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 ...
Plant care tips for containers
Collaborative post 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 ...
Vertical gardening with Gardena NatureUp! | AD
This is a commissioned post in collaboration with GardenaIntroducing my new vertical herb garden!I do love a new gardening project, and this week I’ve been enjoying myself creating a herb garden for our new patio. If you’ve been reading the blog lately, you’ll know we’re in the middle of a complete garden re-design, so this little project has been a lovely way to take a break from the heavy work and give us some instant ...
Exploring the Stihl Hillier Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show | AD
This is a commissioned post in collaboration with StihlThis is one of those weeks where I feel ridiculously lucky to do my job. Flower Show season is in full swing, and earlier this week I spent a fabulous day at RHS Chelsea Flower Show as the guest of premium garden tool brand Stihl. I was given an exclusive tour of the Stihl Hillier Garden, and was able to explore it in all it’s glory. Such a great opportunity!Stihl produce a ...
Grow Your Own for kids: how to grow salad
Over the last few years my kids have got involved with lots of different aspects of gardening; they've sown seeds, harvested crops, dug, planted, watered, weeded and simply played in the mud. They love all of it, but if you asked them what their favourite gardening job was, they'd say growing plants from seeds every time.I can understand why. There's just something so magical about planting a seed, watering it, and watching ...
How to get your garden ready for summer
Summer is on the way, and with it the chance to spend more time enjoying our outdoor space. Is your garden ready? During the colder months we naturally spend less time taking care of our gardens, but when the weather warms up again in summer we immediately want to get out there and enjoy them. The trouble is, there’s often work required to get things looking good before we can sit back and enjoy the view! If your garden is looking a ...
How to grow potatoes in a bag
It's potato planting time!I think it's impossible to beat the taste of homegrown new potatoes, and they're not difficult to grow at all. In fact they're a brilliant veg to grow with kids; they're nice and chunky to handle when planting, the kids get to pile soil on them as they grow, and harvest time is basically a treasure hunt as all those lovely spuds are unearthed!If you've got lots of room in the garden or at an allotment, you ...
What to plant now – Container Vegetables
So we’re into April - which means the growing season is well and truly underway and you can really get cracking with sowing seeds. You may not have an allotment or a large vegetable plot in the garden, but there are lots of vegetables that can be grown really successfully in containers. Here are my top container vegetables to plant this month.Carrots Carrots have a bit of a reputation for being tricky to grow, because they don’t like ...
How to make twig-wrapped flower pots
If, like us, you have an ever-growing stick collection, this is the perfect nature craft for you!Sticks and twigs are just brilliant for crafting, and this little project turns them into a lovely homemade gift. All you need is a plant pot, some string, and a little plant to pop in when you're finished.The idea is to create a length of tied-together twigs that you then fasten around the pot. Start off by measuring each stick ...
My top plants for your late Winter garden
We’re heading towards the last ‘official’ weeks of winter, phew! With spring not far off in the garden, it’s only natural to be a bit impatient for that rush of colour that the warmer weather brings. Our garden has been looking decidedly drab all Winter; for the last couple of years I’ve promised myself in December that I will make some changes to our planting, to stop this lack of interest continuing into another year. ...