JULY 2023

The price of pretty much everything has gone up recently and gardening and horticulture are no different, but there are still money-saving and cost-effective ways of buying.

JULY 2023

Have you ever considered the best way to water garden plants? Are you watering the soil, or the foliage?

APRIL 2023

Bees and butterflies have been on the decline in recent years and last year’s drought coupled with the heatwave have meant numbers dwindled further. Insects generally play a key species in our ecosystems so we should encourage them into our gardens, not just bees and butterflies. There are plenty of other pollinators too.

FEBRUARY 2023

Often overlooked, spring bulbs are relatively cheap and easy to grow, adding some impactful colour to our gardens.

FEBRUARY 2023

Garden trends in the last year have seen further interest in Xeriscaping, no doubt affirmed by last year’s drought. This may or may not be a term you are familiar with, but as we see more evidence in our weather patterns of climate change, it is sure to be a phrase you will come across again.

JANUARY 2023

Last year was unique, weather wise. I don’t think any of us could have foreseen the dry spring leading into a dry summer with UK temperatures hitting new records. Our gardens gasped a sigh of relief when rain finally came and then didn’t stop.

DECEMBER 2022

If you have ever wondered why you struggle to grow a particular group of plants, it might be down to the soil microbiology. The soil food web is teeming with both bacteria and fungi, both of which are preyed upon by protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, and other larger organisms such as animals and birds. All gardens differ in the quantity of microbes in the soil, and some of this is down to the type of plants we grow.

AUGUST 2022

Requests in the village for gardening help are becoming more common, but how can you be sure of finding the right person for your requirements. I’ve listed a few things to consider before you begin.

JUNE 2022

To mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee the tree planting initiative, The Queen’s Green Canopy, is encouraging as many of us as possible to plant a tree. Summer is not the obvious time to plant new trees, but it’s an ideal time to visit public gardens to choose varieties.