Tag Archives: gardening

Boost Biodiversity – Embrace the Untidy Garden!

Spring is back, and now is a brilliant time to welcome nature into your garden and increase biodiversity all at the same time. Birds, insects, amphibians and mammals are all busy preparing for new life, so a helping hand in the garden would not go amiss.

Nature is not neat, and areas in the garden left untidy can be great for biodiversity! Gardens can act as habitat stepping stones, so small-scale rewilding can be really beneficial. Messy gardens are also reminiscent of cottage gardens – colourful and lively. Here are a few ways to embrace ‘messiness’ for wildlife.

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The Art of Sensory Gardening

Creating Serenity in Your Garden

At GreenArt we believe that a garden should be more than just a collection of plants and pathways – it should be a sanctuary. In today’s fast-paced world, finding a peaceful retreat can feel like a challenge. However, with thoughtful garden design and landscaping, you can create a space that not only pleases the eye, but nurtures the soul. This month, we have been focusing on the theme of serenity and here we share how sensory landscaping can transform your outdoor space into a haven of tranquillity.

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Do you know your Laces?

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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CraneFly on Leaf - the parent of the LeatherJacket Larvae pest

LeatherJacket Lookout – these garden pests are on the rise

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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Image of Garden in the winter showing a path with planting to either side and a house and hedge in the background.

Winter Gardening Myth Busting

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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Summer Gardening Tips

5 Summer Gardening Essentials

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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re-wilding your garden

Re-wilding your garden – what difference can you make?

How to continue your re-wilding journey

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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lawn care

For the Love of Lawns

We Brits love our lawns.

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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