When you have a garden, you get to share your world with nature. And nature rewards you richly. Put out some peanuts on the grass and crows and magpies will strut around collecting them. Hang up a feeder and enjoy the antics of tits and finches as they expertly cling on and eat. Look after … Read more

Winter is a tricky time of year. One day is crisp and beautiful, then snow falls, swiftly followed by rain and wind. But there are still January garden jobs to be done if you are brave enough to go outside. Apple and pear trees can be pruned in January. Apple, in particular, can get very … Read more

The long hot summer of 2022 is just a memory now. Even the hose-pipe ban has been lifted (in some areas). Most trees are coming into their dormant phase, so it’s time to consider a winter trim. If a tree has got too big for its position and is blocking a lot of your light, … Read more

These hardwoods burn well and slowly, Ash, beech, hawthorn oak and holly.Softwoods flare up quick and fine, Birch, fir, hazel, larch and pine. Elm and willow you’ll regret, Chestnut green and sycamore wet. Beechwood fires are bright and clear, If the logs are kept a year. Chestnut’s only good, they say, If for long ’tis … Read more

It was indeed a long hot summer and the rain in recent weeks has been very welcome. Everywhere, grass that went blonde for the summer has now returned to a rich green. This is a very rich time of year, rain has refreshed the parched plants, autumn colours are starting to appear and the hedgerows … Read more

During July this year, some parts of the UK received only 4% of their usual rainfall. The heat shows no sign of relenting and the parts of the country are going into a hosepipe ban. Tough times for gardens and gardeners. So what can you do? If you have pots in direct sunlight, move them … Read more

Well, it depends. In the UK, February to August is the bird nesting season. Many species of domestic birds are in serious decline and are therefore protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This law prevents birds being disturbed during their nesting season. The summer is also when greenery is at it’s most splendid. … Read more

We tend to think of June as a summer month, yet by some measures, summer does not begin until 21st June, the longest day. Whilst gloriously hot days do happen, June is typically a month of mixed weather, those hot days interspersed with very wet days. Think back to rained off days at Wimbledon! So … Read more

Making your garden a more wildlife-friendly and ecologically diverse place, simply by doing nothing is a pretty appealing prospect. But that is what “No Mow May” offers. May is a time of abundant growth. Your grass will be growing rapidly along with wildflowers. These flowers are an important source of nectar for bees, who are, … Read more

Your lawn has been sleeping peacefully all winter and is now starting to wake up. The grass grows with extra vigour in the spring and that’s a good time to think about repairs. If your lawn is suffering from bald patches, moss or damaged, now is the time to re-seed or do patch repairs. Doing … Read more