“What, now!? It’s only just summer,” I hear you cry. But yes, indeed, this is the ideal time to consider how you would like your garden to look next spring. All of the spring bulbs I planted in autumn have now bloomed, and I can see where they worked well, where I had gaps, and what I’d like to change… Read more →
Category: What To Do Now
How To Green-Up Your Driveway
Many front gardens are essentially a driveway, maybe with the odd tree or shrub in a pot, but with little in the way of wildlife-friendly greenery. I totally understand why you might prefer to park your car off the road. What I don’t like is the way these driveways become desolate, lifeless spaces. With bee and wild bird numbers declining,… Read more →
How To Build A Wildlife Pond :: Part 2
I’ve been building a wildlife pond. In Part 1, I ran through the first steps, which mostly involved digging a huge hole and moving loads of soil around. The next steps proved to be both fun and frustrating! So, you’ve got a big hole, you’ve put in your pond underlay and liner, and you’ve filled it with water. What next? Well, now comes the… Read more →
How To Build A Wildlife Pond :: Part 1
We’ve had an exciting and exhausting few weekends in the garden building a new wildlife pond. But before I go on, I should preface this post with a disclaimer… A few weeks ago, I was approached by a company, asking if I’d like to review any of their products. This was a first for me, and I wondered if it was right… Read more →
Things To Do In A Weekend :: Upcycle An Old Ladder
I was lucky to acquire two, old, wooden ladders from a friend, last week, which I greedily snapped up without any particular plans in mind, but with the certainty that I could find a use for a ladder somewhere in my garden. A quick browse on Pinterest gave me lots of ideas, most of which wouldn’t work for me. The ladders have… Read more →
Things To Do In A Weekend :: Build A Stumpery
Around this time last year, I planted up one of my first professional garden designs. It was a stumpery, built on an existing mound of earth in the north-facing corner of a garden in Norwich. The stumpery frames a pond, with a steep cascade and bog garden. Steps, made from old logs and stepping stones, take you up and over it, so you… Read more →
How To Make A Christmas Wreath
I’m feeling very excited about Christmas. My husband, who is a children’s writer, was finally able to give up his retail ‘day job’ a few months ago, so we’ll actually be able to spend the whole holiday period together this year (and we’ll be boycotting the Boxing Day sales!) I put decorations up all over the house at the beginning of the month, and… Read more →
How To Grow Hyacinths For Christmas
Summer is ending, which is sad, so I’m planting hyacinths that will flower inside in winter, perhaps in time for Christmas. It’ll give me something to look forward to as the nights draw in and the temperatures drop. These gorgeously scented, pretty bulbs would normally flower in early spring, if grown outdoors, but can be forced to flower earlier indoors, if you grow them… Read more →
July: What To Do Now
The overwhelming theme of my garden this month seems to be scent. There are masses of sweet smelling blooms on the roses, honeysuckle and philadelphus. It’s a pleasure to walk along the borders and now much narrower paths, especially on a warm day when the the flowers’ scents seem strongest. There is a climbing rose growing by my front door which fills the front… Read more →
June: What To Do Now
June is the perfect month for relaxing in your garden. The evenings are at their longest and lightest, and should be spent with a cold beer in hand and feet up, watching the bees and birds go about their business. All of my hard work in spring has paid off, and there is an abundance of lush growth and flowers… Read more →