If you’re interested in gardening and nature you’re probably aware that bees are in trouble, with numbers and species in quite dramatic decline. What you might not be aware of is just how important bees are to us and the planet in general. Bees don’t just make honey and give us a lovely sound in the garden on summer afternoons. Bees are vital for the pollination of plants - including food crops - and this insect family which is ...
Growing sunflowers with children
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
11. The 10 minute gardener: winter wildlife gardening
Welcome to a special wildlife gardening edition in the 10 minute gardener series. This time I’m looking at quick gardening jobs you can fit into a busy schedule that will help your local wildlife during winter. Winter is a tough season for garden wildlife; the cold weather demands high-energy food, but natural food sources are hard to find. Because we don’t spend as much time outdoors in winter, it’s easy to forget that our local wildlife is ...
Giving Nature a Home in our Garden: RSPB Big Wild Sleepout & Food for Moths
If you’ve been reading the blog lately, you’ll know that we’re teaming up with the RSPB this year to support their ‘Give nature a home in your garden’ campaign. The campaign aims to address the decline of the UK’s wildlife species by encouraging us all to take small, achievable steps to help nature in our own gardens and green spaces. So far we’ve made our garden more wildlife-friendly by sowing wildflower seeds to attract pollinating insects, ...
Giving nature a home in our garden: growing flowers for butterflies
Welcome to my latest post supporting the RSPB ‘Give nature a home in your garden’ campaign. 60% of the UK’s wildlife species have seen a decline over the last fifty years, and the RSPB campaign aims to encourage us all to take small, achievable steps to help nature in our own green spaces. We’ve already started to make our garden more wildlife-friendly by sowing wildflower seeds to attract pollinating insects and provide shelter for small ...
How to create an eco-friendly garden
When it comes to your garden, do you try to be as eco-friendly as possible? Minimising our impact on the planet is by no means a new trend, and we're all very familiar with ways to be more environmentally-friendly around the home; recycling packaging, choosing low-energy light bulbs, and insulating our houses well are all pretty much the norm these days. But what about extending this way of living to our gardens? I bet when it comes to the ...
Giving nature a home in your garden with RSPB
We’re probably all seen lots of news stories in recent years about the decline in our native wildlife. Falling bee populations, tidier gardens, and disappearing meadow land have all hit the headlines, and with 60% of the UK’s wildlife species seeing decline over the last fifty years, it’s pretty obvious that nature needs our help. While this decline is going on, at the same time we’re losing touch with nature. RSPB research has revealed that ...
Wild About Gardens Week: supporting our native wildlife
If you enjoy spending time outdoors and in your garden, you’re most likely aware of the fact that our native wildlife is in decline. You’ve probably seen news stories about rapid declines in bee populations, vanishing meadow land and over-tidy gardens discouraging wildlife visitors. A recent research study by 25 wildlife organisations found that in the past 50 years, two thirds of our plant and animal species have seen declines - quite a bleak ...