Does your garden have holes in it at the moment? Not actual holes in the ground you understand, but holes nonetheless. Are the borders are looking bare, with whacking great patches of soil with nothing in them? Mine certainly are, and it’s not very uplifting to look at!Gaps in your borders are perfectly normal for this time of year, because lots of plants are in their dormant phase until the weather warms up and they start to put on new ...
What to plant now – 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. There are some that will happily get going in ...
4. The 10 minute gardener: spring planning
Wow, it’s February already. While January was a low-input month in the garden, we spent a lot of time planning, sketching and dreaming; the kids chose what to grow in their plots and I sorted out my seed order. It’s definitely time to get on with some spring planning, as well as some quick garden jobs that will pay dividends when the new season arrives. Here are some ideas for quick and productive garden jobs to tackle now.Save your egg ...
My top plants for your late Winter 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 in December that I will make some changes to our planting, to stop this lack of interest continuing into another year. Guess ...
Review: Vine House Farm super suet fat ball bird feed
Our garden has been a hive of activity in the last couple of weeks. We’ve been reviewing some high energy bird feed from Vine House Farm, and it’s safe to say it’s been a big hit! We always make an extra effort to feed our local wild birds in winter, because this season is really tough for them. The cold weather causes wild birds to use more energy keeping warm, and also natural food sources are thin on the ground. Providing a source of ...
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 ...
Gardening with children: seeds to sow in winter
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 be ...
Fun winter nature crafts for children
We don’t really see winter as ideal for spending time outdoors with our children, do we? The days are shorter, the weather is often less than inviting, and it’s hard to motivate ourselves to leave the comfort of a cosy house. But in my experience, children just don’t think this way. As far as my kids are concerned, when it comes to getting outdoors the season is pretty much irrelevant; as long as they’re dressed to suit the weather they will ...
How to add interest to your winter garden
A quick glance out of my kitchen window confirms that winter is definitely in residence in the garden. The light is low, the tree branches are the only real structure in sight, most border plants are dormant and the lawn is blanketed in yet another carpet of fallen leaves (note to self: make more leaf mould). Down at the allotment, everything is looking very bare, and the last time so much soil was unused was back in ...
What to plant now – January
If you’re anything like me, by January you’ll have had enough of being content with looking forward to sunnier days and will be longing to get outside and plant something. I dearly love the whole process of coaxing plants into life and it feels like an age since I last pushed a seed into some earth and willed it to grow. I think I have the gardening equivalent of itchy feet!To satisfy my cravings I’ve been looking at what will actually ...