PlantNetwork Blog


Our blog is an opportunity for all PlantNetwork members and supporters to contribute to discussions on all aspects of horticulture, botany, gardens and plant collections. If you would like to contribute a blog, contact the PlantNetwork Coordinator.

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

The Hills are Alive

Daniel Jones, Horticultural Student at RHS Garden Wisley, introduces his research project which looks at using alpine plant communities in gardens.


A Cambridge Rhapsody in Blue

Richard Gant, Head Gardener at Madingley Hall at the University of Cambridge, considers plants with ‘Cambridge Blue’ flowers.


Managing water in gardens

So far, 2020 has been a year of rainfall extremes. How can we manage water to make gardens more resilient to these extremes? Find out more here.


Punch Bowl Valley Gardens, Windsor Great Park

The Punch Bowl in Valley Gardens in the Windsor Great Park is one of the (many) highlights of the park. Here, Patricia Craven, Supervisor of the Valley Gardens, explains its history and recent renovation.


COVID-19 Resources

A range of material that might be of use during the COVID-19 emergency.


Peat-free growing?

There has been much in the press over the last few weeks focusing on peat use in gardening. Peat use in horticulture was due to be completely phased out by 2020 – but it is still widely used. This blog looks at the issues behind the ongoing debate.


New year, old boots…..

Celebrate the New Year with a resolution to carry out at least one greener or more sustainable gardening activity every month in 2020. Ever wondered what to do with your old wellington boots? A recent comment in the PlantNetwork newsletter resulted in this wonderful list from a PlantNetwork member to kick-start the ‘Greener Gardening 2020’ challenge.


New Plant Health Regulations

On the 14th December 2019, the new Plant Health Regulation will be implemented across the EU including the UK. What does this mean for horticulturists? Our quick view key messages provide your ‘need to know’ information.


What is Environmental Sustainability?

We use the words ‘sustainable’ and ‘sustainability’, along with ‘green’, ‘eco-friendly’ and many others, to indicate that a product or service is better for the environment, compared to an unsustainable equivalent. Sustainability is, however, much more complicated than this and very few ‘sustainable solutions’ are truly sustainable. Read more.


Horticulture in graveyards, churchyards and cemeteries

Inspired by a blog earlier this year entitled ‘Britain’s best places to see: Heritage graveyards and cemeteries’ by Sian Belwitt for Museum Crush, PlantNetwork has created a short blog for Hallowe’en looking at graveyards as garden places to visit.


Bursaries, grants and awards

There are lots of funding opportunities available to horticulturists in Britain and Ireland to help support travel and career development. A ‘quick view’ guide is provided here.


In Pursuit of Paradise: Tourism & Public Gardens

This study evaluates the demographics of the garden visiting public in Great Britain (GB) in 2018, assessing the reasons for visiting, activities pursued during visits and facilities sought on visits.


Bedfordshire Head Gardeners Network

The Bedfordshire Head Gardeners Network is a Bedfordshire Gardens Trust initiative bringing together gardeners across the county on a regular basis to offer a collaborative approach to caring for Bedfordshire’s green spaces.


Peat or peat-free?

The debate about the use of peat in horticulture seems to have been going for a long time.