Last month I wrote about planting field grown trees and shrubs in the November-March bare root season while they are dormant. One of the reasons for planting these woody plants is to create an area of Naturalistic planting. This style does not limit you to native plants and is not a copy of the local […]
Christmas in the year of Blue Planet
I do not usually talk about Christmas in November but this year I want to encourage a change in the way we may choose and buy Christmas presents. I am thinking here about presents for people who fortunately already have the things that they actually need day to day and where the joy is in […]
Buying & planting field-grown trees in winter
Winter is a great time plant new trees and hedges as long as the ground is not frozen. An advantage of winter planting is that you can buy young field-grown trees and hedging plants more cheaply than pot-grown specimens. As the name suggests field-grown trees are grown in open fields and lifted (dug up) just […]
Planting Tulips for spring flowers
October is the main month to plant dry bulbs to flower next spring and you will not go short of articles on this topic. So I will dwell in a bit more detail on one familiar bulb – the Tulip. Traditionally planted in rows or blocks of a single variety in bedding schemes in parks […]
What makes a Wellbeing Garden
Several of this year’s big flower shows have included gardens entitled something like The Wellbeing Gaarden. This is not really surprising with the increasing realisation that gardens and gardening can be very good for our mental as well as physical health. What does surprise me though is the apparent consensus from the shows, magazines and […]
When the summer veg is over
Many people grow summer vegetables in a small plot but may not make full use of the space through the autumn and winter. By the end of September even the last sowings of quick maturing salad crops such as radishes and salad leaves will be coming to an end. You can move onto winter hardy […]
Get a bigger garden
Would you like a bigger garden without moving house or moving the boundaries into the garden next door? Well it is possible make your garden appear bigger by some careful use of space and perspective. Sitting outside in summer offers a good chance to look at the overall layout of your garden and question whether […]
Plant survival techniques
It seems that as we move into September and the start of autumn the weather is following a much more typical pattern so that plants as well as people know exactly where they are in the year! With the late spring frost and snow – remember that? – and two months of soaring temperatures here […]
Gardening for the Mind Workshops
The Gardening for the Mind workshops are new in 2018 introducing people to the principles of Mindfulness, how gardening can support and improve our mental wellbeing and, of course, how the two activities blend together. Our Gardening for the Mind Workshops are unique; combining the wellbeing benefits of physical activity together with meditation and mindful […]
The Seaside in your Garden
August is well and truly the holiday month and whether you have been away or are still looking forward to going, what could be nicer than having a sense of the seaside without leaving home? Creating a coastal feel to a corner of your garden is not difficult as long as you understand that you […]