
Kayleigh Dray
Kayleigh is an enthusiastic (sometimes too enthusiastic!) gardener and has worked in media for over a decade. She previously served as digital editor at Stylist magazine, and has written extensively for Ideal Home, Woman & Home, Homes & Gardens, and a handful of other titles. Now, though, she is leaning into her passion for plants at Gardening Know How.
In her spare time, Kayleigh loves to spend as much time as possible outdoors – not least of all because it helps her tiny tearaway daughters burn off some much-needed energy – so she can usually be found wandering around one of England's National Trust site, traipsing around the lakes near her village, or making mud pies and homemade potions in the garden.
Married to an RHS-trained gardener with a penchant for rescuing unwanted plants, their 'work in progress' backyard has become something of a plant hospital over time: there's usually a sorry-looking bush or shrub being carefully nursed back to good health somewhere (which is why they're extra proud of the stunning laurel hedge at the front of their home – it was nothing but a sickly yellow sprig until they got their hands on it).
Keen to do her bit for local wildlife, Kayleigh makes a point of filling her borders with pollinator-friendly blooms, native fruiting plants, and wildflowers. Her daughters might be tots still, but she's encouraged them to tend to their own herb garden, too – and there is always a fun family project on the go, whether it's crafting a homemade bee water station, mini pond, hedgehog house, bird feeder, seed bomb, or stumpery.
In addition to her gardening know-how, Kayleigh has also written extensively about pop culture and the arts, and she has a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing.
Latest articles by Kayleigh Dray
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Is Your Garden Basically a Frying Pan? These 6 Drought-Tolerant Blooms Stay Lush All SummerSummer can be brutal, but your garden doesn’t have to look defeated – these heat- and drought-tolerant blooms are built to thrive.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Forget Raised Beds – This Beautiful Upgrade Makes the Most of Your Garden SpaceThis beautiful garden feature combines the practicality of raised beds with the charm of climbing vines, and we are wholly obsessed.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Say Hello to Your Birth Month Vine – And the Special Meaning Behind All TwelveFrom sweet-smelling climbers to dramatic flowering vines, your birth month vine might reveal more about your personality than you think…
By Kayleigh Dray
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Gardeners Are Obsessed With This Striking Evergreen Perennial – And It’s Easy to See WhyOlder than the dinosaurs, this prehistoric beauty is making a major comeback as one of the most sought-after statement plants of the year.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Forget Traps – This Beautiful Flower Offers a Better, More Natural Way to Help Deter SquirrelsFancy banishing squirrels from your yard without causing them any harm? People swear by this pretty flowering plant.
By Kayleigh Dray
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7 Flowering Perennials That Thrive in 95°F Heat – And Still Look GorgeousAs summers grow longer and hotter across much of the US, these reliable bloomers keep putting on a show (even when the rest of us are wilting).
By Kayleigh Dray
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These Gorgeous Shrubs Make Your Garden Look Expensive – But They're Surprisingly Easy to GrowIf you want everyone to think your yard was professionally landscaped, these gorgeous low-maintenance shrubs are the closest thing to a cheat code.
By Kayleigh Dray
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This Pretty Lawn Alternative Laughs Off Heatwaves – And Barely Ever Needs MowingSounds too good to be true, right? All that awaits you, though, along with three more lawn alternatives to suit any garden.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Kate Middleton's Hot-Weather Gear Is Perfect for Gardening – And You Can Shop Most of It on AmazonDid the Princess of Wales inadvertently give us the blueprint for the chicest summer gardening uniform? I think so.
By Kayleigh Dray
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The Heat-Loving Climber That Fills Your Garden With Jasmine Scent All Summer (And Hummingbirds Love It)Gardeners say this evergreen vine smells even better than roses.
By Kayleigh Dray
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The Thunder Moon Is Rising at the End of July – Here's How to Prepare Your Garden for Summer StormsDue to rise on July 29, the Thunder Moon is a timely reminder to storm-proof your garden before the weather takes a turn.
By Kayleigh Dray
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The 3 Common Gardening Mistakes That Can Kill Plants During a Heatwave (And You Probably Don't Even Realize)You may not realize it, but these everyday gardening tasks can cause your plants a whole lotta hurt during a heatwave.
By Kayleigh Dray
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My Husband Is a Professional Gardener – And He Says I Need to Stop Being So Timid When DeadheadingDeadheading can be a nerve-wracking experience – but here’s exactly how far you should really be cutting your plants back.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Did You Know You Have a Birth Month Farm Animal? Meet All 12 and the Meanings Behind Each OneFrom horses to collies, your birth month farm animal might reveal more about your personality than you think...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Plant These 7 Easy Heat-Hardy Vegetables in July And You Could Be Harvesting Within WeeksDon't put away your seed packets just yet – these fast-growing crops thrive in summer heat and can reward you with harvests before the season is over.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Put This Flowering Houseplant Beside Your Bananas to Encourage a Second Flush of BloomsThese blooms are bananas (b-a-n-a-n-a-s) – and here's how ripe fruit could trigger a second flush!
By Kayleigh Dray
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This Non-Invasive Flowering Vine Helps Keep Your Home Cool – And Hummingbirds Love ItIf your fan is losing the battle against summer heat, this flowering vine could offer some relief...
By Kayleigh Dray
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These 7 Night-Scented Flowers Make Your Garden Smell Incredible After Dark – Especially In Summer HeatWant your patio to smell gorgeous for al fresco dinners? Well, these beautifully fragrant flowers save their best performance for after dark.
By Kayleigh Dray

