When California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) opens its flowers it’s like the sunshine has come down and kissed your garden. This enchanting wildflower is an iconic plant of the American West – and a fascinating plant for the future for natural and sustainable gardens. What makes California poppy a plant for the future?

Winter is gradually departing, the first rays of sunshine are warming the earth – now’s the perfect time to get your garden ready for the new season.  March to early April is the ideal time to get your beds, raised beds and balcony containers shipshape and spring-ready.

Nature has its own internal rhythms, and following them in your garden can have a really powerful effect. While the traditional calendar gives us fixed dates, the phenology calendar follows a different principle: it’s aligned with natural developments in the world of plants and wildlife. Because of this it shows us when it’s really time for sowing, planting and harvesting.

Thinking about tomatoes this early in the year? Absolutely! Choosing the right variety plays a key role in producing a great harvest. With a little bit of planning you can start your plants early – and look forward to a bumper tomato season.

For chillies and similar heat-loving plants our Central European climate is a big challenge. With our short summers and frosty nights we have to take a radically different approach to growing them. Give these plants the head start they need by sowing them early – in January or February.

Have you heard of ‘Cool Flowers’? If not then you definitely need to! These flowers are not just cool in every sense of the word – they’re a real game-changer for all flower lovers. But let’s start at the beginning.