Down to Earth: Why tulips are among spring’s greatest glories
11 April 2025
Down to Earth: Why tulips are among spring’s greatest glories
11 April 2025Bringing lighter days and natural wonders – the unfurling of tulip flowers chief among them – spring is a truly joyful season, writes Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Spirits in need of a lift? Feed the birds
28 March 2025
Down to Earth: Spirits in need of a lift? Feed the birds
28 March 2025Feeding the birds is a small and simple thing, yet it can bring great joy, writes Robert Barker
Down to Earth: There are signs of spring, if you only look for them
28 February 2025
Down to Earth: There are signs of spring, if you only look for them
28 February 2025February is a famously depressing month, yet there’s hope if you know where to find it, writes Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Swap unrealistic resolutions for positive thinking – and use the garden as your muse
27 December 2024
Down to Earth: Swap unrealistic resolutions for positive thinking – and use the garden as your muse
27 December 2024“Instead of creating resolutions, put your energies into what can be achieved. . .” Why gardens encourage us to look on the bright side
Down to Earth: It’s time to embrace autumn’s glories
27 September 2024
Down to Earth: It’s time to embrace autumn’s glories
27 September 2024From turning leaves to cropping apples, autumn is full of natural glories, writes Cambridge garden designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Why planning makes gardens perfect
15 September 2024
Down to Earth: Why planning makes gardens perfect
15 September 2024September’s the ideal time to make garden plans, writes Cambridge designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Keep your garden colourful this summer
10 August 2024
Down to Earth: Keep your garden colourful this summer
10 August 2024A well-planted garden should provide colour all summer long, right through August and into September, writes Cambridge designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Make your garden a haven for wildlife
12 July 2024
Down to Earth: Make your garden a haven for wildlife
12 July 2024“Make wildlife at home in your world and your world will feel more like home,” writes Cambridge garden designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Get your garden ready for summer
21 June 2024
Down to Earth: Get your garden ready for summer
21 June 2024In the wake of all the wet weather, there are still jobs to do in the garden this June, writes Cambridge designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Get outdoors – and make the most of your garden
24 May 2024
Down to Earth: Get outdoors – and make the most of your garden
24 May 2024Lighter, longer days are cue to throw open the windows and doors - and remember the garden is but an outside room, writes Cambridge’s Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Why we should celebrate blossom season
05 April 2024
Down to Earth: Why we should celebrate blossom season
05 April 2024The arrival of spring - season of blossoms, blue skies, renewal and optimism - is sure to lift spirits, writes Cambridge designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Meet the mother of modern garden design
29 March 2024
Down to Earth: Meet the mother of modern garden design
29 March 2024Mien Ruys is the mother of modern garden design. The fact hers is not a household name is an injustice, writes Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Want to get kids into gardening? Plant potatoes
16 February 2024
Down to Earth: Want to get kids into gardening? Plant potatoes
16 February 2024If you want to get your children interested in gardening, planting potatoes is the perfect place to start, writes Cambridge’s Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Struggling with self-care? Take pointers from plants
12 January 2024
Down to Earth: Struggling with self-care? Take pointers from plants
12 January 2024Just like plants, humans need to be treated with care to truly flourish, writes Cambridge garden designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Why Christmas would be incomplete without evergreens
22 December 2023
Down to Earth: Why Christmas would be incomplete without evergreens
22 December 2023What do Christmas decorations and gardens have in common? Both need a backdrop of evergreens to bind them together
Down to Earth: What to look for in the November garden
27 October 2023
Down to Earth: What to look for in the November garden
27 October 2023November may bring damp days and dark nights, but there’s delight to be found in the garden
Down to Earth: Trees can’t fail to attract attention in autumn
10 October 2023
Down to Earth: Trees can’t fail to attract attention in autumn
10 October 2023“Whether you are present enough to appreciate trees and nature all year round or not, it is hard not to take notice during autumn. . .”
Down to Earth: Why September is time to take stock in the garden
07 September 2023
Down to Earth: Why September is time to take stock in the garden
07 September 2023In the wake of fickle summer weather, September is the time to take stock in the garden, says Cambridge designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: How to make your garden truly family-friendly
07 August 2023
Down to Earth: How to make your garden truly family-friendly
07 August 2023The school holidays call for a child-friendly garden. It’s wise to make changes temporary, though, says Cambridge designer Robert Barker
Down to Earth: Reset your garden for summer’s heat
21 July 2023
Down to Earth: Reset your garden for summer’s heat
21 July 2023Instead of resenting summer’s hear, we need to reset both our minds and our gardens and make the most of it, writes Cambridge designer Robert Barker
