Do these baby birds need your help?

It’s part of the summer scene: parents and babies outdoors enjoying the weather. Human babies and small children need to be supervised at all times, but if you’re an animal such as a bird, a rabbit, a fox or a deer fawn, you have nature as your guide. It’s entirely natural for bird babies to fledge, i.e. to leave their nest once they are fully feathered, then learn to fly and survive in the big open world. What they don’t usually need is human intervention. This is sometimes difficult. You find a fledgling in the garden, hopping around and looking vulnerable. It’s tempting to interfere. Continue reading →

Six reasons why you need a water feature in your garden – and in your life!

Do you suffer from the worries of 21st century living? Mental or physical health problems; emotional stress; anxiety; high blood pressure or insomnia? Or perhaps you feel your life simply needs to tune into the calmness of nature? There are many reasons why water in the garden is a positive addition on many different levels, and not just in a 'cascade' sense!

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Here's six reasons why a crab apple could be the tree for you!

If you have the desire to plant a tree in your garden, and, let’s face it, there’s are fewer more rewarding tasks, why should you consider the humble crab apple? The retort is “why not?”. There are so many benefits to this tree that it soon becomes obvious: you’ve just got to have one!

Here's six wonderful features of a tree that's so easy to please:

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HERE'S SIX REASONS why installing a pond into a garden is a great idea!

Water in a garden immediately changes the ambience of an outdoor space. In fact, a pond or water feature has been shown to improve mood and make people feel healthier and happier. Ponds reflect light, add interest to outdoor space and provide a reason to explore the surroundings. Why are ponds good for us? Here’s six reasons why you might want to include water in your garden.  Continue reading →

Enjoy spring flowers and new life during the delightful month of March

We are now officially in the period of meteorological spring and before long we will reach astronomical spring which commences on 20 March. Whichever way you look at it, we are on the turn and the most exciting of seasons is just about upon us.

Spring flowers are an uplifting sight! Welcome to the new season.

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RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch: Five reasons to participate

If there’s one huge advantage of the winter season in the garden, it’s birds! It’s such a great time to see these feathery friends without too much undergrowth or cover obstructing the view. Attract birds to your garden by leaving out some food and water and you’ll be amazed just how quickly they flock to your patch. There’s no better season to start feeding birds, just in time to participate in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch which takes place from 28-30 January. Start feeding now to ensure you have a regular flow of visitors before you need to record them.
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The English Landscape Style

One might view a typical English landscape and assume it is natural. But is it? This is a year in which birthday congratulations are owed to a remarkable landscape architect. Capability Brown actually helped to create the English landscape as we recognise it today. He moulded hills and valleys into the archetypal  scenery that we believe to be natural.

Gatton Park near Reigate is a beautiful Capability Brown landscape near Reigate in Surrey.

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10 steps to install a GREEN ROOF on your shed, or even your home

A green roof...why would you install such a thing? Your shed looks perfectly 'shed-like' with its roofing felt. In fact it's just a shed and you barely give it a second glance.

A garden shed. How boring is that?

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Do you have five 'Gardening Friends'?  Tell us who they are...

Everybody needs friends and most gardeners feel they have many. There's all those lovely plants of course; the creatures in the pond; the birds that visit the table and of course the people that gardeners meet during any sort of garden-related activity. It's no surprise that gardeners generally accumulate a network of like-minded pals. There's the local horticultural club or garden society; the allotmenteers; the neighbours who share plants and information; the garden centre buddies; the elderly residents who are grateful to have a bit of help. When you garden, a budding social world presents itself.
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