If you have a smaller garden than most then you will be pleased to hear that many gardeners in similar situations to you have been growing their gardens vertically. A bit like the Chinese and Japanese with their residential arrangements, they actually build their apartment storeys into the sky and storeys into the ground, not much of a view though down there.

A trellis or wooden fence can be purchased from your local DIY store and attached to your wall or existing fence and you might try growing a honeysuckle or there are other climbing plants. This will act as a great place for birds to nest and insects to live. Or perhaps consider replacing an existing fence with a hedge of mixed growths. If you prefer the single species hedges holly is an option or any other berry-giving shrub.

Whatever you choose there’s a whole space of fun waiting above your typical, regular garden ready for your enjoyment, just buy some small steps to make it easier on you if you are the shorter gardener.

I always used to think that a smaller pond would take less maintenance and attention, however, that is not the case.  In fact, the smaller the pond the more attention it needs!

If you were a wise bunny, you would have put some net over the pond for the winter to protect fish if you have any and to keep dead leaves off.  If you did, now is the time to take it off.  If you didn’t, oh dear, the hard work starts now Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know about you but my hedge is the last part of my garden that I consider.  I tend to leave it until it looks really bad so why not start the spring afresh and give it a treat!

Go along the bottom of the hedge and remove any ivy, weeds, snails or rubbish (I tend to find half the local tip under my hedge).  Then - my favourite tip - sprinkle it with fertiliser and mulch Read the rest of this entry »

Bare patches are really bad news in a lawn.  They pick up seeds from weeds more easily and turn into mud baths with just the slightest bit of rain, taking ages to dry out - so you need to do something about them as soon as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Tulips really start to flower in April if the weather is mild as it has been, otherwise they will flower in May.  Here are a few of our favorite varieties of tulip: Read the rest of this entry »

April is the perfect month for taking leaf cuttings, here’s how to do it:

Cut off the leaf, complete with short stalk. Be sure to use a sharp knife. If you just want one or two new plants, simply push the stalk into a small pot of seed compost and leave the leaf exposed at the top

To get several plants however, cut the leaf in half or even into four pieces if its especially large. Slice it across the midrib in the middle - the bit sticking out. Put each section into a larger pot of compost so that the section is half buried and half exposed

Water the compost slightly - that makes a change from me telling you to water it well. Slip a loose, large plastic bag over the pot and keep it on a warm windowsill but out of direct sunlight or the leaves will just burn and die.

In a couple of months you should see small plantlets growing from the inserted edge of the leaf - they will grow from where the midrib was cut

Once they’re a few centimetres (1 - 2 inches) tall, they should have a large enough root system to survive on their own so take them out of the pot and pot each one individually. Occasionally, more than one plant will grow from one leaf so be careful when you divide them up

If you aren’t a big fan of pesticides and prefer to stay well clear of them then the best way to protect your crops is to cover the plants with some very fine insect-proof mesh, which you can buy from organic gardening supply firms.  This mesh willkeep out insect pests like greenfly, blackfly or carrotfly and additionally will keep cats and birds away too.

Rain will still pass through it so you don’t have to worry about watering but it still provides a bit of shelter from hail or wind.  The soil won’t dry out as quickly when it’s sunny too so there are multiple benefits to using mesh.

The only downside is slugs and snails.  It doesn’t stop crawling pests from crawling underneath it and you’ll have to lift the mesh in order to hoe or weed.

Note that insect-proof mesh is different from horticultural fleece because it won’t trap the heat inside it so it can be used all year long unlike horticultural fleece which has to be lifted in the summer to avoid cooking your crops.

Well, there can be no excuse now.  No matter what your lawn is like, it’s bound to need a cut now if you haven’t already.

So everybody, I hope you cut your lawn last weekend but if not, you need to do it this coming weekend.

Mow the lawn once a fortnight.  I’m lucky, I can do that all the way through the year but depending on the grass type of your lawn you may need to mow it once a week when the weather turns a little milder. Read the rest of this entry »

The daisy is a flower popular with children, who love to make daisy flower chains from them to wear as necklaces or bracelets, but did you know that there are over 70 different species of daisies?

The daisy is Read the rest of this entry »

Many people love to have a pond in their back garden.  However, they are often neglected and within months can acquire unwanted aquatic plants.

To get rid of these, you can use an aquatic herbicide.

There are two types of aquatic herbicides: Read the rest of this entry »