miketaperell

One thing that is missing from most gardens, and I have to admit, missing from my garden, too, is more than a passing nod to vertical gardening. Gardens are so often seen as two-dimensional and the vertical component is forgotten, other than to provide some tall growing plants - usually at the back of the garden along the border. The easiest way to see this, if you can, is to go to an upstairs room and look down.  If you see just a layout of plants and garden features that resembles the... Read Full Story

Years ago the idea was very much to keep nature out of the garden! Nature was seen as invasive and bringing in all manner of bugs and plant aliments and so the less of it you had the better! In these more enlightened times, nature is not seen in that way and it’s hard to realise that once it was. But we can all go a little further by making our gardens just that little bit more nature friendly by making some slight changes. Birds, insects and especially bees We need to ensure that we... Read Full Story

If you had to get out of storage the tables and chairs in your dining room each time you wanted to have dinner, I bet you wouldn’t use it much either! That’s the trouble with a garden that you occasionally use as a room to sit out in, unless the furniture is there ready it’s hard to get motivated to put it all out except for a special occasion. The answer, of course, is to have the furniture set out ready for the summer. Bring out the table and the chairs and position them ready, along... Read Full Story

Just the slightest whiff of lilac is enough to remind me that Spring is really on the way and that is what is happening now! We’re lucky, there is a good selection of lilacs to choose from with over 20 species that range from shrubs to what are really small trees. The good thing about them is that they are very easy to grow so long as you plant them in good soil to begin with and ensure that they will have a good supply of sunlight. Thereafter you need only prune them gently (over... Read Full Story

Most sheds can hardly be said to be beautiful. Of course, you don’t buy them for that purpose, you buy them as storage, as a shelter from the rain and somewhere to disappear out of the way. But a plain wooden shed might be spoiling the look of your garden so why not make it a centrepiece and decorate it to blend in or stand out as your garden design dictates. The easy way is to paint the wood. This is also beneficial as it adds a layer of preservation that will allow the shed to last... Read Full Story

Pots are expensive and pots with decorations on them more so but there is something very personal and very rewarding about personalising pots yourself that makes it a nice Spring task to do in the garden. If you are feeling artistic, you can paint a design on a pot. This is easier to do than you might at first think but it’s important to have a little practice if this is your first time. Get an old piece of wood or paper and paint the design first there so that you get can your arm moving... Read Full Story

For a change I have decided to recommend my own gardening articles that I have posted on Factoidz. The web address is below: http://factoidz.com/profile/jonesie201/ Here you will find the following excellent articles: 1. Plants for Shady Places 2. How to Make a Small Garden Look Bigger 3. The Garden in Spring a Checklist 4. How to Create an Inexpensive Wildlife Garden 5. Creating Your Own Private Space in a Garden 6. How to Create a Canal in Your Garden 7. Choosing... Read Full Story

A basket hanging just where you can easily reach it that is packed with strawberries not only looks good, it will also provide some wonderful fruit to go with your cream . I've yet to try this, I have to admit, but it is my project for one of my baskets this summer (which is why I don't have a temping photo of strawberries handing ready to pick). Whatever you do, choose your varieties carefully so that you space out the fruiting over a long period which may mean you will need several... Read Full Story

Spring is nearly over so bookmark this page to try it next year or make an Early-Summer Garden instead. This works really well if you don't have much space in our garden or even if you are restricted to a balcony. Take a container of some sort. The best choice is a terracotta square pot but any container will do from a plastic storage box to a large tin. Get some plants in pots from your garden store or the supermarket, an ideal choice in the UK is lovely primroses or crocus. In truth... Read Full Story

Just as you can arrange flowers in a vase in your house, so you can arrange them outside in your garden. The only difference is that here you are using living flowers and that means you can change the arrangement as many times as you want throughout the year - a big, big advantage! It's easy to do, as well. Take several pots of flowers and just arrange them in a prominent place so that you create the best looking group of colours, textures and shapes. Of course, you can raise or lower the... Read Full Story