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6 ways to get your garden party-ready for summer

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Award-winning garden designer Chris Beardshaw offers tips on planting, lights and show-stopping centrepieces. By Hannah Stephenson.

With lockdown restrictions easing, there’s likely to be a lot of entertaining going on in back gardens throughout summer.

So, is your garden party-ready – where guests will be able to sit in comfort, savour the beautiful plants around them, and enjoy the atmosphere late into the night?

Of course, your own home-grown cut flowers will always pretty up a table, while sprigs of lavender or other herbs could add a scented accent to your place settings.

“All the research shows there’s a generation of gardeners, who have been exposed to the opportunity of getting outside, growing plants and experiencing the green world around them as a result of being locked-down,” says award-winning garden designer, Chris Beardshaw.

“One of the ways to keep that focus going is to provide opportunities in our gardens for increased socialising and increased sharing in the garden. People can enrich their garden without it becoming hardcore gardening.”

Beardshaw, who is supporting Readly, an online subscription service to consumer magazines including major gardening titles, offers the following tips…

1. Plant a riot of colour

“Plant up containers of colour. Take any container – basically if it has a hole in the bottom and you can put gravel and compost into it and stick it somewhere with light, you can grow something,” says Beardshaw.

“Choreograph those containers – perhaps with colour coordination, or with particular design approaches which suit the rest of your garden or your interiors or particular passion – so you get that instant colour creating a wow factor.

“Of course, the best range of plants to use for this are the annuals, the live-fast die-young plants, and short-term perennials such as dahlias and chrysanthemums, or perhaps bulbs like galtonias and leucanthemums. They create a chic, stylish look.”

2. Make a floral ice bowl centrepiece

“If you have two bowls which are interlocking (one smaller than the other), you can pour water between the two, then put it into the freezer and as it starts to freeze, layer on the petals like geraniums, cistus and nasturtiums as a veneer, and then keep topping up with water between the two bowls.

“When your guests arrive, you remove the inner bowl (by filling it with warm water), upturn the bigger bowl and you then have a complete iced bowl decorated with petals.

“You could fill it with fruit or ice cream as the entertaining takes place. It’s a great summer centrepiece.”

3. Create ambience

“Make sure you’ve got cushions and blankets and throws, which really extend internal furnishings into the great outdoors. Corral seats around a firepit or under a parasol, where people can feel a bit more at home and a bit more willing to sit outside later in the evening and listen to the way nature is putting itself to bed, and maybe owls and other creatures making themselves heard.”

4. Wow guests with wildlife

“Choose plants which are more biodiverse and wildlife-friendly, with more open flower, things like cistus for instance, anthemis, the wonderful daisy flowers, an advertising hoarding for insects.

“Angelica is also very good, along with alliums and astrantias, where you have cluster flowers that are bringing in insects. You’ll not only see beautiful butterflies but also night-time moths.”

5. Enjoy home-grown party food

“Growing your own is a fantastic experience of gardening, with the rich flavours and satisfaction you get, and you’ll also have a knock-on admiration from anyone you invite in, as they munch on your lettuce or rocket, or fresh strawberries warmed by summer sunshine. Your guest will be in love with your dining style forever.

“If you are growing produce in containers, go for short-rooted varieties. So if you are growing carrots or beetroot, go for the dwarf types; if you are growing salads, go for the cut-and-come-again varieties, where you can harvest them and they’ll keep growing back relentlessly.

“If you do have a glasshouse, conservatory or porch, you can grow things like peaches. A home-produced peach is like nothing else. You might not get many of them, but they are sweet, juicy and delicious.”

6. Add subtle lighting

“In my own garden, we don’t shy away from subtle lighting. We have old-fashioned festoon-style lightbulbs, which are solar powered and have little LEDs in them.

“They hang from some of the trees, shrubs and bushes to give a moonlight wash, a subtle extension of the internal lighting of the house.”

Visit readly.com/gardening for more information.

