Is there anything more restorative than the first flowers of spring? Apart from spring flowers plus kittens wearing watermelon helmets, obviously? March is the time to enjoy the full array of spring bulbs – a rich reward for the aching back and sore knees from our efforts in Autumn. After such a wet winter, it… Continue reading When Should You Cut Back Your Spent Bulbs?
YoungWilders Hedgerow Project
No one likes a pedantic so-and-so who points out that planting country hedgerows, which are a feature exclusively of landscapes managed by mankind (mostly farmers) is by definition not a re-wilding project, it’s really a re-ruraling project. I, naturally, would never do that, any more than I would sulk over age precluding me from joining… Continue reading YoungWilders Hedgerow Project
Sowing Seeds Indoors in Late Winter / Early Spring
Sowing seeds indoors before Spring starts – done right – is a cheap way to have top quality plants ready to go as early as possible. New gardeners will learn so much about plants and soil from it, and experienced gardeners who like to experiment value the opportunity to test the limits of their favourite… Continue reading Sowing Seeds Indoors in Late Winter / Early Spring
Tidying Up Your Borders at the End of Winter
At some point between Autumn and the end of Winter, when the flowers and foliage have died down, it’s commonly held best practice to give your ornamental borders and beds a thorough cleaning. Of course, if you love the wild look and want to encourage wildlife (including slugs, or “homing frog lunches”, as I think… Continue reading Tidying Up Your Borders at the End of Winter
Chicken Satay Skewers on Salad with Fresh Herbs
It’s time to bid farewell to winter soups and stews. Spring is in the air, so try out our chicken satay and salad recipe using fresh herbs. Heighten your dining experience with the vibrant colours and flavours of this dish, embracing the essence of spring on your plate. Ingredients: For Chicken Satay: For Salad: For… Continue reading Chicken Satay Skewers on Salad with Fresh Herbs
Cutting Back Buddleja Bushes in Early Spring
Or: How to Record a Gardening Video Using a Potato I am sorry everyone, really. I genuinely didn’t realise how bad the camera in my potato is: it was a good potato when I bought it second hand down an alleyway ten years ago, so it came as much of a shock to me as… Continue reading Cutting Back Buddleja Bushes in Early Spring
Cutting Back Overgrown Elderflower in a Mixed Hedge
Elderflower, Sambucus nigra, inevitably finds its way into a country hedge sooner or later, and it’s far from unheard of to add it to the mix at planting time. It is suitable for growing as a hedge plant, and is desirable for its flowers and fruit that make elderflower cordial and elderberry syrup respectively. However,… Continue reading Cutting Back Overgrown Elderflower in a Mixed Hedge
Cherry Crêpes Recipe
Try something different this Pancake Day Shrove Tuesday is on the morrow, Tuesday 13th February, And you can mix up the usual chocolate or lemon filled pancakes with our delightful Cherry Crêpes recipe. These thin, delicate French style pancakes topped with juicy cherry compote will awaken your senses and satisfy your sweet cravings. Even better,… Continue reading Cherry Crêpes Recipe
Herb-Infused Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe
A Flavourful Twist on a Japanese Classic Indulge in rich and aromatic British herbs in Japanese cuisine with our take on the beloved Chicken Katsu Curry. This recipe combines the crispy goodness of breaded chicken cutlets with a fragrant and herb-infused curry sauce. Behold the delectable fusion of textures and flavours in these succulent chicken… Continue reading Herb-Infused Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe
Do Woodchips Make Soil Acidic, or Take Nitrogen from the Soil?
The short answer is no, woodchip mulch does not make soil acidic. However, if you are gardening on chalk, woodchip mulch will tend to reduce the pH closer to neutral. Questions about mulch in general and in particular the effect of woodchips on soil arise with every generation of new gardeners. People know that woodchips… Continue reading Do Woodchips Make Soil Acidic, or Take Nitrogen from the Soil?
Rhubarb Fool Recipe
Early-sprouting rhubarb will soon be ready for harvest. Whether it’s your own produce or from your friendly local greengrocer, give this rhubarb fool recipe a try – a delightful pick-me-up for the promises of spring around the corner! Ingredients: Method: 2. Whip the Cream: 3. Combine Rhubarb Compote and Whipped Cream: 4. Chill: 5. Serve… Continue reading Rhubarb Fool Recipe
Why Steven Edholm’s Fruit Tree Pruning Films are Better Than Ours
As a company, we have invested billions (approximately) in producing nicely edited videos about planting and pruning fruit trees Rodney, local movie star and coincidentally our warehouse manager, has been ogled over a million times on YouTube, where his charisma and acting skills steal the show in our best film work to date, how to… Continue reading Why Steven Edholm’s Fruit Tree Pruning Films are Better Than Ours
When do Daffodils Bloom in the UK?
The first wild Daffodil to bloom in the UK, as measured by a car park in Somerset, was 11th February 2024. This is it: Wild Daffodils start flowering when the soil temperatures reach around 10C, usually in February or March. In a warm winter like the one we’ve mostly had this year, we are seeing… Continue reading When do Daffodils Bloom in the UK?
