The Garden Magazine

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In spring there is a lot of tidying up to do in the garden, all the winter leaves and rubbish that collect, and those plants that need spring pruning. As space is at a premium in most modern gardens you nedd something easy and ‘user friendly’ to gather up your rubbish.

I use a Spring Bucket - it holds tons of rubbish and is lightweight and easy to carry. It’s is great for fallen leaves, grass clippings, weeds, plant material and so on. The one I use is the Toro which is made from mildew resistant and UV treated mesh-supported plastic canvas, and it has an extra strong sleeved spring for secure upright standing. The four cushioned handles make lifting and emptying the bucket easier and more comfortable. The spring bucket also comes with a quick, detachable and adjustable length free rotating shoulder strap with a padded shoulder pad. To open or collapse the Spring Bucket you simply attach or detach two quick connectors.

Leaving rubbish around your garden at this time of year is to invite pests and diseases in and welcome them with open arms. The thing I like most about the Toro is that it collapses so small I can store it in the corner of my shed without using up too much space. It comes in handy when I’ve got large amounts of stuff to carry round the garden as well, not just as a rubbish container.

I had planned to write about some of my plans for the water features in my garden - I want to do some new things this year but something far more important has happened!  Whilst peering into the depths of our pond this morning what  should my other half spy but a huge mass of Frog Spawn…. Spring has Sprung - even though we are being battered to death by high winds and rain.

It never ceases to delight me that we have managed to create an environment where frogs, newts and toads live in relative harmony, the birds dip in and out of the pond, dragonflies flash around over the water showing off their bright colours whilst the fish do the same in the water.   It is enormously satisfying to watch this hive of activity only three feet from the patio doors that open out from our Dining Room.   One of my favourite activities, if you could call it that, is to sit outside on the Garden Bench next to the pond with an early morning cup of tea and just watch the comings and goings of all the various creatures as they go about their business.   It makes all the effort and work that went into creating that little spot so worth it - the only downside is you have to watch out for baby frogs that wander into the house when you leave the patio doors open!  I don’t quite know who jumps highest - them or me…

Garden Water features are so much a part of what we expect to find in our gardens that they are almost one of the first things that goes into your garden plan. However in these days of climate change we do have to consider carefully the use of that precious resource – water.

I live in an agricultural area that is prone to flooding so it may seem a little ironic for me to talking about preserving water but, along with the floods, we get some baking hot weather that has the clay soil in my garden drying out and cracking like craters on the moon. We lurch from one extreme to the other and I think we have to accept that this is the way life is going to be from now on and take adequate steps to ensure the well being of our gardens, especially if you depend on them for your food.

The first water feature that has to be considered in my opinion is a water butt or some form of storing rain water – as much as you can. You can use ‘grey water’ from baths, showers and so on but you shouldn’t really store it for more than 24 hours for garden use. If you run out and it’s dry that is when you turn to your water butts. They are relatively inexpensive and it is worth investing in a good quality one with a tap at the bottom, and a stand so you can draw off the water easily. Simple to fit on your downpipes they can soon repay the investment by reducing your water charges. The amount of rain that runs off any roof is enormous and if you can harness that you will be helping your pocket as well as the environment.

Welcome to my online Garden magazine. I love to garden, it is something I have enjoyed for as long as I can remember. There is nothing more satisfying to me than wandering round outside, tweaking at plants, selecting freshly grown vegetables for our meal, or just sitting in the peaceful surroundings of our garden.

There are so many aspects to gardening these days, organic or not, container or open ground, hydroponics, square foot and so - as many theories about the best way to garden as there are plants I expect. I am going to share with you my experiences and opinions on all of these and maybe pass on the tips that have come down through my family for generations and I am fortunate enough to live in an area which is fertile and kind to the gardener - though I ‘ve had my fair share of tough gardens in the past!

Gardeners are a friendly bunch - they share their produce and their knowledge - I can’t share the former with you (unless you happen by) but I can share the latter and you can dip in here just as you would your favorite garden magazine.