How to get your community involved in wildlife pursuits this summer

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Encourage your neighbours, friends and relatives to connect with nature for 30 Days Wild, urges The Wildlife Trusts.

How can you reconnect with nature? It could be taking your breakfast outside to start the day, listening to the birds, reading a wildlife book or photographing a ladybird.

Connecting with wildlife and reconnecting with families and friends in the process is hugely important, says The Wildlife Trusts (wildlifetrusts.org), organisers of the 30 Days Wild campaign throughout June, in which gardeners and the wider public are being encouraged to carry out one ‘random act of wildness’ every day for a month.

You may want to start simple – putting out a birdbath, or stacking up some logs in a forgotten corner for insects – or you could join the campaign trail, writing to your MP to ask for more local action for nature and wildlife.

Ian Jelley, director of living landscapes for Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, explains: “The whole premise of 30 Days Wild is about people engaging with nature more often. People individually can make a big difference to the species on their doorstep, but also need to take collective action to help bring our wildlife back.”

Encourage neighbours

“The key is to share enthusiasm and what everyone can enjoy if you all work together. As a charity we have been trying to do more landscape-scale conservation where more people work together. If people are inspired by people they know and live near, it’s really powerful,” says Jelley.

Share experiences

“We moved into our house in November, put in a trail camera and discovered we had a hedgehog in our garden and I started having a conversation with the neighbours, asking them if they had hedgehogs in their garden.

“A hedgehog moves through quite a large area when it’s feeding, so it needs access to gardens. One of the challenges is that a lot of gardens are fenced or have a wall, so hedgehogs can’t access the gardens so easily,” he says.

“Talk to neighbours to see if they can help create a corridor by cutting a small hole in the bottom of their garden fence. Then the neighbour can share stories of what the hedgehog was doing in their garden and it starts to feel like it’s a community pet, with shared responsibility for looking after its welfare.”

Connect through social media

“There is a 30 Days Wild Facebook group which is a great example of how people from all walks of life share their experiences of wildlife, ask for help in identifying something, or support each other with practical ideas on how to make space for nature,” explains Jelley.

“Technology is a brilliant way of recording wildlife, but it’s also a brilliant way of celebrating it. There are loads of different groups on social media platforms who are sharing stories of what they’ve encountered and asking questions about species.”

Join or set up a community group

“If you have a shared community green space within an urban area, there is an opportunity to influence that to help wildlife,” he notes. “We work with social housing providers to help them manage their land. Often these providers will engage the residents that live there and ask them what they’d like to see – to accommodate what is good for wildlife, but is also interesting for people.

“You might get involved in creating a wildflower meadow. It doesn’t have to be a huge field. You can create a wildflower meadow in a raised bed or a pot or at the side of a shrubbery.”

You can get all generations involved too. The charity suggests recording some older community members talking about their most treasured wild memories as part of a wild time capsule project.

Create neighbourhood competitions

Challenge the next village along to build the best bug hotel, for instance, the charity suggests.

Think about doing less

“Sometimes with wildlife, it’s actually about doing less. If you’re cutting back verges or hedges less often, you are providing more natural conditions for wildlife. Engage with decision-makers and people who manage the green space around you, which is a powerful community influence.”

Donate wildlife-friendly gifts

Donate nest boxes to a local school, business or care home, which will not only give the recipients a connection to nature, but encourage neighbours and friends to do the same, to cast the natural network wider, The Wildlife Trusts suggests.

Learn from allotment holders

“[Allotments] are fantastic places for wildlife. They are a lifeline for species like slow worms and other reptiles that rely on compost heaps and the conditions allotments provide,” says Jelley.

“Allotment holders are often very knowledgeable about the need for bees and butterflies, to grow the crops they are trying to grow.”

Access specialist groups

“There are specialist groups around the country for all sorts of different things. The Wildlife Trusts can help signpost people to them. If people don’t know where to start, contact your local wildlife trust to find out what’s happening in your area,” says Jelley.

“The local trusts will often be running activities and events, but are also the facilitators of more specialist groups, such as those who are interested in bats or dragonflies or whatever. They are keen to pass on that knowledge and to help newcomers learn about stuff on a basic level.”

