News - Page 47

Top 5 reasons why gardening relieves stress

Gardening is a great activity that relieves stress. Gardening has become so much more popular over recent years, especially during the lockdown as people discover how important being outside in nature is for mental and physical health wellbeing. It has even become better documented in the media along with show gardens by royalty being designed for some of our best-loved garden and flower shows. But why is gardening so good for us? If you are a gardener, you will know getting outside with the plants can be a great stress reliever and here are some of the reasons why it helps.

Top 5 reasons why gardening relieves stress

Give bees a boost

Give bees a boost! We need our bees, and they need us too. Their industrious ways give us food for our tables and honey for our toast, so it’s only fair that we give them a helping hand whenever we can. Here are a few things you can do to make your garden more bee-friendly.

Combine different textures in your home

It is really satisfying to combine different textures in your home to create a unique and personal space with all of your favourite colours, textiles and of course, plants. There are many ways to achieve layers of texture that combined make for a home you can relax in, party in and even work in. We’ve put together these ideas to help you work with textures for any look you want to achieve.

Planting grasses

Planting Grasses, the garden plant of the moment, is really easy when you know what you are playing with. Some of the most stunning garden designs and landscapes are planted with swathes of grasses, especially those interplanted with perennials similar to Piet Oudolf's popular planting style. If you have a small space, grasses can give structure and texture to small borders and pots. Grasses can be used in many different ways that work for your garden. Here are some great ways to work with this lovely garden plant of the moment.

How to use solar lights in your garden

Solar lights make it so easy to light up your garden. There’s no need for an electrician, just place them where you want them, let them charge in the sun, and they’re ready to go. Get creative with your own lighting designs, highlight special features and create the atmosphere you want in your garden.

Summer flowers for a stunning garden

The summer months are some of the best in the garden, with an abundance of flowers, lots of fruits and vegetables to harvest and long days into warm evenings. There is nothing better than sitting in the garden early in the morning or early evening watching wildlife and admiring all of your hard work. For a colourful summer garden, there are plenty of flowers that can fill borders, pots and containers no matter what size space you have. Here are some of our favourites.

Plant markers for the garden kitchen

It’s easy to make your own garden markers from old spoons and wine cork along with many other recycled items to use in the garden. Making household items that may be past their best is a great way to reduce waste at the same time as doing a little DIY and personalising your growing space. There are loads of materials that can make great garden markers, so we’ve put together a few ideas for you below, all to help you make sure your plants are correctly labelled.

15 gardening tips for July

When the days are long, and the sun is shining, July is the month for really enjoying your garden. To help you keep it looking tip-top, we’ve put together our top 15 garden tips for July.

Houseplant of the month: Celosia

If you’re looking for spectacular flowers and gorgeous, vivid colours, a celosia is just what you need. These exotic-looking annuals add colour to pots and bedding schemes, and the flowers look stunning in arrangements. Here’s how to grow and care for a celosia.

How to grow your own pizza?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just pop into the garden and pick a pizza ready-made off the plant? Sadly, that’s not possible, but it’s easy to grow some or even all of the ingredients to make your own pizza sauce. Spread it on a base, top with some cheese and hey presto, you have yourself a home-grown pizza.

Top 5 barbecue tips

When the sun is out, and your garden is looking glorious, it will be time to roll out the BBQ and start grilling during the summer months. The smell of barbecue's waft far and wide, making the neighbours join in as well! After many months of the BBQ being stored in the shed, it is time to give it a good clean and enjoy some family cooking time in the garden. Here are our top 5 tips for having the best BBQ fun.

10 tips for waterwise gardening

Water is one of our most valuable resources, and with summers getting hotter and dryer, it’s more important than ever to use water effectively in the garden. We’ve put together our top ten tips for water-wise gardening.