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 ...
How to grow potatoes in a bag
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, you can ...
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 ...
#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 ...
Kitting your kids out for spring adventures
Now that spring is finally here, a lot of you are probably getting busy kitting your family out for the warmer weather. We're in the process of going through the kids' wardrobes, checking what still fits and making a shopping list for spring and summer. All this organising means it's a good time to take a look at the type of clothing retailers like Fashion World have available for children. Here are some suggestions for what to go for when ...
What to plant now – Container Vegetables
So we’re into April - which means the growing season is well and truly underway and you can really get cracking with sowing seeds. You may not have an allotment or a large vegetable plot in the garden, but there are lots of vegetables that can be grown really successfully in containers. Here are my top container vegetables to plant this month. Carrots Carrots have a bit of a reputation for being tricky to grow, because they don’t like ...
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 ...
What to plant now – 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 this month. Peas I’ve always planted my peas direct into their growing site later in the spring, but this year I’m going to get them started earlier. This month you can sow peas (and broad beans if you ...
Perfect autumn garden projects
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 ...
5. The 10 minute gardener: quick Spring gardening jobs
This week, for the first time in months, I’ve been warm while gardening - which must mean that spring is definitely on the way! With the sun streaming in through the window as I write this, it’s hard to resist the call of some spring gardening; that lovely leisurely pottering that only the warmer weather of spring and summer allows. So far it’s been all about wrapping up warm, concentrating on the task in hand, then heading back indoors for a ...