Gardens

‘Virtually invisible, I creep, panther-swift, into the thicket…’

It’s damson-scrumping season, which calls for stealth, subterfuge and the utmost secrecy

No truly addicted gardener can relax on holiday

Not even the most dedicated stand-in carer could understand my plants’ delicate needs

As a gardener, being uprooted from your plants can ruin a holiday

Go on holiday? And leave my chaotic, needy plants to fend for themselves? It’s an impossible choice

'If garden tools really count as weaponry, I’m in command of a small arsenal'

Since when were secateurs ‘a bladed weapon in a public space’?

An overabundance of fruit in the allotment leads to a failure of restraint

The allotments are drowning in fruit right now, and I will take every apple offered

‘Community gardens meant I was late to the library’

The literary life can be highly demanding, but the allure of a mystery garden proves an easy distraction

A chance to grow: the women learning to garden in prison

The Glasshouse offers horticultural training to incarcerated women, nurturing a more hopeful future

‘To a lesser gardener, a trip to Cork could be a washout’

When it rains in Ireland, it really pours, but our columnist had important work to do…

‘I always thought roses were the absolute worst – until…’

Roses encompassed everything off-putting about gardening. But then an upsetting thing happened… I began to care

‘I love plants, but didn’t want to spend the night in a garden centre’

I found empty baskets, downed secateurs, and not another living soul

‘Have you seen my hair? Nothing pecky with claws flies near me’

Birds had always been something of a mixed blessing for the writer, until a visit to Australia changed her mind

Tomatoes are sexy, difficult plants. But I love them

Our columnist is wooed by the joy of growing tomatoes, the more challenging the variety, the better

‘I was lifted, distracted and full of brave ideas at Kew’

The writer’s mixed memories and envious misgivings vanish in west London’s lush green riverside paradise

‘Spring has sprung – and I’m in a plant panic’

In the first of her new fortnightly columns, author Charlotte Mendelson gets to grips with the seasonal rush of new growth