
Emma Kendell
Emma is an avid gardener and has worked in media for over 25 years. Previously editor of Modern Gardens magazine, she regularly writes for the Royal Horticulture Society. She loves to garden hand-in-hand with nature and her garden is full of bees, butterflies and birds as well as cottage-garden blooms. As a keen natural crafter, her cutting patch and veg bed are increasingly being taken over by plants that can be dried or woven into a crafty project.
In her spare time, Emma loves to spend as much time as possible outdoors and enjoys walking, camping and exploring natural landscapes around the world. Closer to home, she still prefers to be outside rather than inside, whatever the weather, and will happily ditch house chores in favour of garden jobs. As a result, the garden always looks fabulous while the sofa cushions remain steadfastly unplumped!
Pollinator-friendly plants are a favourite and her garden beds are an informal mix of cheery flowers that offer a long season of nectar. A recently-created gravel garden is maturing nicely, with Potentilla and Verbascum now growing through the grasses, while raised beds spill with lavender and herbs. Wildlife is always welcome, and a strip of lawn is left long year-round as habitat for garden critters.
As well as gardening, Emma has written extensively about parenting and outdoor pursuits including horseriding, hiking and mountain biking, and has a BA in English and Publishing.
Latest articles by Emma Kendell
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25 Quick and Clever Small-Space Container Gardening Ideas You Can DIY on a BudgetA compact garden can be just as glorious as a big backyard if you get creative with your planters and patio pots. Here’s all the inspiration you need to transform your outside space without splashing the cash…
By Emma Kendell
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ALDI’s New $7 Bug Fan is the Easy Insect Repellent Solution Your Backyard Needs This SummerKeep your patio table free of flies and mosquitoes with this fab middle aisle find.
By Emma Kendell
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Deadhead These Flowers in May For Stronger Plants and Lots More Blooms – it Takes Seconds and Transforms Your GardenIf you're not already a deadheading devotee, May is the time to start snipping faded flowers – you'll be amazed how abundant your backyard becomes.
By Emma Kendell
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6 Edible Flowers to Start Growing in May For the Prettiest Salads, Cakes and Charcuterie Boards Come SummerWhether you’re entertaining family and friends or simply pleasing yourself, edible flowers will raise your food to restaurant level as well as making your garden look good.
By Emma Kendell
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Why Your Lawn Is Brown or Patchy in May – and How to Green Up Your Grass, FastThe sun’s out and so are we, back in our gardens and ready to enjoy life outdoors again. But if your lawn didn’t get the memo, here’s what to do for quick, lush results…
By Emma Kendell
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Scent a Path or Driveway With This Resilient Low Growing Plant – it Releases a Cloud of Fresh Fragrance Whenever it’s Stepped OnCreeping thyme has an incredible citrus aroma as well as pretty purple flowers: plant it in your driveway or entrance path to greet visitors and welcome you home with a heady burst of lemon scent.
By Emma Kendell
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8 Best Plants For Patio Pots if You Want Maximum Flowers For Minimum Effort – These Perennials are as Low Maintenance as They are LovelyYes, you can fill your patio with wonderful color, year after year, without having to water every day.
By Emma Kendell
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ALDI’s Solar Fire Bowl is the Patio Upgrade Your Backyard Needs – it’ll Bring a Cozy Ambience to Long Summer Evenings in the GardenThis elegant solar light fire bowl arrives in the middle aisle on May 6 and it's a backyard bargain – I’m wagering it won’t take long to sell out.
By Emma Kendell
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Ikea’s New Garden Cabinets are the Chic Space-Saving Storage Solution Your Backyard NeedsStoring garden tools and patio clutter just got a whole lot simpler and more stylish – it's time to ditch that rotten shed…
By Emma Kendell
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Prune These 7 Garden Shrubs in May – Here’s EXACTLY How Much to Snip Off to Get Lots More Flowers Next SpringPruning is scary when you’re a beginner gardener, we know, but be brave and show these spring-flowering plants some tough love.
By Emma Kendell
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ALDI Just Dropped a New Garden Range You Need to Know About – the Lemon Print Pruners & Kneeler Pad Will Style up Your SummerBargain alert: these garden goodies arrive on April 29 and they’re not going to stay on the shelves for long.
By Emma Kendell
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10 Accent Plants Landscape Designers Love But Anyone Can Grow – Add the Wow Factor to Your Backyard This WeekendPlant a standout but simple-to-grow garden centerpiece and get the designer look for less.
By Emma Kendell
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These 5 Sense-Soothing Garden Plants Are Almost as Good as Therapy – and a Heck of a Lot CheaperCreate a relaxing backyard sanctuary with plants that calm your body and clear your mind.
By Emma Kendell
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Chic Wildlife Houses to Welcome Beneficial Critters & Control Garden Pests This Spring – Natural Pest Control Never Looked So Good!These stylish wildlife homes work as gorgeous garden decor as well as providing habitat for ladybugs, birds, toads, bats, bees and butterflies who all help to control backyard pests.
By Emma Kendell
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Ants Leave My Patio Alone All Summer, Thanks to This One Plant – and it’s So Cheap & Easy to Grow From SeedIf you’re only going to add one plant to your garden this year, make it this one: it gets rid of ants on your patio and smells amazing.
By Emma Kendell
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7 Trailing Plants That Look Terrific Cascading From a Hanging Basket – April is the Perfect Time to Add Them to Your Garden PlantersThese thriller spiller plants will add plenty of drama to a hanging basket and they're all easy to grow, even if you're a beginner gardener.
By Emma Kendell
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The $1 Slug Hack That Works Better Than Anything Else I’ve Tried in My Garden – My Seedlings Are Finally Safe!Forget copper tape, beer traps and even nematodes: cost per slug captured, this cheap and easy hack is my best-ever method of controlling slugs and snails in my backyard.
By Emma Kendell
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Meet Your Perfect Rose to Plant Now, With a Scent to Match Your Favorite Perfume & Fill Your Garden With a Fragrance You AdoreRoses have all sorts of different scents from sweet honey to spicy cloves, with fruity as well as floral notes, so use your favorite perfume to guide you to the exact right variety that will fragrance your backyard with an aroma you love.
By Emma Kendell

