March Wildflower Spotters sheet from Plantlife

Iris flowering around our water feature

Snowdrops flowering in the undergrowth

The benefits of companion planting

Companion planting is about grouping a variety of plants which have a mutual benefits to each other. It can be an organic way to protect your crops from pests and it could help improve the pollination of fruit and vegetable crops. 

If you are interested you can find a list of good companion plants at:

Thompson and Morgan

Gardeners World

Making a nest box

Making a nest box couldn't be simpler and is a great way to attract birds into your garden.

If you would like to make a nest box more detailed information can be found at:

RSPB

BTO - National Nest Box week

Gardeners World

Growing tomatoes - free tips and top advice

Growing your own tomatoes is simple and with just a couple of plants you can be rewarded with plenty of delicious tomatoes throughout the summer. They come in a large variety of colours and sizes,from small cherry tomatoes to giant beefsteak tomatoes making them ideal for gardens of any size, including patios, window boxes, containers and even hanging baskets.

For more information and free tips and advise on growing tomatoes please visit:

Thompson and Morgan

Gardeners World

Royal Horticultural Society

Crocus flowering in the winter sun

Gardeners Worlds top ten vegetables for beginners

More and more people are trying to grow vegetables and finding that some are harder to grow than others.

Gardeners World has produced a top ten list of easy to grow vegetables aimed at the novice gardener. If you would like more information please visit their website here.

Home composting

Compost made from recycled garden and kitchen waste is an excellent way of producing free soil conditioner, plant food and potting mixes. You do not need a large space as compost heaps can be designed to suit gardens of all sizes.

If you would like more information on how to make and use good quality compost please visit:
the Garden Organic website here and the Recycle Now website here.

A big thank you to Furness Building Society for their continued support.

A great start to the year courtesy of a "Furness 150 Community Giveaway" award we have received from Furness Building Society. Thank you.

What to do in the garden in December?

There is always something to be doing in the garden, whether it's pruning, tidying or sowing, so Thompson and Morgan put together their top gardening tasks for December.

For full details please visit the Thompson and Morgan website here.

Time to try our new incinerator bin

Maintaining our wildlife boundary

There are still a few leaves left on our shrubs

Installing edging to some of our lawned areas

Topping up the raised planters with fresh top soil

Winter colour under our hedging borders

Carry on growing in the poly tunnel

Winter crops surviving the storm weather

Preparing mondo grass in the poly tunnel

Early morning webs

Growing well in October

Growing crops in containers and small spaces

We don’t all have the space for a vegetable patch or an allotment, but many varieties of salad, vegetable and fruit will flourish in containers and it doesn’t take up much space. There is plenty of free information and expert advice (following the links below) if you want to grow crops in containers or raised planters:

Royal Horticultural Society - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=527#section-3

BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_cropsinpots1.shtml

Vertical Veg - http://www.verticalveg.org.uk/ten-great-crops-to-grow-in-containers/

Thompson and Morgan - http://www.thompson-morgan.com/top-10-easy-to-grow-vegetables

Wild About Gardens Week Monday 26th – Friday 30th October

Wild About Gardens Week Monday 26^th – Friday 30^th October, is an initiative designed to encourage people to support local biodiversity in their gardens. This year's focus is on what you can do to encourage hedgehogs into your garden! 

Visit the Wild About Gardens website here to find out what you can do to help and to download free information, ideas and advice.

Autumn butterflies

Top 10 winter vegetables - Free advice from Thompson and Morgan

There is no need to let your vegetable plot stand empty over the winter months, there are plenty of vegetables that can be grown throughout the colder months. Most winter vegetables are fully hardy and can be planted or sown outdoors.

Thompson and Morgan have produced a list of their top ten vegetables which can be grown over the winter months. For more details please visit their website here.

All the leaves are brown.........

Autumn colour

Slow worms taking advantage of the autumn sun

Time to build another mini beast hotel

A hoverfly enjoys our late flowering calendula

Autumn leaves

Strawberries taking advantage of the autumn sun