Would you like to WIN this herb wheel from Grange? 

It's competition time and you are invited to enter this competition to win a wooden herb wheel planter from Perfectplants.co.uk. You will find it easy to grow herbs, vegetables and fruit in a UK garden once you feel inspired. In fact you can create a healthy growing corner within even a tiny space.  Perfect Plants Ltd is delighted to offer you the chance to WIN a wooden herb wheel planter which will enable you to separate out your herbs in great style! Look further down the page to find details of how to enter the competition. ‍ WIN this wooden herb wheel which has six separate compartments!

 

How to start growing your own.

People are really embracing the grow your own  movement and it has rarely been so popular. Values regarding food seem to be moving towards a full circle from the days of yore when digging for victory was a necessity. The realisation that growing food is not only useful but healthy and fun is gradually dawning and a recent survey suggests that over a quarter of British adults now grow some sort of produce. More of us are expressing an interest in growing vegetables. People love to pick fresh herbs, strawberries or perhaps colourful cherry tomatoes from a handy hanging basket. Others like their children to experience hunting for underground treasure such as potatoes which can grow in a simple hessian sack or bag. Whatever the motivation, it's a 'win-win' situation! ‍

Growing potatoes in a bag is really easy!

As sweet as sugar?

People are beginning to realise that processed foods often contain what might be regarded as unnatural and therefore potentially dubious ingredients, generally served with a sprinkling of hidden sugar.  What's wrong with sugar? Some say that it is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet, causing harmful effects on the metabolism and possibly contributing to many different types of disease. ‍

Sugar can be addictive! It can also be harmful.

In fact, there are no essential nutrients in the stuff.

No proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals. Sugar can therefore lead to nutritional deficiencies and, just as importantly, it can feed bacteria already in the body, allowing them to get out of hand.  Other problems centred around sugar concern the liver which can relatively easily be overloaded leading to a condition known as fatty liver. None of these problems applies to fruit, however, as the fructose is more easily accessed and processed.

 

Ready to turn your back on sugar in favour of 'grow your own' delights?

‍What could be easier than growing an apple tree in your back garden?

Five easy plants for the vegetable garden:

Runner beans and French beans:

They can romp away without too much nurturing. They do need canes but once they are up and running, they'll virtually look after themselves. The French variety can even be grown in tubs just outside the kitchen door. ‍

Runner beans are fun to grow. They just need a climbing support and will provide fresh food all summer long.

Potatoes:

Just chit them (sprout in other words), stick them under the soil either in the ground or in a potato growing bag, mound earth over the top once they start sprouting, keep earthing up and they are ready when the tops go yellow and droopy. ‍

Growing potatoes is a rewarding grow-your-own project. Hunting for underground treasure is all part of the harvesting fun!

Courgettes:

Once the seeds have sprouted, courgettes will grow and grow! Tip: start off these frost-tender young plants indoors (or buy small plants), then put them out once the weather's warm.  Give them a sheltered, sunny site and remember, these plants need a lot of space! Planting distance is 100cms between little plantlets. Two or three will be enough for most households  and you'll have some left over for the neighbour too. They will soon cover the space and supply you with wonderful, plump fruits which will need harvesting at least twice per week. They taste much better when they are small, so don't be tempted to leave them as they will turn into marrows! ‍ Courgettes are wonderfully versatile

vegetables that are easy to grow. Small courgette plants will grow into giants!     

Cut and come again salad:

This is so easy just sprinkle the seeds onto compost within in a tray and once it grows into leaves, keep on cutting throughout the summer. You should eat the leaves when they are young and tender. Keep on a windowsill or greenhouse so the slugs don't harvest the leaves before you arrive! ‍ Cut and come again salad is a great thing to grow on the windowsill

Herbs:

You can plant herbs close to the kitchen and many of them will keep going, year after year. What can you grow? Try growing rosemary; chives; sage; thyme; mint and many more delights. Have a go with annual herbs too which  can be grown from seed and kept outdoors during the summer including basil and coriander too. Top tip: ensure your herbs get enough light! You can use light-coloured paving or a mirror to reflect light upon them which will help them to grow more prolifically. ‍

Chamomile is a charming herb that is easy to grow at home. ‍

Chervil is delicious! Use it with egg dishes or blended with other herbs. Chervil is also known as the happy herb! ‍

Oregano, or Margoram, is tasty with Italian food and buying just one plant will enable you to have herbs forever! Cut and come again, this perennial will keep producing more foliage for you to eat. Oregano can also be used in the border or as an edging. It can even be planted in dry stone walls and in the cracks between paving. ‍

There are several different varieties of mint and each one has a subtly different flavour. This one is Pineapple mint and it's delicious!

