Collaborative post The school holidays are almost upon us - are you ready?! I really look forward to having some much-needed downtime as a family at this time of year; everyone is usually pretty frazzled by the time we get to the end of term! But that doesn’t mean we’re going to sit around getting bored this summer; we’ve got a camping trip planned, and we’ll definitely be heading off on a few family days out. You probably know ...
What to plant now – January
If you’re anything like me, by January you’ll have had enough of being content with looking forward to sunnier days and will be longing to get outside and plant something. I dearly love the whole process of coaxing plants into life and it feels like an age since I last pushed a seed into some earth and willed it to grow. I think I have the gardening equivalent of itchy feet! To satisfy my cravings I’ve been looking at what will actually ...
9. The 10 minute gardener: quick gardening jobs for early Autumn
Welcome to the latest post in this series, looking at quick gardening jobs you can fit into a busy schedule. Now that autumn has arrived things feel like they’re slowing down in the garden; plants are starting to shut down, lots of crops are coming to an end, and leaves are starting to fall. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do this month though, there are lots of quick jobs you can make a start on to prepare your garden for ...
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 ...
Review: First Tunnels Mini Polytunnel
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 ...
Great gardening ideas with wilko
So, spring is finally underway and we’re all starting to enjoy more time in the garden. Are you planning any projects to spruce up your outdoor space? My list of garden jobs seems to be getting longer every day; I’ve got borders to tidy up, seeds to sow, a lawn to revive, a shed to paint, and a whole allotment to reclaim from the weeds. We're going to be busy! To help me tackle my to do list, I’ve been checking out the range of garden and ...
Tips for preserving your homegrown harvest
Whether you have an allotment, a small vegetable patch, or a couple of fruit trees in your conservatory, it's great to be able to preserve what you grow. Preserving what you grow means that you can enjoy nutritious food year-round, and keep your food bill under control. The problem is that it can be hard to find enough time to get everything done while the fruit and vegetables are still fresh enough to work with. All too often, everything ...
Tips for controlling plant pests
Have you experienced problems with pests on your garden plants this summer? Whether you garden on a large or small scale, there’s a very good chance that your plants have been affected by pests at some point. I experience this every year at the allotment, with blackfly on my broad beans and caterpillars on my cabbages, and at home in the garden there’s always an invasion of greenfly on the roses and honeysuckle at the start of the summer. You ...
5. A Grow-Your-Own Photographic Diary with Baby Bio Outdoor
Welcome to the final instalment for this year in my photographic diary series. Since late Spring, I've been keeping a grow-your-own photographic diary of my allotment, and it's been such a brilliant project. It's allowed me to follow my plants' progress really easily, and given me a reference point for next year's planning. It's also been hugely rewarding seeing the growing journey from tiny seedling right through to harvest. To help my ...
4. A Grow-Your-Own Photographic Diary with Baby Bio Outdoor
Harvest time is in full swing :) This is the fourth update in my photographic diary series. For the whole growing season this year I'm keeping a grow-your-own photographic diary of my allotment. It's a way of following my plants' progress, and creating a reference for when I'm planning next year's crops. To help my plants thrive and produce bigger crops, I'm using Baby Bio® Outdoor Fruit & Vegetables. Baby Bio® Outdoor Fruit ...