Have you planted any seeds yet this year? Now's the ideal time to get growing, and if you're looking for easy seeds to grow with children it's hard to beat sunflowers.As well as producing seriously impressive blooms, sunflower seeds are easy for little hands to deal with, and pretty low maintenance to grow. They're also brilliant for local wildlife; the flowers are great for bees and other pollinating insects, and birds love to eat the ...
#SpringBlooms fun with Dobbies Garden Centres
Well the weather has finally decided to behave like spring, hurrah!Now that things have started to warm up, you can really get cracking on some fun family gardening projects. Dobbies Garden Centres are encouraging us all to do just that with their #SpringBlooms campaign, and they asked us to get involved and hopefully inspire you to do the same.We popped into our local Dobbies store and picked up some plants, tools and accessories from ...
Taking the RSPB Wild Challenge: spotting signs of spring and sowing sunflowers
Last year we had a great time partnering with RSPB on family-friendly activities that would help to give nature a home in our garden. You might remember that we planted wildflower seeds, grew flowers for butterflies, made a frog and toad abode, grew plants for moths, and made a bird bath. It was a busy year! We’re thrilled to be working with RSPB again this year on some fun new projects. Over the next few months we’ll be bringing you more ...
My top weed control tips
Weeds: the garden problem we all love to hate, right? Whatever type, size or style of garden you have, weeds will undoubtedly be a part of it. And dealing with those weeds will have probably had you grumbling at some point. I do think there’s a certain amount of satisfaction in transforming a weedy patch into a lovely clear chunk of soil or grass, but if you told me I never had to do any weeding again I’d still be delighted! Unfortunately, ...
Helping Britain’s bees with the Hozelock #PlantAPot campaign
You’re probably already aware that bees are in trouble, with numbers and species in quite dramatic decline. Bees play a crucial role in the pollination of plants - and not just our pretty garden plants, but also food crops. About a third of the food that we eat relies on bees for pollination, so the fact that they’re struggling is a really serious issue. The good news is that we can all help bees thrive in our gardens and outdoor spaces, by ...
Giving nature a home in our garden: sowing wildflowers
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll be aware that we’re joining forces with the RSPB 'Give nature a home in your garden' campaign. With 60% of the UK’s wildlife species seeing decline over the last fifty years, the campaign aims to encourage us all to take small, achievable steps to help nature in our own green spaces.We’re going to be sharing our experiences as we try out lots of fun family activities to make a home for nature ...
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 ...
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 ...
Free plants – how to divide perennials
Does your garden have holes in it at the moment? Not actual holes in the ground you understand, but holes nonetheless. Are the borders are looking bare, with whacking great patches of soil with nothing in them? Mine certainly are, and it’s not very uplifting to look at!Gaps in your borders are perfectly normal for this time of year, because lots of plants are in their dormant phase until the weather warms up and they start to put on new ...
Baby Bio Mother’s Day gifts for green-fingered mums
Do you have a green-fingered mum to buy for this Mother's Day? As you can probably imagine, my presents are often along the plants and gardening theme!Houseplants are very much a popular gift choice for Mother's Day; they're a lovely way to say 'thank you mum', and if cared for will provide years of pleasure. If you're thinking of heading down the houseplant route, these gift packs from houseplant experts Baby Bio® are the perfect ...