For more ideas and to join in the fun at 30 Days Wild visit wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild.

How to make skincare products out of garden plants

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An expert offers a guide to making bath bombs, spritzes and soaps from common garden plants.

Want to create your own bath fizzers, soaps and other skincare favourites with botanicals from your own garden?

If you grow roses, chamomile, lavender and other common plants, you can use them in your regular skincare routines, says organic gardener Tanya Anderson, founder of Lovely Greens (lovelygreens.com) and author of A Woman’s Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants And Make Useful Things, a guide to how you can use your garden plants to aid wellbeing.

“We tend to think of botanicals as plant extracts that come pre-packaged, but the truth is that you can transform chamomile, roses, lavender, and even more exotic plants, into high-end skincare in the average kitchen,” she insists.

“You don’t need a huge amount of space,” she continues. “You can grow plants in pots or window boxes, or even forage for plants such as chickweed.”

Which plants should we grow for skincare?

Cucumbers are a soothing astringent, the roots of echinacea can be made into a tincture or glycerite, which is beneficial for healing skin, while soaking the roots of marsh mallow in water can provide a cooling and hydrating infusion for the skin, she says.

Rosemary, thyme violet and peppermint also have beneficial properties for skin, she adds.

Anyone with an indoor space could grow an aloe plant, for the obvious benefits the gel from a leaf can provide to soothe sunburn or regenerate tired skin.

“Different plants have different functions for your skin. Some promote healing, so if you have eczema or acne, it can help create regenerative tissue. Other plants have properties which make them humectant (which can draw moisture from the air).

“Some plants have natural tannins which help to tighten skin, so you can use them as toners. Witch hazel, for instance, has tannins in it. You use the extract in firming lotions and creams, while lady’s mantle also has tannins which helps to tighten skin as well.

“If you’re a beginner, I’d grow gentle plants which are also edible. Chamomile, for instance, is fantastic for regenerative skincare, as is calendula. They can both be used as edible flowers, in calming tea, or in skincare.”

What about carrier oils?

To make herbal oils, you’ll need a carrier oil suitable for your skin type, she says.

“My favourite carrier oil is sweet almond oil, which is popular when used in massage. Those on a budget might use extra virgin olive oil, if your skin isn’t too oily.

“Coconut oil is good for your skin but can cause breakouts if you use it on your face – but we all have different skin types, so it’s a matter of trial and error and research.”

Projects to try

Create herbal oils

To do this, steep dried plant material in a carrier oil and you’ll end up with a solution which may be coloured or scented, which will contain fat-soluble components from the plant, she says.

The oil can be made by filling a jar halfway with dried plant material – such as calendula flowers – and then fill it up with a light carrier oil, such as sweet almond or grapeseed.

Leave it for two to six weeks in a warm spot out of direct sunlight, strain through a sieve and the finished product can be used to make massage oil, salves, lotions and cleansers.

Rose petal facial mist

“This is an easy one. To make the rose petal skin toner, you make a glycerite (from vegetable glycerine, which you can buy, and distilled water) and infuse those rose petals into it.”

Add that to a rose tea infusion, made by putting rose petals into distilled scalding water and then turning off the heat, putting a lid on the pan and allowing them to steep for 20 minutes, she advises.

“Shake it all together in a spray bottle. It’s a very light astringent which smells lovely, and the vegetable glycerine helps to promote moisture. Use it any time, but make a small amount, because it doesn’t last very long. Keeping it in the fridge will help it last longer.”

Herbal bath fizzies

“These are among the easiest things to make – and make great gifts. You combine bicarbonate of soda with citric acid and Epsom salts and then meld them together with herb-infused oil with dried herbs in it. It’s very safe and you can make it with the kids.

“The fizzies have infused oil in them. The fizziness is just for fun but the oil will float to the surface of the bath water and when you get out of the bath, that layer of oil will coat your skin and help to condition it afterwards.”

