At this time of year temperatures can drop suddenly in the garden, leaving tender plants decidedly worse for wear. It’s so tempting to leave them outside when the weather is still mild, but I’ve lost plants this way before and learned my lesson. Spend a few minutes this week protecting your tender plants and you’ll be in a great position to enjoy them again later this year. So what do you need to protect? Well that depends ...
How To Create A Low Maintenance Garden You’ll Love
If you're struggling to find enough time to take care of the garden, this guest post has some great low maintenance options. No matter what the time of year, there is something so satisfying about looking out onto a well-kept garden. Our outdoor spaces connect us with nature. In a world that is increasingly preoccupied with technology and screens, spending time enjoying nature is a vital way of decompressing and destressing. If ...
How to plant bulbs
I love growing flowers from bulbs. You can create a really colourful display at times of the year when the rest of the garden is still playing catch up, and there’s such a wide variety to choose from. Bulbs are also relatively cheap compared to buying plants, so they’re a great way to create real wow factor in your garden without spending a fortune. If you’d like to add some bulbs to your garden, here’s how to do it. Choose your ...
How to make a bulb lasagne
If you’ve never heard of a bulb lasagne you’re probably raising your eyebrows right now. It is a real gardening ‘thing’ though! Planting a bulb lasagne in a container is a clever way of layering up spring-flowering bulbs to create a display of flowers that lasts for months. It’s really easy to do and will give you a lovely display throughout the winter months for very little effort. What’s not to like? This time of year is perfect for ...
Clever container gardening with Lechuza planters
Does your garden have lots of container plants? Container gardening is often the way we get into gardening, trying things out on a small scale before gaining the confidence to branch out into bigger projects. But it's also ideal for renters who like the idea of a portable garden, home owners with limited outdoor space, and parents who are keen to encourage the kids to develop their green fingers and explore nature. Whatever your motivation, ...
8. The 10 minute gardener: quick gardening jobs for late Summer
Welcome to the 10 minute gardener for late summer, looking at quick gardening jobs you can fit into a busy schedule. We’re at that stage of summer where all the hard work in the garden should be really paying off, in the form of healthy plants and lots of flowers to enjoy. I think this part of the year is actually quite lazy, with an emphasis on sitting back and enjoying the view, but there are still a few jobs that are worth ticking off the ...
Holiday houseplant care: how to keep them alive!
With the end of the school term fast approaching, I bet lots of us are counting down the days to a long-awaited summer holiday. And with that comes the inevitable pre-holiday organising. Last-minute shopping, packing lists and pet care arrangements probably spring straight to mind, but if you’ve got any houseplants, you also need a plan for keeping them alive while you’re away. Most houseplants will be able to tolerate neglect for a few days, ...
Summer garden makeover ideas with T J Hughes
Aren’t we having the most glorious summer at the moment? I’m writing this post with the windows open and the sun streaming in, and I’m thinking I really must sort out some shade for my laptop screen so that I can write out in the garden. I’m desperate to make the most of the season when it’s so glorious out there - particularly after the extra-long cold start we had to the year! Spending more time outdoors in the garden always gives me a ...
Plant care tips for containers
The world of plant care can be more than a little bewildering, can’t it? Unless you’re a gardening expert, it can be tricky working out just what you need to do (or not do!) to make sure your indoor and outdoor plants thrive. I love gardening, but that certainly doesn’t mean I’ve got the plant care right every time; in fact I’ve had many disasters over the years. I’ve also had lots of times where my plants thrived but I didn’t really know why, ...
Five ways to get your garden summer-ready
Is your garden ready for summer? Today's guest post covers five easy ways to spruce up your outdoor space so you can sit back and enjoy the view! Summer is on the horizon. Long sun-filled days spent relaxing on a sun lounger with a glass of Pimm’s in hand and impromptu barbecues are on their way. For many of us, our gardens have been left in dire straits through encountering severe weather over the past winter months, from cold weather and ...