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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7 Stunning Flowers You've Never Heard Of – And September Is the Perfect Time to Plant ThemThese underrated beauties are well worth adding to your garden this month!
By Kayleigh Dray
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The 5-Minute Job Your Roses Need In September for More Blooms Next Spring – But Avoid This MistakeWant bigger, better, brighter roses? Then you need to put the work in this September, stat.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Want a Thanksgiving Cactus Covered in Flowers? Do This One Job in SeptemberDon't wait until the buds appear! This simple September job can help your Thanksgiving cactus bloom beautifully for the holidays...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Meet Your Birth Month Pet – and the Meaning Behind All 12 Companion AnimalsFrom cats and dogs, to snakes and tortoises, your birth month pet might reveal more about you than you think...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Kate Hudson Turned Garden Cuttings Into A Chic Floral Display – Here's How To Recreate The LookThe secret to Kate Hudson's effortlessly chic flower displays? Garden cuttings... but not the kind you'd expect!
By Kayleigh Dray
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Every Garden Needs One Evergreen That Thrives On Neglect – Here Are 7 Of The Best To PlantWant a garden that looks good all year round? Plant one (or more!) of these low maintenance evergreens, stat...
By Kayleigh Dray
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This Daffodil Is Quietly Replacing Classic Yellow Varieties – It’s Fragrant, Long-Lived, and HardyIf you're planting spring bulbs this fall, don't overlook this elegant daffodil...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Want The Biggest Blooms Next Summer? Plant These 6 Perennials This SeptemberDon't wait until spring to plan next year's flower garden. Plant these six perennials now and give them a head start on spectacular summer blooms.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Tim Curry's Favorite Garden Feature Has Nothing To Do With Flowers – And It's So Easy To RecreateThere's a wonderfully unexpected side to the late Tim Curry – and his gardening advice is well worth paying attention to.
By Kayleigh Dray
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My Husband Is a Professional Gardener, and These Are the 3 Tools He Never Starts a Job WithoutHe’s tried countless gardening tools over the years, but these three are the ones he always keeps close at hand.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Can Your Bird Feeder Really Tell You if a Storm Is Coming? Here's the TruthI have always heard that birds can predict the weather, so I decided to do some digging...
By Kayleigh Dray
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What Japanese Maple Trees Need in August If You Want Brilliant Fall ColorYour Japanese Maple's fall display starts long before the leaves begin to change – and these three August tasks can make all the difference.
By Kayleigh Dray
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3 Beautiful Backyard Birds That Eat Wasps – And How to Attract Them to Your YardReddit gardeners are making fake wasp nests from brown paper bags. I'd rather enlist the real thing: three beautiful birds that happily snack on wasps.
By Kayleigh Dray
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This Striking Prairie Native Is Quietly Replacing Mediterranean Plants – It's Hardier and Wildlife-FriendlyEveryone tells us to look to the Mediterranean for drought-tolerant plants, but lavender and salvia have got nothing on this native hero...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Goldie Hawn’s One-Plant Rule Makes Any Patio Look More Expensive – Even on a BudgetWant to give your patio a quiet luxury feel? Try Goldie Hawn's clever one-plant rule.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Forget Patchy Grass! This Pretty Ground Cover Could Transform Your Shady Garden With Very Little EffortA fast-spreading ground cover, it's perfect for shady gardens where grass struggles (and pollinators love it!).
By Kayleigh Dray
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Meet Your Birth Month Caterpillar – and the Beautiful Meaning Behind Each OneThey may not have wings just yet, but caterpillars are nature's greatest reminder that growth happens before transformation...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Why I Let My Passionflower Take Over My Fence (and It's Not Just Because It Looks So Good)Looking for a fast-growing way to hide an ugly fence – or your neighbors? This spectacular flowering vine does it all...
By Kayleigh Dray

