At times of celebration with a loved one - maybe a birthday or Valentine’s Day, it's a great excuse to have fun thinking outside of the box. What you probably don’t want to buy for someone special is something that can be found everywhere. Not everyone is a lover of cut flowers, chocolates, wine, Champagne, teddy bears or underwear. So you might want to engage in a little imaginative thinking. But first, what's the heart symbol all about?

Winter can be a tricky time for those suffering from SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, but there are steps you can take to help. It's quite a common health problem and it's important to appreciate that there are some fairly simple remedies that might help. Working through the low feeling and arriving at a more enjoyable place is definitely worth the journey. The first few months of the year offer the perfect time to contemplate new beginnings and a fresh approach to life…

Twitter, Tweets and wild birds in your garden. Is there a connection?

We all know that a tweet is a sound coming from a bird, rather than characters originating from a digital device. Right? The majority of the younger generation wouldn’t agree. Tweets are part of Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams’ idea for what was originally a ‘short message service’ communications system. A bit like texting, but for groups. In the 12 years or so since Twitter was created, the number of active users has risen to around 336 million each month, making it one of the biggest social networks. This bald eagle (below) would be a wonderful sight to see in the wild!

10 favourite plants! So difficult to select just a few, but we can reveal which plants have been the most popular during the past year or so. Giving a gift that grows is a great way to keep a friendship fresh!. Even if the recipient doesn't share your love of growing, there's a good chance that they can be converted – for their own good, of course. Here’s our round-up of the most popular and ‘most-wanted’ plants for the home and for the garden too. 

There's nothing you can do to stop winter coming - apart from moving to a different continent. When darkness descends, burying your head in the sand won't help. This is a guide to help you start the ball rolling. A garden-lover's kick-start on how to enjoy winter and the festive season.

In autumn, many things in the garden can be tidied away, cut back and neatened. Or can they - does thismean it's all over for the year? Do we need to see bare soil and pruned back stems?

A few decades ago, this was the aspiration but now it's just not the thing to do. Garden minibeasts and birds love to scratch around and feast upon the stems and seeds that autumn brings. There's so much happening outdoors in October and beyond. It would be a shame to miss it. There is sometimes even an Indian summer which can be one of the best times of year.  We Brits are often prepared to let the glory of autumn slip away without even a glance.

7 sensational reasons to love the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 

RHS Chelsea Flower Show opens to the public every year in May. This is possibly the world's most famous flower show and it will lead us wisely and soothingly towards the summer.  It's so easy to become enthused by all the ideas and perfection that's on display. But don't allow yourself to feel overwhelmed by the difference between your own plot and the photogenic masterpieces that you see on your TV. Or in the green, if you are lucky enough to visit in person.

Why Schlumbergera - Christmas cactus plants - are so cool!

It’s the season to not only be merry but to welcome evergreens into your home. Why? Because they symbolise life! The isles of supermarkets everywhere are crammed with festive products including Christmas house plants, bulbs and growing kits. It’s good to remember that outdoor things continue to not only survive but some are peaking with a brilliance that isn’t obvious at other times of the year.

Oodles of Christmas gifts for your plant and garden-loving friends

November brings its own share of challenges to the garden-lover. You might have to arouse your passion in order to overcome dreary surroundings. Drizzle, mist, frost and dark hours at both ends of the day contrive to banish garden activity to memory – apart from weekends and non-working days of course. Here's seven ideas to brighten up your life at a tricky time of year - late autumn.