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Author Archives: Ciaran Biggins

image of sun shining though leave above yellow flowers

Finding Wellbeing in the Garden

by Ciaran Biggins / on 8th May 2026 / in Blog, Gardens, Wellbeing
How Horticultural Therapy is helping people through life’s challenging moments and why your own garden might be exactly the right place to start.

We talk a lot about getting outside for our wellbeing. But what if your garden could do more than lift your mood for half an hour? What if it could help you process grief, rebuild confidence after illness, or find a sense of calm when life feels out of your control? That is exactly what Horticultural Therapy offers.

Sam Mallet, GreenArt’s Thrive-qualified horticultural therapist explains how it works:  one garden and one client at a time.

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Why Ponds Matter for Wildlife

by Ciaran Biggins / on 15th April 2026 / in Blog, environment, Ponds, Wildlife

A pond is the single best thing you can do for wildlife in your garden

There is something almost magical about a garden pond. The way it catches the light on a still morning. The first frog you notice sitting on the edge in spring. The dragonfly that appears, as if from nowhere, hovering briefly before darting off again. If you have ever sat beside water in a garden, even a small one, you will know exactly what we mean.

But garden ponds are far more than a beautiful feature. They are, according to the science, one of the single most powerful things for wildlife you can add to any garden. And in a county where freshwater habitats have been disappearing for decades, your garden pond matters more than ever.

In our last blog, Why Your Garden Matters, we looked at the broader picture of what gardens contribute to wildlife, wellbeing and the environment around us. Why Ponds matter for wildlife deserves a blog of its own.

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Image of a pollinator, a butterfly, on a shrub leaf

Gardening for Pollinators: It’s not just about flowers

by Ciaran Biggins / on 27th March 2026 / in Blog, environment, Pollinators, Wildlife

Britain’s pollinators are extraordinary

Did you know that Britain is home to around 270 species of bee, 60 species of butterfly, 900 species of moth, and 270 species of hoverfly?  Alongside this extraordinary range of creatures are hundreds of beetles, wasps and other insects that quietly move pollen from flower to flower. Some ecologists estimate as many as 6,000 insect species in Britain may play a role in pollination.

Gardens matter to pollinators

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image of horticulturalist working among plants in a garden bed

Growing Your Garden Confidence

by Ciaran Biggins / on 12th December 2025 / in Blog, Gardens, Tips

Five tips to boost your gardening confidence

If you often find yourself looking at your garden and thinking “I’m not sure what I should be doing or how to do it correctly,” you’re not alone. The new RHS State of Gardening Report recently revealed that while 34 million people in the UK garden regularly, only 27% feel confident doing it.

We see this “garden confidence gap” all the time. People who care about their gardens but worry about pruning too hard, choosing the wrong plants or not knowing where to start. With the new Oxfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy encouraging residents to support wildlife and plant more sustainably, even well-informed gardeners often say they feel overwhelmed.

But don’t despair! Confidence can grow quickly with the right guidance. Here are five simple ways you can grow your gardening confidence.

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Image of garden filled with wildflower turf

Why Your Garden Matters

by Ciaran Biggins / on 10th December 2025 / in Blog, environment, garden design, Gardens, Wildlife

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume that your garden matters to you. Whether it represents a lifetime of hard work and dedication, a weekend retreat or a space to enjoy with the family, it makes a positive difference to you. But have you ever thought of your garden as being part of something bigger? Something with more power, more potential and more ecological value than you might think.

Your garden is an important part of a wider, living network that supports wildlife, improves resilience, stores carbon and contributes to the health of the environment around us. Even small decisions made in a single garden can have a real impact.

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Image of a garden in winter

The Secret Season: 5 Winter Care Jobs Your Garden Will Thank You For

by Ciaran Biggins / on 10th October 2025 / in Blog, environment, Gardens, planting, Tips, winter

Winter Gardening

Many think winter is the time to “put the garden to bed.” The borders are often bare, trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, the lawn slows down and it’s tempting to retreat indoors until spring. But don’t be deceived – gardens never truly sleep. Even in the quiet months, life, colour and important work are happening above and below ground. Winter is when nature restores itself and when we can step in to give it a hand. It’s the moment when we can prepare for next year’s growth and tend to traditional craft jobs that support the health of our gardens. It’s a time to create vital habitats for wildlife, setting the stage for a thriving garden in the year ahead.

Here are some of the winter jobs you could be thinking about, whether you’re keen to keep your garden looking its best, want to increase biodiversity, or simply enjoy the satisfaction of good seasonal work.

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Water Resilience in the Garden

by Ciaran Biggins / on 8th August 2025 / in Blog, environment, Gardens, meadows, planting, plants, Watering, Wildlife

With heatwaves and hosepipe bans upon us, many homeowners are wondering how to keep their gardens thriving in the ever-changing climate. At GreenArt, we see water scarcity not only as a challenge, but also as an opportunity – to make gardens more resilient, sustainable, and beautiful even in dry conditions.

Water resilience is no longer just a nice-to-have, it’s becoming essential and it starts by working with water, not against it.

At GreenArt we’re inspired by the 4Rs of regenerative hydrology:

Retain, Recharge, Reuse, and Restore.


Here’s how you can apply these principles in your own garden.

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