long-hot-summer/

August is a watershed month, a moment when our gardens reach their peak volume and visual strength before evaporating into the soft airiness of autumn. The name of the game is prolonging the summ...

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/08/01/your-garden-in-august/

Are you bored of your courgettes being blighted by mildew? Are you receptive to the simple amusement of a provocatively proportioned vegetable? Then tromboncinos are for you!

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/07/29/all-hail-the-tromboncino/

It dawned on me the other day that I'd written nothing about our garden and allotment for several months. This is me, making amends!

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/07/15/catching-up/

With July comes the start of summer proper. All hints of spring are now banished, replaced by stronger, brighter colours and a sense of established luxuriance. Savour the moment and prepare for t...

https://frustratedgardener.com/2022/07/06/your-garden-in-july/