When we say ‘Queen Anne’s Lace’, we think of tall, white, umbelliferous wildflower species that proliferate and take over the English countryside in Summer, and to say ‘there’s lots’ is an understatement! You can find them pretty much everywhere in the UK, from sprucing up our roadsides to dappling the forest floors. So, when it comes to planting in your meadows, it’s nice to know which is actually which.
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Thanks to the extended period of wet weather we are noticing that a common garden pest – the leatherjacket – is on the rise. A normal component to most UK gardens, this year’s damp conditions have favoured the survival of the eggs and larvae, and therefore are making them a dominant pest for 2024.
Have you ever noticed patches of yellowing or dead grass in your garden? Or a seedling plant that has collapsed having been eaten at soil level? It is quite possible that you may have a leatherjacket infestation.
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As temperatures begin to rise, and life begins to return to the garden, our thoughts turn to what we need to do this Spring to get the best results for the rest of the year.
Our Care & Development team share some top tips of the season to help you prioritise the jobs in your garden.
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In the midst of winter, many gardeners just focus on routine activities like leaf clearing, wildlife feeding, and tool cleaning. Whilst these are all important jobs, it’s worth noting that gardening doesn’t have to grind to a complete halt during the colder months. I’m hoping to debunk some common myths associated with Winter gardening, revealing practical tips to help keep your garden looking its best throughout the season.
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There’s more to Autumn than watching leaves falling and squirrels burying nuts!
It is a lovely time of year to be outside and a little time spent now tending your garden will reap rewards come the Spring-time.
Here are 5 things you can do in your garden this Autumn.
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The Summer months of July & August are the time to reap your rewards and savour the joys of outdoor living.
Whilst you are spending more time outside there are a few jobs that you can do. Make sure you continue to nurture and enhance your garden with these 5 tips.
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Many of us have now set aside or made changes to some parts of our gardens to make them friendlier to wildlife.
Leaving a corner to go wild with brambles or nettles, ‘No-mow May’ or leaving leaf litter and plant debris under hedges or in beds are all ways to attract insects, small mammals and birds to our gardens. For many of us, this is just the first step on a re-wilding journey.
The true principles of re-wilding go well beyond transforming all or most of our garden into a haven for nature, however. Re-wilding means extending beyond and across boundaries to neighbouring gardens and green spaces.
To make re-wilding a reality and also a success, what’s needed is scale and size; conjoined areas of land to create a habitat for a pool of biodiversity. This is the challenge for home-owners and Garden Designers alike.
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In the early 17th Century only the well-healed Landowners could afford human labour to scythe and hand-weed large areas of grass. Since then, a perfectly manicured lawn has been associated with wealth and success. The aspiration of every home-owner – or is it?
Over the years we’ve become conditioned to a traditional grass lawn being a central feature of our gardens. Lawncare has become a very British obsession.
Looking to the future and the increasing desire and need to lead a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, maybe it’s time to change? Perhaps it’s time to rethink what we want to achieve in our gardens and the role the lawns have to play in our enjoyment of these valuable outside spaces.
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Now the weather is starting to warm up we’re seeing the first signs of life in our ponds and water features.
As water is so central to supporting wildlife in your garden, now is the time to make sure you are ready for the new life that is about to make your pond its home.
A sequel to 5 Steps to Going Wild in your Garden, because there is always more we can do.
With biodiversity declining at an alarming rate it can feel like the problem is too big for us to solve alone. But just imagine if we all did a little bit more … just like a waterfall is made up of many droplets of water. Big change can happen when we all come together.
And a wild garden is one of the easiest ways we can make a difference to the biodiversity in our communities.
Read on to learn more and decide which steps will work for you and your garden.
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