dom.cliff

Gardeners are natural citizen scientists Birds are sensitive to environmental changes and so they are a good gauge of the health of your local ecosystem. That’s part of the thinking behind the Big Garden Birdwatch which takes place this year on Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th and Monday 30th January 2017. The Big Garden Birdwatch is […]

Knowing the plants that suit your garden is essential to good planning and great gardens. It helps you choose plants that will thrive and make the most of your garden and investment. Finding plants that suit your garden Across your garden you need to know: the pH of the soil. Use a DIY soil testing […]

Your dream garden feels a million miles away on a dreary January day. But use the time now to think of spring and summer in your garden, dream of how it could look and feel and start now to make your dreams come true. This week our blogs offer ideas and top tips for garden […]

We often think as spring and summer as being the only season during which time our garden is active but, as this infographic from Rattan Direct shows, the garden is alive with growth and bugs in every season. The Garden in WINTER Winter is the time the garden slumbers but, as a gardener, you will […]

There are dark days in the dead of winter when you might think there is no natural colour left in the world. These are days when a visit to a winter garden can prove you wrong. A whole garden of winter-hardy plants or a temperate glasshouse* is able to make a much bigger statement about […]

Did you have a new year resolution to improve your health? Lots of us do. Here’s the good news: plants can help you! Yes, you would expect a gardener to say that, but read on to find out a little about plants for health at home and work! I am not referring to the value […]

Twelfth Night is 5th January, or 6th January (or, in some countries, 2nd February). Where it is celebrated in England it is usually on the 5th – so by the time you read this your Christmas tree, greenery and other decorations should be out of sight or bad luck is said to follow…. But all […]

January doesn’t invite me into the garden. Perhaps your new year resolutions are prompting you to get out there and do something? Or to plan and think from your sofa? Either place, January jobs in the garden are important and make a difference all year. This month snow and ice can make garden paths slippery, […]

Bright and shiny New Year’s resolutions always seem good as we set off into January but they can become a little tarnished as the year gets into its stride. Certainly, hard and fast resolutions focus my mind. Generally, though, I just outline a few paths that I intend to take over the next twelve months. […]

The quiet time between Christmas and the New Year is ideal for dreaming garden dreams, looking at books and pondering what will work and how you will do it. Your garden dreams can come true! Have you been wondering about changes in the garden? Transforming a perfectly nice (but ordinary) back garden into a scented […]

Christmas walks around our neighbourhood and park are a great opportunity for garden inspiration. To my mind, a plant that looks good in mid winter is likely to be good value all year. And as these are friendly walks, where we say hello and how are you, it’s OK to look over fences and ask […]

We need light in the garden more today than ever.  21st December is the winter solstice and, in the UK, that means we have the fewest hours of daylight of any day in the year. It’s commonly called the shortest day of the year. The good news is that after the winter solstice daylight hours […]