Barbara Segall's Blog: The Garden Post
November 17, 2025
A Touch of Frost – for Period Living
John and Jenny Brett have created an all-year garden design at St Mary’s, combining formal plant structures with colourful insect-friendly perennials, but in winter, when dusted with white and dancing with shadows, the garden shimmers.
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As featured in the October 2025 issue of Period Living magazine.
The Shape Within – for The English Garden
Barbara Segall visits Sarah Vermont, who discovered her inner artist on moving to Hungerdowns in Essex. Now an accomplished topiarist, Vermont has coaxed dazzling forms from yew to fill this former farmyard. As featured in the December 2025 issue of The English Garden.
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November 9, 2025
Root of the Matter – for Gardeners’ World
Barbara Segall looks at how are we future-proofing our historic parks and gardens – and what can we learn in terms of creating sustainable new spaces going forward
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As featured in the November 2025 issue of Gardeners’ World
October 23, 2025
Romancing the Garden – for Amateur Gardening

Jo Thompson, five-times Chelsea Gold Medal-winning garden designer, author and writer, explains to Barbara Segall how we can recreate her nature-friendly style at home. This article appeared in the 18 October 2025 edition of Amateur Gardening.
October 4, 2025
Art, Plants & Nature at Bottengoms – for Essex Life
Barbara Segall visits Bottengoms – the property gifted to Essex Wildlife Trust on his death in 2023 by the writer Ronald Blythe – and finds an atmospheric plot that’s gently awakening…
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As featured in the October 2025 issue of Essex Life.
September 16, 2025
16 ways to harvest from the wider garden – for Amateur Gardening

Barbara Segall offers an abundance of ideas to boost culinary opportunities with ‘edimentals’ in the 6 September 2025 edition of Amateur Gardening.
July 27, 2025
Sculpture, Plants and Family Fun – for Essex Life
Barbara Segall discovers that Barnards Farm offers something for all to enjoy, from varied planting and contemporary sculpture to a miniature railway and vintage cars.
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As featured in the August 2025 issue of Essex Life.
July 7, 2025
4 home-grown spices – for Amateur Gardening

Barbara Segall shares the highs and lows of growing plants for culinary seasonings. Published in the 14 June 2025 edition of Amateur Gardening.
How to grow your own dream cutting garden – for Amateur Gardening

Barbara Segall explains her blooming marvellous plans for a cutting garden and the top varieties of flowers to grow. Published in the 5 April 2025 edition of Amateur Gardening.
June 13, 2025
Estuary Views & Tranquillity – for Essex Life
At Moverons, a 1.6-hectare garden at Brightlingsea, Lesley Gunfield has created a garden of rooms that descend in staged terraces to the viewpoint over the River Colne Estuary. Barbara Segall enjoys Lesley’s blend of formality and free-lowing informality
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As featured in the June 2025 issue of Essex Life.

