The Secret Life of the Garden.

The Secret Life of the Garden. Our garden should feel like a vacation from the world. Make your space greener with plants. For the love of gardening. Creative gardening...Ideas and advice.

I am a professional horticulturist from the Czech Republic.

11/08/2026

What a beauty!
A beautiful view of a clear blue sky framed by tall green trees.

09/08/2026

Rudbeckia is a plant genus in the Asteraceae or composite family. Rudbeckia flowers feature a prominent, raised central disc in black, brown shades of green, and in-between tones, giving rise to their familiar common names of coneflowers and black-eyed-susans.

Perennial types:
Varieties like Rudbeckia fulgida (such as 'Goldsturm') and Rudbeckia laciniata die back to the ground in winter and reliably sprout fresh new growth each spring.

Annual types: Popular varieties of Rudbeckia hirta (often sold as Black-Eyed Susans) complete their entire life cycle in one or two years and do not return from the roots.

Self-seeding: Even annual and biennial types often drop seeds that grow into new plants next season, making them look like they came back.

All are native to North America, and many species are cultivated in gardens for their showy yellow or gold flower heads that bloom in mid to late summer.

01/08/2026

Love Phlox ❤️
Pollinators love phlox plants, especially bees and butterflies. Gardeners also love them for their bright colors and sweet scent.
Value the plant's hardiness, long bloom times, and ability to return every year.

18/07/2026

Crocosmias are multi-flowered perennials that come in a range of fiery colours. Easy to grow, they thrive in a range of soil types, in sun or partial shade. Plant with dahlias, salvias and cannas for a sumptuous mid- to late-summer display.
Some crocosmias can become invasive.

17/07/2026

Lavender is an iconic, highly fragrant evergreen shrub prized for its striking purple, pink, or white flower spikes and silvery-green foliage. Thriving in hot, sunny spots with well-drained soil, it is a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plant that beautifully attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies.

English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most popular type in the UK due to its hardiness, surviving temperatures down to -15° C.

Munstead: Compact with sweet-scented blooms; excellent for borders and culinary uses.

Hidcote: Deep purple flowers with tightly packed heads; highly prized for ornamental gardens and drying.

Grosso: A hybrid variety (Lavandula x intermedia) with long flower spikes and the strongest menthol fragrance.
Lavandula is a versatile herb primarily used for relaxation, skincare, and culinary flavorings. Its soothing properties make it a popular natural remedy for sleep, anxiety, and minor skin irritations.
Cooking & Baking: Add flower buds sparingly to baked goods (like shortbread), ice creams, or infused in simple syrups for beverages.
Teas & Tinctures: Steep 1 to 3 grams of dried or fresh flowers in hot water to support digestion and calm the nervous system.
Household: Use dried bundles or sachets in closets to naturally repel moths and freshen linens.

15/07/2026

I'm grateful. 🙏
Feeling grateful is a wonderful headspace to be in, and it's always a beautiful thing to acknowledge the good around us.

14/07/2026

Free like a butterfly.🦋
The phrase "happiness is a butterfly" suggests that joy is delicate, fleeting, and cannot be forcefully captured.
A butterfly primarily symbolizes profound transformation, rebirth, and personal growth.
Being a butterfly means being free and delicate, yet important for the environment as we help flowers grow by spreading pollen.
The Butterfly Bush (Buddleja) is a hardy, fast-growing deciduous shrub famous for its fragrant, cone-shaped flower spikes that bloom from summer to autumn.

07/07/2026

People who love hydrangeas generally appreciate deep, lasting relationships and enjoy taking care of others. It is an amazing choice because these bold, long-flowering shrubs bring incredible color and structural beauty to gardens and shady spots from mid-summer into autumn.

03/07/2026

Deadheadin gremoving spent flowers is crucial because it prevents the plant from expending energy on seed pods (hips). Instead, this energy is redirected to root development and new bud formation. This practice ensures a longer, more vibrant blooming season and prevents decaying petals from causing fungal issues.

When to cut: The best time is when the flower is fading but before the petals drop.

The correct cut: Use sharp bypass secateurs to make a clean cut at a 45-degree angle.
Where to cut: For single roses and cluster roses, cut the stem back to a strong bud facing outward, situated just above a healthy leaf set with five or more leaves.
Cluster varieties: If only one or two blooms in a cluster have died, snip off the individual faded flowers first. Once all the flowers in the cluster have finished, cut the whole stem back to the next bud.

02/07/2026

Build a minipond 💧
With just a little effort and a few simple resources you can create a simple watery habitat to enhance even the smallest of outdoor spaces.
It's easy to create a very small pond out of something like an old washing up bowl, so you can have a minipond in any sized outdoor space. As well as attracting aquatic creatures, you might even see a bird having a bath.
Don't be tempted to bring in buckets of pond life from elsewhere. Pond creatures are great at finding ponds themselves. Toads tend to like larger ponds, but there is every chance a frog or newt will find your minipond, especially if you provide corridors of cover next to a pond, and add a frog and toad abode nearby.
Once your pond has established itself and some residents have moved in, its a great place to explore the world of pond dipping.🐸

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