Gardens

Kitchen compost bins: get composting and grow your own

You'd probably have a fit if you saw a family member put a tin can, newspaper or plastic drinks bottle into the 'normal' (ie destined for landfill) kitchen bin. But do you explode in green-faced exasperation if you see someone put some tangerine peel, teabags or eggshells into that same bin?

If yes, enjoy a metaphorical pat on the back.. you can pass go and move on to another article.

But if the answer is 'er, no..why would I?' well, if we can be so bold, you need to read on...

Easy green gardening

Whether you're fortunate enough to have a large garden, or just have space for a few window boxes, it's really important we do our bit for biodiversity. That flower filled pot on your windowsill can help bees and butterflies, and having as many plant filled containers as possible on your balcony can help lower temperatures inside and out! 

Gardening isn't a particularly cheap activity so plan what you need to do and have the word eco top of mind. There are a few key 'rules' which most of us know ...so to reiterate:

Harry Villiers' home office in the garden

Harry Villers of Villiers Brothers furniture company built an environmentally friendly home office/shed in his Essex garden. It uses recyclable materials such as steel, wood and glass. It has a salvaged oak floor from eBay. Villiers has launched Vintage Archive.

The benefits of bats in the garden

Bats can serve as pollinators

This is more true for other countries than the UK, but in some parts of the world, bats are pollinators for key species, just as bees are. And if bats disappear, the species that rely on their pollination services are also at risk. On the other hand, this is why planting species that bats rely on is crucial to their return. 

They control insects 

Maintaining a greenhouse over winter

how to keep your greenhouse or glasshouse in good shape over December, the month with the fewest daylight hours

Garden rooms: more living space for your home

Moving house is formidably expensive and building an extension is time-consuming and disruptive. Hence the march of the ready-made garden building to fill the gap, which is a far cry from the humble shed of yesteryear.

Make your own garden compost

Grow wild flowers for hedgehogs

Non-profit wildflower specialist Seedball has teamed up with People’s Trust for Endangered Species to develop a wildflower seed mix that will yield flowers with hedgehog appeal. It's easy to do your bit to develop hedgehog-friendly habitats by scattering Seedball's little clay balls over you garden. 

4 ways to spend more time outdoors in the comfort of your garden

Create a seating area
No matter the size of your garden, you should be able to create space to sit down and relax. After all, isn't that what gardens are for, to sit and admire the view? And if you're considering buying a new garden lounge set this summer, you need to consider two things.
    1. How big a seating area can you achieve? 
    2. How many people are you likely to be hosting in the garden?

Olive trees bring a touch of the Mediterranean to UK gardens

get a Mediterranean style garden by investing in some olive trees. With care and attention these plants can thrive in the UK. GARDENINg is an eco friendly activity but be sure not to use compost that contains peat

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