Judging a book by its owners

Second-hand book discoveries

Rose webinars 2026

Hosting three winter webinars for the Rose Society UK

Queen Mary of Teck

The Rose Queen

UK Rose Society at 150

A vicar walked into a bar...

Mistletoe, the birds and kissing

A tale for Christmas

The amazing 'Conference' pear

The blackbirds' favourite

Who was 'Alister Stella Gray'?

A fella named "Stella"

By Any Other Name

November 2025 edition is out!

Dahlia mania, Keynes and an unusual party at Stonehenge

How dahlias made a 19th century gardener rich

Who was 'Mme Hardy'?

The romantic 19th century French rose

When gardeners planted bomb shelters

The Anderson shelter

Who was 'Constance Spry?'

The woman behind David Austin's first rose

More Garden Stories

Discover the fascinating stories behind our garden plants – the journeys they’ve taken, the people who found or bred them. Meet those making garden history today. Gardens are full of stories if you know where to dig.

About the Storyteller Gardener

Martin Stott is an award-winning journalist who has written for most of the UK national press and reported from 21 countries for the BBC World Service and Radio 4. The storyteller garden history blog combines his passion for storytelling, gardening and history.

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