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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Do These 3 Things To Protect Your Container Plants Before The First Frost, Says My Professional Gardener HusbandThe first frost is closer than you think... and there are three things you should do now to protect your container plants before temperatures drop.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Pamela Anderson's Fall Cleanup Video Is a Reminder to Tackle These 2 Garden Jobs NowNeed a little inspiration to tackle your fall garden chores? Let Pamela Anderson's dreamily fairytale-like approach be your guide...
By Kayleigh Dray
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The Native Tree That Outshines Japanese Maple Every Fall – It Looks Gorgeous And Pollinators Love It, Too!We all know and love the Japanese maple, true, but this native tree deserves your adoration this fall...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Jerry Hall's All-Purple Garden Is One Of The Prettiest We've Seen – Here's Why It Works So WellJerry Hall may be making headlines for The Celebrity Traitors, but when it comes to her garden, she's certainly no traitor to her favorite color...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Your Birth Month Spider Says A Lot About You – Find Out Yours And Its Special Meaning HereFrom wasp spiders to money spiders, your birth month spider might reveal more about your personality than you think...
By Kayleigh Dray
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The Zinnia Dupe That Comes Back Every Year – It’s Beautiful And Birds Adore It!Want all the flower power of zinnias in a perennial? Look this way...
By Kayleigh Dray
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My Neighbor’s Garden Looks Even Better Now Than It Did All Summer – And It’s All Thanks To One FlowerAm I jealous? Obviously – but it’s an easy enough fix: I just need to plant one flower, stat...
By Kayleigh Dray
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7 Beautiful Flowers That Keep Blooming Into October – And Bees And Butterflies Love ThemDreaming of a fall garden full of bright blooms? Look this way...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Martha Stewart's Halloween Flower Trick Turns Fading Garden Blooms Into Something Spooktacularly ChicForget plastic pumpkins and orange-and-black decorations; Martha Stewart’s elegant approach to Halloween starts with what’s already fading in your garden.
By Kayleigh Dray
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My Husband Has Worked In Gardening For 20 Years – This Is The First Thing He Does Every OctoberIt takes very little time, but it can make a big difference next spring.
By Kayleigh Dray
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October Isn’t Too Late to Plant – These 10 Vegetables Deliver Harvests Through Fall and BeyondOctober feels late for sowing, but plenty of crops are just getting started. Discover what to plant now, with advice on zones and timing.
By Tyler Schuster
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7 Perennials To Avoid Planting This Fall – They're In Every Garden Center But Can Cause Serious IssuesPretty, popular, and way more trouble than they're worth? Consider these perennials a no-go zone...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Your Birth Month Owl Says A Lot About Your Personality – Find Out Yours And Its Special Meaning HereFrom barn owls to barred owls, your birth month owl might reveal more about your personality than you think...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Kevin Bacon's Apple Tree Photo Is Inspiring For More Than One Reason – And It's Not Just About The ApplesKevin Bacon has given us a very good reason to look at our gardens a little differently this autumn.
By Kayleigh Dray
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My Professional Gardener Husband Always Buys Houseplants At IKEA – Here's WhyHe insists the superstore has some of the best houseplants around. Annoyingly, I finally agree.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Meet The Lavender Dupe That's Still Blooming In September – It Smells Amazing And Pollinators Love It!Lavender never really looks its best come fall, but there's one fragrant lookalike that promises to keep on blooming...
By Kayleigh Dray
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Nicole Kidman’s Bewitching Border Plants Make A Real Statement – And They’re Surprisingly Easy To RecreateNicole Kidman may be the star of this Instagram photo, but I'm far more interested in what's happening in the borders behind her.
By Kayleigh Dray
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Don’t Throw Away Your Old Towels! My Husband Is A Pro Gardener, And He Always Saves Them For The GardenDid you know you could turn old towels into nifty new garden helpers?
By Kayleigh Dray

