Does your garden have lots of container plants? Container gardening is often the way we get into gardening, trying things out on a small scale before gaining the confidence to branch out into bigger projects. But it's also ideal for renters who like the idea of a portable garden, home owners with limited outdoor space, and parents who are keen to encourage the kids to develop their green fingers and explore nature. Whatever your motivation, ...
8. The 10 minute gardener: quick gardening jobs for late Summer
Welcome to the 10 minute gardener for late summer, looking at quick gardening jobs you can fit into a busy schedule. We’re at that stage of summer where all the hard work in the garden should be really paying off, in the form of healthy plants and lots of flowers to enjoy. I think this part of the year is actually quite lazy, with an emphasis on sitting back and enjoying the view, but there are still a few jobs that are worth ticking off the ...
Holiday houseplant care: how to keep them alive!
With the end of the school term fast approaching, I bet lots of us are counting down the days to a long-awaited summer holiday. And with that comes the inevitable pre-holiday organising. Last-minute shopping, packing lists and pet care arrangements probably spring straight to mind, but if you’ve got any houseplants, you also need a plan for keeping them alive while you’re away. Most houseplants will be able to tolerate neglect for a few days, ...
Tips for effective summer garden watering
Having spent the last few months coaxing seeds and plants to grow, everything in the garden and allotment is now shooting off at a crazy speed. Suddenly it feels as if I’m in a race to provide the plants with what they need in order to thrive. Watering forms a big part of this job; with the summer months upon us and plants growing so fast, the demand for water is at it’s peak. Providing your plants with adequate water at this time of year ...
7. The 10 minute gardener: quick summer gardening jobs
Welcome to the latest post in this series, looking at quick gardening jobs you can fit into a busy schedule. This time I'm looking at ways to stay on top of your summer garden. Things have certainly warmed up in the last couple of weeks, and I’m really enjoying my garden now the summer plants are bursting into life. I think the ‘little and often’ approach is best for gardening at this time of year; keeping on top of the garden through little ...
Plant care tips for containers
The world of plant care can be more than a little bewildering, can’t it? Unless you’re a gardening expert, it can be tricky working out just what you need to do (or not do!) to make sure your indoor and outdoor plants thrive. I love gardening, but that certainly doesn’t mean I’ve got the plant care right every time; in fact I’ve had many disasters over the years. I’ve also had lots of times where my plants thrived but I didn’t really know why, ...
Review & Giveaway: Greenhouse Sensation plant watering kits
Welcome to a new giveaway, courtesy of Greenhouse Sensations. I'm giving away a brilliant Quadgrow Planter worth £42.90, which is perfect for taking the hassle out of plant watering. If you grow plants in a greenhouse of any size, you'll be familiar with the task of regular watering. I've had a greenhouse on my allotment for a couple of years now, and I've learned the hard way that it only takes a day or two to create drought conditions in ...