Growing Family

UK home and garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for busy family life, written by Catherine Hughes

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How to choose the best outdoor furniture for your garden

June 20, 2022 by Catherine Leave a Comment

Collaborative post Would you like to update your outdoor furniture? Whether you use your garden as a place to relax, entertain, or spend time with the kids, chances are you’ll get lots of use from some outdoor furniture.  There’s a huge range of garden furniture to choose from, and this is often a long-term investment, so naturally you’ll want to get it right first time. Choosing the best outdoor furniture for your garden If ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Garden, Garden design, Garden furniture, Garden tips, outdoor entertaining, outdoor furniture, Patio, Top Tips

Summer gardening: ten easy ways to keep your garden looking good all summer long

July 23, 2021 by Catherine Leave a Comment

pink echinacea flower

Collaborative post Summer has well and truly arrived, bringing with it warmer weather and the opportunity to enjoy our gardens more often.  Add in the fact that we’re all in the habit of using our gardens to socialise these days, and it’s definitely a good idea to keep your garden looking good at this time of year. Easy ways to keep your garden looking good all summer long If your garden could do with a boost, there are lots of easy ...

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Filed Under: Garden Tips Tagged With: Bedding plants, Garden, Garden furniture, Garden maintenance, Garden tips, gardening, lawn care, Patio, Plant food, Summer, watering, Weeds

Ten easy ways to get your garden ready for summer & outdoor entertaining

March 9, 2021 by Catherine 7 Comments

orange flower border

We all spend more time in our gardens in summer, but this year lots of us are planning on using them more than ever for outdoor entertaining. Is your garden ready for summer guests? During the colder months of the year, we naturally spend less time taking care of our gardens. 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 ...

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Filed Under: Garden Tips Tagged With: Containers, Deck, Entertaining, Garden, Garden furniture, gardening, Grass, Home, Lawn, Lighting, Maintenance, Outdoors, Patio, Plants, Shed, Summer, Tools, Top Tips, toys

Backyard renovations: how much do they cost?

October 23, 2020 by Catherine Leave a Comment

garden border with sculpture in background

Collaborative post Is a garden redesign on your list of home projects at the moment? Backyard renovations are a popular choice when it comes to home improvement, particularly this year when lots of us have been spending more time than ever in our gardens. As with any home renovation, the planning stage is a vital part of a garden project. You'll no doubt be thinking about how you'd like your outdoor space to look, but working out your ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Decking, Fencing, Garden, Garden design, Garden Lighting, Garden maintenance, Garden tips, gardening, Lawn, Patio, water feature

Tips for creating an outdoor living area

August 15, 2019 by Catherine Leave a Comment

vonhaus roma parasol

Collaborative post Do you think of your garden as an outdoor room? Using our gardens as an extension of our homes is a trend that’s most definitely on the rise.  The Office of National Statistics reports that the average number of people per household has remained constant this decade, but according to Which?, new houses built in the UK since 2010 are smaller than ever before.  So it’s no wonder that lots of us are looking to our ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Entertaining, Garden, Garden design, Garden Lighting, Lighting, outdoor furniture, outdoor living, Outdoors, Patio

Perfect spring garden projects

May 11, 2018 by Catherine Leave a Comment

clematis montana

So the weather has finally warmed up, and it feels like we’re well and truly into spring: trees are laden with blossom, plants are putting on lots of new growth, and the lawnmower is back into regular action.  Doesn’t it make you feel altogether more cheerful? Warmer temperatures also make it a lot easier to motivate yourself to tackle some outdoor projects.  After months of cold weather, chances are your garden and outdoor space is in need of ...

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Filed Under: Garden Tips Tagged With: Conservatory, Deck, Driveway, Garden, Garden storage, Garden tools, gardening, Home, Lawn, Maintenance, Outdoors, Patio, Spring, Tools, Top Tips, Weeds

Perfect autumn garden projects

September 24, 2017 by Catherine 17 Comments

autumn trees

My garden is definitely looking very much like an autumn garden now; the leaves are starting to fall, the apple tree is weighed down with fruit, and most of the plants are dying back after a summer of flowering.  Things are gradually slowing down, and that change of pace brings with it opportunity. With relatively mild weather and less garden maintenance required, autumn is a brilliant time of year to tackle new projects in the garden.  Here are ...

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Filed Under: Garden Tips Tagged With: Autumn, bulbs, Garden, Garden design, gardening, Grass, Hard Landscaping, Patio, Seeds, Spring, Top Tips

Hard landscaping: getting it right in your garden design

January 22, 2016 by Catherine Leave a Comment

garden wall with planter

Collaborative post When it comes to designing your garden, the main element that often springs to mind is the plants themselves.  It’s very tempting when planning a new garden layout to get carried away designing borders, choosing plants, shrubs and trees, and looking ahead to when everything is blooming nicely. This is all time well spent, but if you’re going to create a successful garden it’s crucial to also give careful thought to ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: design, Garden, Hard Landscaping, Patio, Planning, Raised bed, Top Tips, water feature

Hi, I’m Catherine. Welcome to Growing Family, a top UK home & garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
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Catherine Hughes is a home & garden blogger sharing ideas, inspiration & tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
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