Easy soap

“If you are going to make soap from scratch, it is home chemistry, but you can buy pre-made organic ‘melt and pour’ soap bases, which you can cut into cubes and microwave, and once it’s liquefied then you can add an infused oil and dried herbs afterwards.

“You have to work quickly, pour it into moulds and it will firm up.”

A Woman’s Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants And Make Useful Things by Tanya Anderson is published by Cool Springs Press, priced £18.99. Available now

How to build a raised bed in your garden

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There has never been a better time to grow your own vegetables, but not all of us have a plot to do it. So, if an allotment is a no-go and you don’t want to dig up your lawn, a raised bed could be the answer.

You can make them as big or small as you require, buy or build your own, install it wherever you like, and then all you need to do is get planting.

They’re a great way to remodel your garden, are easier to manage and are also a good option for new-build gardens, where soil quality can be a problem.

First things first, you need to choose a suitable location for your raised bed, says Marcus Eyles, horticultural director of Dobbies Garden Centres. “This will depend on the plants you want to grow. If it’s for shade-loving plants, then it will need to be in the shadier parts of your garden.

“If it’s for vegetables, it must be in an open position that is not under trees and ideally in full sun or only partial shade. This location would also apply to most flower beds, as they require plenty of sunshine. To stop the raised bed from becoming waterlogged, the ground must be well drained.”

What you’ll need

To build your raised bed, you’ll need sleepers (if you’re going to build your own), or a wooden or metal kit if you prefer a ready-made option. You’ll need some tools too – a hammer, spade and screws, nails or bolts. Then you’ll need membrane (to keep the weeds out), top soil and peat-free compost to fill.

“You can buy everything you need at your local garden centre,” says Eyles. “You’ll also be able to shop online, but when it comes to materials, I always recommend buying in person, so you can see and feel the quality.”

Whether you build your own or buy a kit is all down to personal preference. A bespoke one can be tailored to fit your space, notes Eyles, and advises you consider the style of your garden when deciding. “Sleepers are chunky and robust for larger beds. Ready-made kits are lightweight, easier to transport and great for beginners.” It’s also worth noting beds built from pressure-treated and heavy-duty products like sleepers, are likely to last the longest.

If you opt for a kit, setting up your raised bed can be done and dusted in a few hours. Building your own with sleepers is likely to take about a day, depending on the size of your space.

Step-by-step guide to building a raised bed

1. Measure out the space required.

2. Level the area, removing any debris or grass.

3. Ensure the soil you are building on is free of perennial weeds.

4. Put the boards, panels or sleepers into position and attach them together with the appropriate fixings.

5. Ensure the corners are right angles.

6. Lay the membrane to stop weeds coming through, and then fill it with top soil and peat-free compost mixed together. You’ll need two thirds top soil to one third peat-free compost, says Eyles.

What can you grow in a raised bed?

Eyles suggests growing ericaceous plants (from the heather family), as you can fill the bed with the acid soil they love; alpines and/or herbs, as they like free draining soils; or vegetables. Salad leaves, spinach, kale, beans, peas, potatoes, carrots, courgettes, radishes and onions are all pretty straightforward for beginners to grow.

Why not get the kids involved, too? “All of these are easy to grow and great for children to start from seed, so young gardeners can watch and learn how they grow and produce their crops during the season, from start to finish,” he says.

For more expert advice and seasonal trend insights, listen to the Dobbies gardening podcast, available on iTunes and Spotify.

6 imaginative ways to use grow bags in small spaces

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Ditch ugly black plastic grow bags for some more versatile versions to help you grow fruit and veg in a small space, says Hannah Stephenson.

If you tend to grow your tomatoes and other veg in unsightly plastic grow bags, it might be time to think again.

Self taught gardener Kevin Espiritu, author of a new book Grow Bag Gardening, offers a wealth of different growing ideas for alternative fabric grow bags, rather than just the typical black plastic ones you ordinarily see.

