Are you sowing seeds right now? It's a great low-cost way to grow your own vegetables, herbs and salad crops - not to mention lots of garden flowers and plants. And you don't have to be a gardening pro to do it. Having the right tools for planting seeds can really make life easier, and also increase your chances of success. Don't be put off if you're unable to get hold of some things though; there's always a way to improvise with what ...
How to grow potatoes in bags: easy step-by-step guide
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, ...
How to sow seeds with kids: tips to make it easy and fun
Are you growing seeds with the kids this year? It's always a big hit with my two, in fact it's probably their all-time favourite gardening job. I can see why. There's the Jack & the Beanstalk effect of planting a seed and seeing it magically turn into a plant, the outdoorsy-ness of the whole thing, the grown-up feeling such responsibility gives them, and of course the all-important getting grubby element. How to sow seeds with ...
Gardening Calendar: What to Plant in April
April is when things really start to get going in the garden. The soil is warming up, the risk of frost is much lower, and there's lots of planting to be done! If you’re keen to sow, grow and plant things this month, here are some ideas for what to plant in April. Flowers to plant in April Bedding plant & hardy annual seeds April is a good time to sow seeds for hardy annuals and summer bedding plants. Growing these plants ...
Gardening Calendar: What to Plant in March
The arrival of March really is the start of the growing season in my mind - even if the weather isn't in agreement and it’s still freezing outside! If you’re raring to go in the garden or allotment, here are some ideas for what to plant in March. Flowers to plant in March Bedding plant & hardy annual seeds If you have a greenhouse (even a miniature one), you can get started on sowing seeds for summer bedding plants and hardy ...
My top winter plants to perk up your 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 that I will make some changes to our planting, to stop this lack of interest continuing into another year. Guess what? It ...
Gardening Calendar: What to Plant in February
We’re almost there…. February is underway and spring is just around the corner. I still want it to hurry up though! It really won’t be long before I’m up to my neck in packets of seed and fussing over my labelled pots like a mother hen. But the fact remains that it’s still winter, and most plants just won’t tolerate being started off until the weather warms up a bit and the light improves. That said, there are some that will ...
Gardening with children in winter: quick and easy growing seeds to plant
We’ve started the seed planting for this year, hurrah! Sowing seeds is my kids favourite gardening job; it never fails to grab their attention and we always have a really great time doing it. Usually a messy time too, but that goes with the territory! Now, you may be thinking “But it’s still freezing outside, no way could we start growing tender little seedlings” - and yes, if you planted most seeds outdoors at this time of year you’d ...
Easy crafts for kids: fun winter nature crafts
This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links will be clearly marked with a * and if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission from that sale. Are you managing to get the kids playing outdoors this winter? These fun winter nature crafts will help you tempt them off the sofa! We don’t really see winter as ideal for spending time outdoors with our children, do we? The days are shorter, the ...
Tackling my autumn garden maintenance with Gardena products | AD
This is a commissioned post in collaboration with Gardena I do love the slower pace of autumn in the garden. There’s less weeding and watering to do, which gives me a chance to potter about, tidy up and make plans for new projects. We’ve had a lot of rain so far this season, but also some gloriously sunny days - it’s hard to beat autumn sunshine isn’t it? I’ve been working with leading watering and garden tool brand Gardena ...