Fresh Tomatoes, From Porch to Plate

Keen gardeners will now be enjoying the taste of their fresh tomatoes on their plate. Although it’s a little late to start growing your own this year we recommend you become prepared so you can experience the difference fresh tomatoes bring to any Italian dish. Tinned tomatoes undoubtedly make a good substitute when fresh are […]

How to Please Yourself While Pleasing the Children Too

Please Yourself While Pleasing the Children This last week I’ve been stepping out into the garden a lot more as the weather has become pleasantly warm. It’s no secret that I work 8-6 every weekday writing so when I do have any time off I’m usually surrounded by my three adorable children (*cough). This of […]

Gardening Jobs to do in May

May is such a wonderful time for gardeners and also very busy. Finally the growth speeds up and as jobs are completed the fruits of our labour are showcased around us. It can be a full time job keeping on top of everything, yet when the weather is good it’s one that we’d all do […]

How to Encourage Children into the Garden

Encourage Children to Step Outside In this day and age with electricity taken for granted many children choose media as a form of entertainment; whether it’s YouTube, Facebook or gaming online it all burns energy while frazzling brain cells too. Here are some ideas for how to encourage children into the garden and away from […]

Gardening for Fitness

Does your garden look like an overgrown mass of weeds? Or maybe you tend to your patch regularly? Whether you love or hate it, your garden could look like the Chelsea flower show and you could not only get fit whilst doing it but perfect a great tan too. Digging This is an excellent way […]

The Benefits of Bedding Plants

By Martina Mercer I used to avoid bedding plants as much as possible as the annual nature made me believe they were not great value for money. However over the past few years I’ve been converted and now as well as bulbs, herbs and perennials, bedding plants have pride of place in all of my borders. […]

Vegetables for Border Beauty

Vegetables for Border Beauty I started planting vegetables in my flower borders when I had a tiny garden and wanted to maximise the space. However I now have a rather large acre with a substantial vegetable patch yet I still choose to integrate vegetables into the flower borders. Nothing beats the thrill of watching a […]

Home Made Composts for Your Garden (Warning- it’s a bit yucky!)

By Martina Mercer There are many different forms of homemade compost out there, and many ways in which you can take unwanted rubbish and turn it into a fertilizer or compost for your plants. However, which does what, and what compost and fertilizer is best for your plot? Whether you garden on a balcony from a […]

BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time Summer Garden Party arrives in Wales for the first time

BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT) will celebrate the blooms of summer by hosting its annual Summer Garden Party on Sunday 29th June 2014 in the impressive grounds of the National Botanic Garden of Wales for the first time.   Radio 4 listeners will be able to hear two special editions of the programme recorded at […]