He says that most available fabric grow bags “are made from recycled plastic, which at the very least means they’ve already gone through the recycling process once and will last for quite a while.” Meanwhile, you’ll be able to track down others made of jute or hessian, which will degrade over time.

The advantages of grow bags

You’ll be able to find grow bags in an array of shapes and sizes, from circular to rectangular and multi-pocketed, which will accommodate the smallest space on a balcony or a tiny garden. And for Generation Rent, they’re also easy to move and cheaper than terracotta and other decorative containers.

“Their portability, flexibility and air pruning benefits effectively delete the downsides of growing in containers that many gardeners face,” Espiritu observes. While plants that outgrow their pots end up with a mass of roots circling the base of the plant, if you use a permeable grow bag, the roots get an air-rich environment low in water and nutrients, which causes the tips of the roots to die, signalling the plant to produce new roots elsewhere in the root system, he explains. This extends the length of time a plant can be grown in a grow bag before it needs repotting.

Of course, if you’re using grow bags on a balcony or on surfaces you don’t want the water to seep on to, place the bag on a high-sided terracotta tray or saucer to catch excess moisture, or custom make a reservoir from a wooden crate lined with pond liner to accommodate a number of bags.

Here, Espiritu offers gardeners with even the smallest spaces some ideas on how to make the most of their grow bags…

1. Stir-fry grow bag

Create your own stir-fry ready bag of veg and greens. “I have one now where you can grow sage, thyme, oregano, coriander and basil – then on the top I have Asian greens including pak choi, Asian mustard, so I could make a quick stir fry simply from that bag, which takes up very little space. If you’re a small-space gardener, that’s a really good bet. That bag would take around 30 litres of compost.

“If some of your herbs, like coriander, bolt (run to seed), it’s easy to replenish. As you are cramming so many plants in one bag, harvest them more often, gently pull them out and plant a replacement into the pocket, so you can succession-plant as the season progresses.

“Alternatively, plant herbs that are likely to bolt in their own bags, to place in a shadier spot during hot weather, to stop them bolting so quickly.”

2. Fruit tree in a bag

“If you are in a relatively cold area, grow a citrus, which you could move in and out fairly easily in a grow bag. To grow a fruit tree, you’d need a big bag that would hold around 100 litres of compost. I would recommend buying a tree that’s on dwarfing rootstock, which is more naturally a small plant. They will live happily in a grow bag for around a decade, I reckon.

“With fruit trees you would need to top dress and feed with a granular fertiliser, because if you use soluble fertiliser and then water, you’ll water the nutrients right out of the bag, which is permeable. I would even mulch the surface with leaves or compost to protect the layer.”

3. Mini allotment

“If you are a renter with a small back garden, you can roll out a large grow bag and build a raised bed in seconds. I like making an artistic vegetable garden, so I have Chinese cabbage in the middle and mizunas in different colours at the sides and it almost looks like a little art piece.”

4. Multiple mints and strawberries

“Mints are invasive, so you need to plant them on their own. I’d take a couple of varieties and plant them all together, then at least they won’t colonise anything else, so you could have a variety of minted teas or leaves to add to salads.

“Or you could plant strawberries, which throw out a lot of runners, in an individual grow bag, so they don’t take over a whole patch of ground.”

5. Balcony climbers

“Grow vertically in a small space, adding bamboo trellises or canes into the grow bag, growing peas, sweet peas and ornamental climbers as well as French and runner beans. You’d only need as much soil as you would in a standard container, but the grow bag will be much lighter.”

6. Perfect for pollinators

“Grow bags can also fill spaces in your border as the season progresses. Fill your grow bag with nectar-rich plants to attract insects to the bed.

“Typically in a small space you want to grow food, but in a larger garden you may want flowers too. I place good plants for pollinators in grow bags near the vegetables, which should encourage insects to pollinate the flowers and give me better crops.

“So, if I have tomatoes or cucumbers that need more pollination, I group grow bags of pollinator-attracting plants that I can move at will. Nasturtiums will bring in larger pollinators like bees, but they also attract aphids away from your vegetable plants.”