Special offer: buy six herbs and pay for five (+p&p) from www.perfectplants.co.uk.

Everyone's a winner - even if you don't win the herb wheel planter you can take advantage of this special herb offer: The special offer applies to herbs growing in an 11cm diameter pot with a retail price of £2.99 each. The total price for six herbs will be £14.95 (+p&p) instead of £17.94 (+p&p) and the discount will automatically be deducted at the checkout stage. You can look at the herbs on offer HERE. Varieties include oregano, mace, pennyroyal, chervil, mint, thyme, borage, horseradish, tarragon, wild rocket, rue, lemon balm, lovage and more! ‍

Herbs are great for a grow your own project. They are easy to grow and delicious to use in the kitchen

Win a wooden herb wheel from Grange!

Herbs like to have free-draining soil and a sunny spot in the garden, so a free-standing herb wheel allows you to position them in the best possible spot. Grange (www.grangefen.co.uk) is giving away a wooden herb wheel to one lucky reader in a spring competition! The retail value from Perfectplants.co.uk is £49.30 (+p&p). ‍

This wooden herb wheel from Grange requires simple assembly. Site it in a sunny spot and enjoy a whole season and more of grow your own herbs!

How to enter

Compose an original herb-related short poem or even a photo with an appropriate caption.  Email your entry to: info@perfectplants.co.uk. The closing date is mid-day on Wednesday, 12 April 2017. ‍

Enter the competition by mid-day on Wednesday 12 April! Send us your herb-related poems! Perfect Plants is looking for an original and possibly amusing entry and every single one will be considered. Entrants are deemed to have accepted that their entries can be reproduced on-line and in print by Perfectplants.co.uk. Please see the Terms & Conditions at the bottom of the page.   ‍

Make Perfect Plants smile with your witty herb-related poem, limerick or photo caption and you could be a lucky winner!  

TERMS & CONDITIONS

The prize for this competition is one wooden herb wheel from Grange (www.grangefen.co.uk). This multi-compartmental planter is considered to be ideal for growing herbs. The hexagonal design provides six sectioned growing spaces. The easy to assemble planter is made from a natural pressure treated timber, providing protection against rot and decay.

Size

The size of the herb planter is approximately 103cms in diameter x 16cms tall.

Characteristics

Timber is a natural product and will be subject to movement and weathering as it seasons. It is not uncommon for small splits to occur (called shakes) in timber when drying, and for warping when timber is allowed to dry too rapidly. These will normally disappear from view when humidity rises. This is nature at work and should not be considered a fault. Acceptable limits are defined in the relevant British Standards. The herb wheel is produced by Grange, a leading garden timber fencing and products supplier. Established in 1868, Grange has 147 years of experience and an established reputation for quality and excellence in the fencing industry.

More details

The winner should receive the prize within 10 working days of winning the competition. The closing date is noon, Wednesday 12 April 2017, UK time zone. Only one entry per person is allowed. The competition is open to UK residents with a UK delivery address, aged 18 or older. The competition is not open to employees and relatives of Perfect Plants Ltd. Perfectplants.co.uk will be responsible for selecting the winner of the herb wheel. Perfect Plants Ltd. will inform the winner via email within 7 days of the closing date of this competition. The competition is organised by Perfect Plants Ltd: Flowers Green Nursery, Church Road, Herstmonceux, East Sussex BN27 1RL. Grange has kindly donated the prize: Grange Fencing Limited, Halesfield 21, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4PA. Tel: 01952 588 088. Any person entering the competition is deemed to have read, understood and agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions.