Propagating & Growing Plants

When it comes to planting hundreds of spring bulbs, any gardener will tell you, it can be back-breaking work, that is, unless you have the hidden tool all us pros use for speedy bulb planting. I’m talking about one of the absolute weapons in any gardener’s arsenal: the humble bulb planter. Now, I know what […]

Making your own compost is one of the most rewarding things you can do as a gardener. Not only does it save you a fortune on bagged compost, but it’s also brilliant for the planet and turns your kitchen and garden waste into absolute gold for your soil. I’ve been gardening for a long time, […]

After all my years of gardening and teaching others how to grow things, I can tell you that strawberries are absolutely one of the most rewarding plants you can grow at home. There’s something magical about picking a sun-warmed strawberry straight from your own garden and eating it there and then. The taste is incomparable […]

November often gets dismissed as nothing more than a leaf raking and garden tidying month, with most gardeners thinking there’s nothing left to do except clear up and wait for spring. This mentality drives me absolutely spare! Whilst others are already planning their seed orders for February and ignoring their plots, I’m out here at […]

After twenty-odd years of planting thousands upon thousands of bulbs across Manchester, Liverpool, and beyond, I’ve developed something of an obsession with getting colour combinations absolutely spot on. There’s nothing quite like that moment in February when your carefully orchestrated rainbow of bulbs starts emerging through the frost, transforming what was a barren winter wasteland […]

Let’s talk softwood cuttings—the easiest way to propagate plants for free! Learn exactly when and how to take softwood cuttings from your favourite shrubs, perennials, and climbers. This step-by-step guide covers timing, technique, rooting methods, and aftercare to transform garden trimmings into thriving new plants. Perfect for budget-conscious UK gardeners wanting instant results. Taking cuttings […]

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that most plant shops won’t tell you: improper drainage kills more container plants than practically any other factor. Many gardeners contact me after spending a fortune on beautiful specimens, potting them up in stunning containers, and then wonder why their plants look increasingly miserable before dying completely. The culprit? Water sitting […]

If you’ve been thinking about starting a vegetable garden but feel overwhelmed, let me introduce you to your new best friend: the humble courgette. After designing hundreds of gardens and growing vegetables at Garden Ninja HQ for over thirty years, I can tell you with absolute certainty that courgettes are the gift that keeps on […]

This may come as a surprise to you gardeners, but true blue flowers are absolute gold dust in the gardening world! I’m Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja, and in my 35 years of gardening and designing hundreds of gardens across the UK, finding genuinely blue flowers (not purple-blue, not lavender, but proper blue) is one […]

There’s something utterly transformative about a garden at dusk. As the day’s heat subsides and shadows lengthen across borders and pathways, an entirely different sensory experience emerges in our gardens. In my years designing gardens across Britain and consulting internationally, I’ve witnessed countless clients discover the magic of evening fragrance for the first time, and […]