Where to buy fabric grow bags

You can buy a variety of grow bags in all shapes, sizes and materials, through stockists of Smart Pot (smartpots.com) and Haxnicks (haxnicks.co.uk), and through online retailers including Amazon (amazon.co.uk) and Crocus (crocus.co.uk).

Grow Bag Gardening by Kevin Espiritu is published by Cool Springs Press, priced £14.99. Available March 16.

16 of the Best Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

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From gorgeous garden wear and robust tools to heavenly houseplants, check out our gift guide for gardeners.

Whether the person you are buying for is new grower or an experienced green-fingered guru, there is a wealth of gifts out there that they will love this Christmas.

And as well as sorting your festive shopping for gardening friends or relatives, a scroll through our top 16 presents might just provide some inspiration for your own wish list.

Here’s our pick of the gifts for gardeners indoors and out.

1. Dexshell Fair Isle Waterproof Beanie (£25, aquaproofs.com)

This waterproof Fair Isle beanie is a must for gardeners who don’t let rain dampen their spirits or put paid to their efforts in the garden. It’ll keep gardeners warm and dry with its super-soft fleece lining and wind-and-rainproof membrane.

2. Personalised fork and trowel set (£25.87, Amazon)

You can personalise this traditional wooden-handled stainless steel fork and trowel set with own message or perhaps the recipient’s name. Each tool can have up to 30 characters.

3. A Christmas Cook’s Garden (£20, The Gluttonous Gardener, glut.co.uk)

This festive gift set gives you the ingredients you need to grow your own herbs, along with aromatic spices for mulled wine. The pack includes seeds for sage, rosemary and thyme, as well as cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise, along with growing instructions and recipes.

4. Upcycled vintage spoon garden plant markers (£15 for set of three, Amazon)

If you’re into vintage, you’ll love this set of three upcycled vintage teaspoon garden markers which can be personalised with the plant, vegetable or herb name of your choice. The spoons have been flattened and the words are hand-stamped onto them, so perfect for the gardener who has everything.

5. Caledonian Tiered Raised Bed (£121.99, forestgarden.co.uk)

Another space-saver for people who want to grow flowers, fruit and veg but don’t have enough room – the answer is to grow upwards. This planter can hold 250L of compost and the frame comes pre-notched so is quick and easy to assemble. Remember to line the trough with a permeable membrane if you are using it to grow food.

6. Barry’s Cactus Club subscription (£15 for a one-time gift; £42 for a 3 month subscription; £156 for 12 month subscription, barryscactusclub.com)

This is a brilliant idea for people who love these prickly plants and want to get a bit of a collection going, to put on their desk, or line up on shelves or windowsills. Each month the recipient will receive a surprise mini cactus or succulent and a specially designed ceramic pot that you won’t find anywhere else, plus in the first box you’ll get a few other goodies. Perfect for those who like low maintenance plants and fancy some new desk buddies.

7. Wildlife Letterbox Gift (£19.99, Suttons, suttons.co.uk)

Letterbox gift sets have now landed at Suttons for you to send to friends and relatives who aren’t going to be joining you during the festive season. You can choose from five different types – from chilli, herb, fragrant, vegetable and wildlife. The wildlife set comes with floral seed mixes, twine, mini secateurs, exfoliating soap and a pressed flower kit.

8. Veritable Classic Garden White Indoor cultivation garden (£137.10, Amazon)

This ingenious high-tech self-sufficient garden incorporates lighting with a colour spectrum adapted specifically for edible plants, enabling you to grow herbs all year round easily indoors. You don’t need any natural light, its clever automatic irrigation system will water plants for three to four weeks, and it comes with four seed kits so you can get growing straight away.

9. Iris & Lady Moore Charity Candle (£49, Jo Malone, jomalone.co.uk)

A gorgeous irises design adorns the casing of this deliciously scented charity candle, which has a burn time of around 45 hours. For each charity candle you buy, Jo Malone will make a donation equal to 75% of the price to charities which support people affected by mental health.

