Bloom

Bloom is a seasonal magazine for gardeners, plant admirers, nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. Each issue is packed with practical gardening projects, explorations of the natural world and celebrations of the beauty of all green spaces, whether they’re in the wilderness or on a windowsill. Beautiful and useful, Bloom inspires you to harness the power of nature and to get out there and be a part of it.

Nature is a battery charger.

Bloom

bloomloves hydrangea

THE SEASON • What to forage, spot, harvest and grow this summer

THE BLUES BROTHERS • As summer gets going, DAN AND JOSH BENSON of Trehane Blueberry PYO tell us about the farm’s heritage fruit and living off the Dorset land

HOW TO KEEP YOUR BERRIES MERRY • As with all plants, sometimes they work and sometimes they just don’t. But blueberries are dead hardy and faff-free, so we recommend giving them a whirl. Our neighbours, the guys at Trehane Nursery in Dorset, are blueberry specialists and sell a wide variety.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE INSECTS GONE? • The summer garden should be humming with life, but as RSPB wildlife gardening expert ADRIAN THOMAS explains, it’s not just pollinators that are facing decline

10 TIPS FOR A BUZZING BACKYARD • As awareness around the plight of pollinators increases, gardeners are finding simple ways to help. If you’re not quite sure where to start, get stuck in to these tips for creating a bee- and pollinator-friendly space, suggested by Faye Clifton of Solitary Bee Week – an annual event of action and education in support of solitary bees.

COSMIC CONNECTIONS AND GOOD INTENTIONS • With the world experiencing an increasingly unstable climate and ecosystems in crisis, it’s time to reevaluate how we cultivate the earth. Could the biodynamic approach be the answer? Bloom explores the enigmatic growing method and speaks to Jane Scotter, founder of biodynamic farm Fern Verrow, to learn from her decades of experience

BRINGING BIODYNAMICS INTO THE GARDEN • You may not have a spare cow’s horn or stag’s bladder lying around, but there are some simple steps you can take to harness the magic of biodynamic growing

Upwardly mobile • Whether you’re short on space or simply want to fill up every inch of your garden, these scrambling, clambering plants are the answer

EDGES OF GLORY • The only barrier between you and beautiful borders is imagination and preparation, says Wildegoose Nursery co-founder Laura Willgoss. She shares her easy three-point plan for eye-catching edging

Think you’ve missed the boat for a bountiful harvest? Think again! • Organic veg guru CLAIRE RATINON offers her tips for late sowing and growing

OPERATION TIP-TOP TOMATO • HANNAH SCHLOTTER, vegetable educator and grower, presents her juicy guide to getting the very best from your plants this summer

PIP PIP HOORAY! • Shop-bought fruit and veg are full of seeds – save them up to nurture your own recycled plants

PLANT YOUR FIVE A DAY

SEE HOW THEY WIGGLE AND SQUIRM • ANNA DE LA VEGA, professional ‘wormologist’, explains why our latest kitchen accessory should be a bucket of earthworms

‘THE MOUNTAIN LAKES ARE MY SANCTUARY’ • VIVIENNE RICKMAN-POOLE has dedicated her life to mountain swimming. Through her diaries and photographs, she shares her transformative experiences of the high lakes of North Wales

Monsters, werewolves and washing days… • …the weird and wonderful stories behind plant names are as captivating as the plants themselves. SONYA PATEL ELLIS shares some of her favourite botanical etymologies

THE GARDENLESS GARDEN • In the absence of a private green space to call our own, how do we create a sense of belonging outdoors? One couple on the west coast of Ireland found that you don’t need official ownership to feel connected to...