Soft Edges in Urban Garden Design
Modern buildings and roads tend to create stark boundaries: all structure with no life Well-thought-out planting will soften these hard lines and corners, and bring them alive, like adding a great painting to an empty frame. In general, you want to employ a lot of evergreen shrubs and climbers that cover things up all year-round.… Continue reading Soft Edges in Urban Garden Design
How to Prune Trees VS Clipping Hedges
Pruning woody plants is a big part of a gardener’s life, and winter is when a lot of it gets done – especially after windy weather leaves some rough edges to tidy up. When we examine a typical branch, we can see that there are basically three ways one could cut it: So, a hedge… Continue reading How to Prune Trees VS Clipping Hedges
January-February Garden Tasks: Our Favourite Online Gardeners Share Their Tips
It’s almost February: time to do January garden jobs!
Garden Plants for Winter Colour
Colour from bark, leaves and some flowers will light up your winter garden
When do Snowdrops Bloom in the UK?
Who doesn’t love snowdrops? People who don’t read this article!
How to Propagate Hardwood Hedge Cuttings in Late Winter
Right now is an ideal time to try, when the soil is nice and damp and not-frozen.
Britain’s Favourite Spring Flowering Bulbs
There’s a special thrill that comes with burying your dry bulbs in Autumn & early Winter, followed by months of anticipation till Spring, each with their own payoff: Daffodils are cheerful, Tulips are romantic, Snowdrops are cutie pies, and Hyacinths are just too much, I need to lie down for a while! These and other… Continue reading Britain’s Favourite Spring Flowering Bulbs
Why John Lord’s Gardening Films Are The Best
More people have taken the plunge into gardening with a floral shirt and a medium pickaxe thanks to John Lord than any other famous plantsman in Ireland’s Ratoath Gardens There is at least an introductory paragraph of reasons why John Lord’s YouTube films are the best before I get to my reason, so let’s ask… Continue reading Why John Lord’s Gardening Films Are The Best
Many Layers of a Shrub Honeysuckle Hedge
This Lonicera nitida hedge in a local Somerset car park is a prime example of how good this hedge plant looks despite neglect! A good hedge is thick and bushy down to the base, which is easy to maintain in most cases by trimming at least once or twice a year.Years of neglect tend to… Continue reading Many Layers of a Shrub Honeysuckle Hedge
Our Favourite Food Growing Channels
“That Computer Goggle Box” may be a clunky nickname for YouTube, but people goggle at the Computer Goggle Box far more these days than they ever goggled at Ye Olde Goggle Box with its handful of channels for everything. Just by way of example, our fruit tree planting video has been goggled at over a… Continue reading Our Favourite Food Growing Channels
Cheese and herb aigrettes
These miniature savoury doughnuts make a lovely canapé served with a glass of fizz, perhaps at a coronation celebration, or indeed if you want to mark National Doughnut Week which also falls this month (20-28th May). They’re a fun way of using fresh herbs in your cooking too. If you have one of those new-fangled… Continue reading Cheese and herb aigrettes
6 Common Bay Tree Problems & Solutions
Broadly speaking, bay laurel plants, Laurus nobilis, are easygoing, low maintenance, aromatic evergreens that are a joy to grow. There are a handful of common problems that can affect bays, especially trees in pots, which always need extra care. Spotting and fixing the problems promptly will give your bay a new lease of life. They… Continue reading 6 Common Bay Tree Problems & Solutions
15 Ideal Trees for Growing in Pots
According to the proverb, ‘To be happy for a year, get married; to be happy for life, plant a garden.’A well-chosen tree makes the perfect finishing flourish, and by planting trees in a pot, it’s perfectly possible for even a balcony-sized garden to enjoy their many benefits. Container grown trees make an attractive focal point… Continue reading 15 Ideal Trees for Growing in Pots
Best Gardening & Garden Design Apps to Green Up Your Space
Gardening can be so last century with its stuffy old shovels and buckets. Garden apps on your phone gardening more Dan Dare® and Cyberpunk® than ever, giving you a reason to get outside and use your phone there. We’ve listed the best gardening and garden design apps for every level, from experienced gardeners to beginners.… Continue reading Best Gardening & Garden Design Apps to Green Up Your Space
Everything You Need to Know about Yew Trees
One of only 3 conifers native to the United Kingdom (along with Scots pine and juniper), yew is a familiar feature of our gardens and parks. But how much do you really know about it, and could there be a place for it in your garden? In this article, you will find everything you need… Continue reading Everything You Need to Know about Yew Trees
Your Guide to Oak Trees: Facts, Types & Essential Information
It’s no exaggeration to describe oak trees as the national tree of Great Britain. They have been integral to our countryside for centuries, so naturally, many people are interested in growing oak trees for themselves. Planting an oak tree is one of the most altruistic things a gardener can do. These slow-growing giants take a… Continue reading Your Guide to Oak Trees: Facts, Types & Essential Information
Somerset Apple Cake with optional streusel twist
The streusel topping elevates a traditional tea time delicacy to a luxurious dessert. The apple store is usually looking a little depleted by this time of year, but if you still have a few Bramley apples knocking about this recipe is a lovely way of using them up. (If you don’t have Bramley’s any other… Continue reading Somerset Apple Cake with optional streusel twist