
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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The Best Time To Water Your Container Garden To Keep Pots Thriving And Blooming All SummerContainer plants dry out quickly in summer heat, but one simple change to your watering routine can keep them thriving all season
By Kayleigh Dray
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June Is When Weeds Really Take Off – This Is the Best Way to Remove Them, Says a Pro GardenerThere are two simple tools that beat weed killer every time...
By Kayleigh Dray
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7 Flowers to Plant in June for Bold Late-Summer Color That Lasts Into Fall – They're So Easy to GrowThese beautiful blooms are here to do the seemingly impossible; establish quickly and extend the season when it matters most!
By Kayleigh Dray
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7 Fast-Growing Flowering Shrubs You Can Still Plant Now for Instant Garden ImpactFrom crepe myrtle to elderberry, these stunning flowering shrubs deliver the goods, and fast!
By Kayleigh Dray
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This Small Flowering Tree Is Quietly Replacing Magnolias – And Its Blooms Are HugeA designer-favorite with hand-sized blooms? No wonder people are in love with this pretty flowering tree...
By Kayleigh Dray
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My Mother-In-Law Installed a Copper Pyramid in Her Veg Bed – And Everything ChangedMy skepticism didn’t quite survive the results....
By Kayleigh Dray
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This Flower is Quietly Replacing Roses – It Blooms for Months and Looks Even More DramaticThese tender perennials are having a major moment in gardens right now, and they’re proving hard to ignore.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Meet Your Birth Month Woodland Animal – and the Meaning Behind 12 Forest-Dwelling CrittersFrom clever coyotes to powerful bears, your birth month woodland animal might reveal more about you than you think...
By Kayleigh Dray
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The 7 Best ‘Set and Forget’ Plants for Your Vacation Style – So Your Garden Looks Good All HolidayFrom weekend breakers to long-haul travelers, these low-maintenance bloomers keep thriving even when you’re not around to fuss over them...
By Kayleigh Dray
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7 Pretty Self-Seeding Flowers That Will Quietly Fill Gaps And Bare Patches All By ThemselvesThese low-fuss bloomers gently spread, naturalise, and return year after year – often in exactly the spots your garden needs them most
By Kayleigh Dray
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These 7 Perennials Flower All Summer Long Without Constant Deadheading – And Look So Pretty Doing ItIf you want long-lasting color without the constant upkeep, these easygoing perennials keep blooming with surprisingly little effort
By Kayleigh Dray
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These 8 Plants Are Too Expensive for Me, So I Found Gorgeous, Budget-Friendly DupesEvery bit as stunning, and sometimes more impactful, these plant dupes tick every box going... just without the eye-watering price tag.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Meet Your Birth Month Wildflower – and the Meaning Behind All 12 Beautiful BloomsFrom woodland trilliums to vibrant butterfly milkweed, your birth month wildflower might reveal more about you than you think...
By Kayleigh Dray
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This Fragrant Perennial Is Quietly Replacing Lavender – It’s Hardier, Blooms Longer, and Pollinators Love ItI grow both side by side in containers at home, but one consistently flowers longer, attracts more bees, and steals the show every summer.
By Kayleigh Dray
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7 Front Yard Plants That Say More About You Than You Think – Here’s What You Need To KnowYes, your front yard tells your neighbors a lot more about you than you might realize (and it’s all in what you plant).
By Kayleigh Dray
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The One Hydrangea To Plant For More Songbirds – It’s Beautiful, Low-Maintenance, And Easy To GrowIf there are two things everyone loves, it’s hydrangeas and songbirds – here’s why they’re a match made in heaven.
By Kayleigh Dray
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6 Tiny Fast-Growing Perennial Flowers That Cover Bare Soil And Fill Garden Gaps Year After YearBare patches don’t stand a chance against these pretty blooms!
By Kayleigh Dray
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Your Old Colander Might Be The Best Hanging Basket You Never Thought To UseThis surprisingly clever garden hack actually works (and it looks far prettier than you’d expect).
By Kayleigh Dray