10. Cast iron boot brush and jack (£23.95, Harrod Horticultural, harrodhorticultural.com)

This is a must for those of us who struggle to remove their muddy boots at the end of the day and don’t know where to start when it comes to cleaning them. The tough brush bristles should remove a lot of the dirt, while the specially shaped jack will prise off the tightest boots.

11. House of Plants game (£14.99 Dobbies Garden Centres, in store only)

Who doesn’t love a Christmas game? And when it has a gardening theme even better for the green-fingered among us. The plant-themed card game is perfect for millennials and plant lovers as they build up their own urban jungles.

12. Priestlands Birch Scrub-Up and Celebrate gift set (£32.99, Suttons.co.uk)

After a long day of gardening, pamper yourself with these soaps, dry skin rescue oil and lip balm, and there’s even a spirit you can serve over ice – all derived from various parts of the birch tree.

13. Jane coin purse – Bumblebee Garden (£44.95, willbeesbespoke.com)

This beautiful new handmade range, The Bee Garden Collection, is a new collaboration between Will Bees Bespoke and former head of design at Liberty Art Fabrics, Emma Mawston, featuring designs inspired by the flora and bees native to Devon and Cornwall. Handmade in England, with free personalisation – you can have the purse embossed with initials – it also comes with a small pack of wildflower seeds to attract bees.

14. Trumpet peony plant support (from £34, Harrod Horticultural, harrodhorticultural.com)

There are some really stylish plant supports on the market – but some are less noticeable and let the plants do the talking and, if that’s your preference, this rust-coloured peony support fits the bill. Available in two heights and four diameters, it will keep your plants propped up without stealing their thunder.

15. Festive Kilner (from £7.50, Rosebud Preserves, rosebudpreserves.co.uk)

Festive mincemeat, chutney, marmalade and pickle all go down well at Christmas, but if your loved one fancies a go at making their own next year, these robust Kilner jars from Rosebud which come packed with flavoursome fare can be reused next year when gardening fans want to have a go at preserving their own harvests.

16. Personalised gardening calendar (£14.99, gettingpersonal.co.uk)

Planning for the next season is always high on the gardener’s list of to-dos, so let them see in the New Year with a personalised gardening calendar so they can pencil in those garden visits, plan their gardening schedule and admire their own name in a variety of garden settings with each calendar month.

Autumn-clean your Garden Tools and Buildings for a Head Start in Spring

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Tidy up your growing space to steal a march on spring, with tips from the RHS.

As the days get shorter and temperatures drop, it may seem as though there’s not much left to do in the garden between now and next spring.

But there’s still time to join in the Royal Horticultural Society ‘Grow At Home This Autumn’ campaign, which aims to guide the thousands of gardeners who took up the hobby for the first time during the pandemic through this crucial time of the year.

The final week of the campaign is ‘Autumn Clean Week’ which, as RHS chief horticulturist Guy Barter explains, may not be the most glamorous of jobs but is vital to the health of plants and wildlife in the garden.

“Many people, including seasoned gardeners, don’t realise that an autumn clean and tidy-up in the garden is as important as a spring clean in your home,” says Barter. “By taking care of a few simple jobs now, you can give yourself a head-start for the next growing season, and ensure garden plants have the conditions they need to thrive throughout the winter.”

Barter shares the cleaning and tidying jobs you should be doing now…

Greenhouses and tools

“Get rid of spores and pest eggs by cleansing greenhouses with hot detergent and garden disinfectant, remembering to scrub over concrete floors and replace soiled gravel,” he advises.

Light levels are very low indeed in winter and grubby glass will exclude much light if not washed clean, not forgetting to remove moss and algae from beneath overlapping panes. Caulk any leaks with clear silicone mastic and replace any cracked panes at the same time.

“Compost any unwanted plant material and eradicate weeds, as weeds are reservoirs of pests and diseases,” he adds.

Stainless steel tools merely need a scrape clean, Barter explains, but those made of ordinary steel may rust unless cleaned well and oiled.

