Very good tutorial from a professional garden...
I have subscribed to access all the courses so have watched one on interior design and this one with Butter Wakefield who specialises in small garden design. She ...
Louise Brown
Apr 10, 2026
The shade pot in July
with SARAH RAVEN — Acclaimed English gardener, cook and writer. Host of the UK’s No.1 gardening podcast.
Lesson 16 of 25
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Sarah takes another look at her large shade pot and explains how to add supports to keep large plants upright and at their best.
From the Lesson Workbook
The Shade Pot in July
In this lesson, I'm going to take a look at the shade pot that I planted in mid-May and show you how it's progressing.
As you can see the nicotiana has grown to a tremendous size and is thriving in this spot.
I replaced the lilies that were acting as the central bride here because they got too tall and flopped over. I took them out and put them elsewhere in the garden and I've replaced them with Cosmos 'Purity'.
If you find that your nicotiana is starting to strangle the other plants in your pot then simply remove some of the lower leaves. This will give the other plants room to grow and also make them more visible. This won't harm the nicotiana as it will still have enough leaves to photosynthesise properly.
Adding Some Support
As the cosmos are growing so tall I have added in a hazel post to give them some support. This will stop them from flopping over and help them to reach their maximum potential.
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Time spent well
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Your Instructor
Sarah Raven
Acclaimed English gardener, cook and writer. Host of the UK’s No.1 gardening podcast.
Sarah Raven is a renowned English gardener, cook and award-winning author. She is an inspirational and passionate teacher - combining her decades of experience with her scientific approach to growing (she is medically trained) - and has been running cooking, flower arranging and gardening courses at Perch Hill, her 90-acre farm in East Sussex, and around the UK for over 30 years. She has written for a host of major publications - including House & Garden, The Saturday Telegraph, Country Living, Gardens Illustrated, Gardeners’ World Magazine and The English Garden - and presented on TV shows including Gardeners' World and BBC’s Great British Garden Revival. Her gardening and cookery books have won numerous awards including ‘Best Specialist Gardening Book’ for The Cutting Garden and ‘Cookery Book of the Year’ for Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook. Sarah is married to the writer Adam Nicolson, Vita Sackville-West's grandson. She also has an online shop that is a brilliant destination for plants, bulbs, seeds, tools and all things garden.
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