My arch enemy in the garden, munching their way through many a Hosta and with a particular taste for Campanula. I’ve tried many tips to help rid my garden of these pests, but have realised that I’m fighting a losing battle to rid them completely. By encouraging predators in the garden, I have managed to slow the […]
February Jobs in the Garden
February can often seem in the depths of winter, but this month, there will be signs of a fast approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and morning birdsong as light levels and temperatures increase. February is a month of preparation for the gardening year ahead with lots to do both inside and outside. Don’t forget wildlife; at […]
January Jobs in the Garden
Stepping out into the garden in January for me, brings hope and expectation, even in the midst of the dark days. Spring will awaken the sleeping garden in a matter of weeks and the bare bones of the garden will be covered in the lush green foliage that was snatched away last autumn. The weather, of course, […]
Beehive Composter
I’d been after a beehive composter for a while and once we’d finished our herringbone paving, I knew I wanted a pair of beehives either side of the bench that sits on this small seating area. Nervously, I asked the ‘facilitator’ if he’d have a go at making me some and he said yes! We […]
Herringbone Brick Paving
We had a load of bricks left over from our build that had been stored behind the shed and I knew I wanted to create a little paved seating area. I did lots of research into patterns and how to set out the bricks – Pinterest was a great source of inspiration for this. Agreeing on […]
Outdoor Dining Table Re-vamp
Six years ago, we invested in an outdoor dining table and chairs from Neptune – the table was solid teak with their iso-guard treatment on it, and the chairs were all-weather wicker. The chairs have really stood the test of time and other than a pressure wash in spring, they stay outside come rain or […]
April Jobs in the Garden
April heralds the start of Spring and the extra hours of daylight encourage the garden to come out of hibernation. April is the month that sees the most change in the garden and I’m always excited to see the daily change and new growth on a daily basis – at the start of the month, […]
March Jobs in the Garden
March marks the start of the active gardening season and the lengthening amount of daylight is equalled by a lengthening to do list! March can be a month of contrasts with warm spring days, and the threat of frost and snow. The weather does not stop the inevitable march of the spring bulbs as they […]
Grass Borders
An inspiring trip to Trentham Gardens in the summer of 2016 gave me a solution to an increasingly devastating problem in my garden, which had been lurking around and slowly killing woody shrubs in one particular flower bed. Well established Solanum ‘Jasminoides’, Euonymus ‘Elatus’, an unidentified Hydrangea and a Buddleja all eventually succumbed to what I […]
Cobbled Formal Garden
After a year so or of living in our new home, we decided to create a more formal area of garden and a vegetable garden. The veg garden comprised of 4 L-shaped raised beds around a central bricked square with terracotta pots. The edge of the area was cobbled and the paths were filled with gold […]