Bloom

Bloom is a seasonal magazine for gardeners, plant admirers, nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. Each issue is packed with practical gardening projects, explorations of the natural world and celebrations of the beauty of all green spaces, whether they’re in the wilderness or on a windowsill. Beautiful and useful, Bloom inspires you to harness the power of nature and to get out there and be a part of it.

Nature is freedom.

Bloom

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THE SEASON • What to forage, spot, harvest and grow this summer

What lies beneath • Come summer, our appreciation for a dip in the sea or a stroll along a murmuring river reaches its apex. Behind the scenes, conservationists are working year-round to ensure Britain’s waters are thriving not just for us, but for the wildlife that depends on it. Here are four projects making a difference…

HEART THE DARKNESS • Shade-lovingplant expert Susanna Grant shares her picks for those tricky shadowy spots

CONTAINER GARDENS + BALCONIES

GARDEN BORDERS

EDIBLE PATCH

HOUSEPLANTS

A GARDENER’S ESSENTIAL A–Z • In the second instalment of Bloom’s glossary of common gardening terms, letters H to P help you tackle horticulture’s complex lingo

LITTLE WONDERS • A windowsill and an empty egg box are just about all you need to grow microgreens all year round

From ostrich ferns to common nettles… • …ten leading plantspeople on their most prized perennials

MATERIAL WORLD • Don’t buy, build! You can make planetfriendly products – from bioplastic to a ceramic alternative – using leftovers, says Zoë Powell of Materiom, an opensource database of recipes

MAKE A PLANT POT

As time grows by • An 18th-century Swedish botanist imagined a clock based on the opening of flower petals. Whimsical it might have been, but observing the natural daily rhythms of nature has its rewards

COVER YOUR BASES • Plants that carpet the ground and fill in the gaps are the key to a lush garden

GROW YOUR OWN MUSHROOMS • Nurture oyster mushrooms in used coffee grounds with this step-by-step guide by fungicultivating pro Adam Sayner

IN TO THE WILD • Rainforests, crystalblue waters and sand dunes may sound exotic, but take a closer look and you’ll find these spectacular landscapes right here in the UK, together with some of the world’s most exceptional fauna

This year, the world changed radically as shops closed, streets emptied and travel stopped • We asked ten people who work in nature every day to share a snapshot of their lockdown experience – and discovered that being homebound inspired some surprising interactions with the outdoors

isle of wonder • What’s it like to tend a garden in the middle of the sea? Darren Little, the new head gardener on St Michael’s Mount, tells Laura Morrison why abseiling, pineapples and outdoor succulents are just part of the job

TIPS FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNT

freedom, fantasy and learning… • …are powerful reasons to encourage kids to roam outdoors, says Caro Langton, as she explores the impact of children’s relationship with the natural world

GROWING WILD • If you’re having trouble persuading little ones to swap screens for the outdoors, try activities that are interactive and fun, suggests gardening writer (and dad) Joe Harrison

‘I sit in the shadow of my ancestors and dare to work the land of their oppressors’ • Organic grower Claire Ratinon cultivates the soil of her homeland but doesn’t always feel like she belongs. It’s a hard thing to reconcile, she writes

‘I’M PAINTING FLOWERS—ONE CAN’T RESIST THEM’ • On the edge of the South Downs, Vanessa Bell’s cottage Charleston is frozen in time – but it’s in the garden where the artist’s story comes to life

BLADES OF GLORY • Two...