Bloom Magazine UK

How penned in we can be. Office walls, commutes, queues – even the sanctuary of home can feel like it’s silently conniving to keep us from leaving its warm, comfortable confines. In this indoors, inching-forward sort of life, it’s easy to feel stuck.

Editor in chief Zena Alkayat Editor Laura Morrison Art director Sarah Pyke Sub editor Euan Ferguson Writers Yanar Alkayat Guy Barter Matthew Biggs Sarah Brown Charles Dowding Robin Gill Angelica Gray Parisa Hashempour Sean Higgs Sid Hill Royston Hunt

Be inspired by more than 3,000 flower, herb, vegetable, shrub and fruit seeds, including these easy-to-grow annuals for summer flowers. Elegant white blooms burst to life with a central boss of rich purple stamens. Blue flowers make this a delightful

1 If you are new to seed sowing start with cheaper annuals described as ‘easy to grow’ – marigolds and cosmos are easy to hatch and handle, for example. 2 Don’t sow too early. In most cases April is fine, or March if you really can’t wait. I sow prac

Beds that are 50 inches wide allow easy access to all parts for weeding, planting and harvesting. Underplanting maximises space: try a combination of aubergine or tomatoes with basil underneath. Or employ the ‘three sisters’ method: underneath corn,

Most people think of a riad as a small hotel in a traditional house with an interior courtyard. But the proper translation of the word is ‘a garden’. Not just any garden, but a sophisticated, plant-filled, private urban retreat in the heart of the ho

Begin each practice in a relaxation pose – this will help the body settle into stillness and is a chance to connect with the senses and then observe how you’re feeling physically, mentally, energetically and emotionally. If you regularly practise yog

Vegetable growing is a lot about popping in plants. And I always look for the quickest and easiest way to do that – life is too short to be constrained by awkward tools or difficult posture. I find that a long-handled dibber, like mine on the right t

Peat is the horticultural world’s dirty secret. The UK’s target to phase out the use of peat in amateur gardening by 2020 hasn’t been met. Huge amounts are sold in bagged compost – and yet more than 95 per cent of the UK’s peat bogs have disappeared

£26 for a year of Bloom bloommag.co.uk/subscribe * Price includes 3 issues and UK delivery. We ship worldwide! For more info, head to the website. ■

1 If your perennials (such as catmint or lavender) are currently looking a bit straggly, give them a haircut to encourage new growth and flowers. 2 Top up pots and containers with some fresh compost for the new growing season. 3 Make space on the win

1 Team Bloom will be pitching up to the RHS Spring Launch & Orchid Show in London (Apr 7–8). We’ll be chatting with top guests about bringing greenery into the urban environment on the evening of the 7th, and we’ll have our own stand, too – so come s

What’s your first memory of the outdoors? My first memory is of sitting in my pram under the walnut tree in the garden, watching shadows with Lettice, our cat, who was keeping me company. Describe your relationship with nature. Respect. What season e