If you grow your own fruit and vegetables on any scale, you're probably familiar with trying to keep pests away from your precious crops. Caterpillars, birds, slugs and snails... there's a seemingly endless list of hungry garden visitors who will happily feast on your plants and crops given the chance. And while I actively encourage local wildlife to visit our garden and allotment, I do want to enjoy some produce myself too! Some crops are ...
Garden storage: GearHooks review & giveaway
Do you struggle to effectively manage the storage in your outdoor buildings? I suspect your typical family shed or garage has to cope with a multitude of storage challenges - including bikes, gardening equipment, DIY supplies, toys, and pretty much anything else that we don't want to store in the house. Here's what the inside of our shed usually looks like - be warned, it's not pretty... If I'm being completely honest, I actually had a ...
Review & Giveaway: RHS I Can Grow a Sunflower
If you’re a regular visitor to my blog you’ll know that getting children into gardening is a passion of mine. Gardening fits so well with lots of the things that kids tend to automatically like: hands-on activity, exploring nature, and helping the grown-ups spring instantly to mind, not to mention getting grubby! I’m always on the lookout for products, activities and crafts that encourage a love of gardening in children, and my latest discovery ...
Review & Giveaway: Gardeco Aragon Cast Iron Fire Basket
It may still be very much winter out there, but if you're anything like me you'll be itching to get out in the garden and start enjoying it again! We've had some beautiful crisp, sunny days lately (before the snow hit!), and I've been making the most of them by wrapping up warm and doing a bit of garden pottering. I've been reviewing a lovely cast iron fire basket from www.chimineashop.co.uk, which has been the perfect piece of kit for helping ...
Review: BenQ e-Reading LED Lamp
How much time do you spend working on screens each day? We all worry about the amount of screen time our kids are getting, but chances are as adults we spend much more time than them staring at computers, tablets and smartphones. I spend a lot of time working on screens, and by the end of the day I’m often feeling the strain in my eyes, especially when the natural light in my office is poor, or I’ve been working in artificial light. Over the ...
Review: Vine House Farm super suet fat ball bird feed
Our garden has been a hive of activity in the last couple of weeks. We’ve been reviewing some high energy bird feed from Vine House Farm, and it’s safe to say it’s been a big hit! We always make an extra effort to feed our local wild birds in winter, because this season is really tough for them. The cold weather causes wild birds to use more energy keeping warm, and also natural food sources are thin on the ground. Providing a source of ...
Review: Planters Online Visio fibreglass plant trough
Are you growing plants for winter colour and interest at the moment? The garden can feel rather bare and brown at this time of year, but if making the whole space look lively is too daunting, it's a great idea to focus your efforts on the bits you can see from your window. Containers are brilliant for this, as you can position them exactly where you can see them best, and make the most of their display even when you're indoors. Planters ...
Review & Giveaway: GardenSite LED Christmas Reindeer
When do the Christmas decorations go up in your home? You've probably got a few weeks to go yet, but this review and giveaway will certainly get you in the mood for decking the halls! We've been checking out the range of LED Christmas reindeer decorations from online gardening supplier GardenSite. They sent us a Twinkling Standing Reindeer to review, and I've also got a gorgeous Premier Crystal Reindeer worth £84.99 to give away to a lucky ...
Review & Giveaway: Hi-Tec Wild-Life Lux women’s walking boots
Are you getting outdoors and enjoying nature this season? We've been having fun with a tree, leaf and seed hunt and putting our local park to good use; I've also been making the most of those crisp morning school runs to stomp through the leaves on the way home, such a good way to start the day! It's around this time of year that my walking boots become my go-to footwear for most of our family outings. Rain, slippy leaves, mud and general ...
Review & Giveaway: Isbjörn of Sweden children’s outdoor clothing
Are you getting outdoors and making the most of autumn? The right clothing can make all the difference to a family outdoor adventure, and I’ve got a great giveaway that will help you get it right. There’s a bundle of premium outdoor children’s clothing from Isbjörn of Sweden worth £180 up for grabs, read on for details on how to enter! We love getting outside and exploring nature at this time of year, but the colder temperatures do mean we have ...