Lawnmowers and power tools may also rust in a damp shed unless exposed metal is oiled or paint retouched – you might as well sharpen them and change the oil now that there’s less to do in the garden.

Alternatively, take them to a garden machinery workshop for professional sharpening and servicing.

This is also a good time to clean and store plastic pots, seed trays and modules so they are ready for reuse next year.

Winter protection

“Unheated greenhouses are unlikely to exclude frost, so the tenderest plants, aeoniums and tradescantia, say, are best brought indoors to a suitable windowsill or ideally a conservatory,” he advises.

“Pruned and well-wrapped dahlias and canna will survive in a shed or even left in well-drained ground in milder regions, ideally under a 9cm layer of bark mulch.

“Abutilon, fuchsia and other tender shrubs can survive in a greenhouse or sheltered spot if protected by fleece, while hardy plants that don’t appreciate a rainy British winter, garden chrysanthemums for example, will survive well under a cloche.”

However, if you’re thinking about adding an extra layer of protection to your greenhouse, Barter warns: “Insulating greenhouses with bubble wrap cuts out much light and is best kept to the bare minimum – this also reduces plastic waste.”

Houseplants

With light levels much lower at this time of year, taking the time to clean accumulated dust from the leaves of houseplants will help them take up all the available light to stay healthy throughout the winter.

Barter suggests taking houseplants outside on a mild rainy day and letting the rain wash them clean, perhaps applying some ‘leaf shine’ when they return indoors.

“Go easy on watering through the winter and hold off on feeding and repotting until the sun comes up again in April,” Barter suggests. Plants that have been sheltering from scorching summer heat in north facing windowsills can return to their winter position in a south facing windowsill.

Consider a low energy LED growing light in dark homes with limited suitable windowsill space, to give your houseplants a boost during the winter.

Pick off any dead leaves now and take the opportunity to rub out pests, too. However, if your houseplants show symptoms of mealybug, this is virtually incurable and infested plants are best replaced.

For more tips, advice and videos to help you get involved with the RHS Grow At Home campaign, visit rhs.org.uk/growathome.

5 Flowers to Plant Now that will Bloom in Winter

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These beautiful florals will brighten up the colder months, says Katie Wright.

With the introduction of new lockdown rules looking likely for many of us, and restrictions already in place for some, there are plenty of reasons to feel pessimistic about the months ahead – especially as we inch ever closer to the clocks going back and dreary, dark days become more frequent.

One way to cheer up the chillier months? Buying plants and sowing seeds now that will flower during winter. Whether you’re lucky enough to have a garden, or you’re restricted to pot plants on a windowsill, there are plenty of easy-to-grow options that will deliver an abundance of colour later down the line.

Here are five winter-flowering plants to sow now…

1. Winter flowering pansies

Flowering from autumn until mid-spring, winter flowering pansies are bright and hardy, making them ideal for beginners, and can be grown in flower beds or pots. Fill a window box with yellow, purple or pink pansies to enjoy a daily splash of colour throughout winter.

2. Cyclamen

With delicate flowers in shades of pink, red and white alongside dark green leaves, cyclamen are very pretty perennials and they’ll start to flower from early winter. In the garden, they’re ideal for positioning at the base of small trees and shrubs, but they can also be grown in pots – and make for a great display either side of your front door.

3. Crocuses

Perfect for planting in pots, crocus bulbs can be sown up until the end of November, and will bloom from February onwards, their purple, yellow or white petals poking up through the soil. Many consider them the first sign that spring is beginning to wake up the earth. Alternatively, plant them throughout your lawn to create a beautiful meadow towards the end of winter.

4. Winter clematis

There’s a clematis for every season: cirrhosa is a winter-flowering variety with cream and maroon speckled petals. The climbing plant is ideal for covering a shed wall or trellis, and will bloom from November to February.

5. Christmas rose

Dreaming of a white Christmas? We can’t promise a flurry of snowflakes, but with the Christmas rose or helleborus niger you can have snowy white flowers during the festive season – if you’re lucky. This hellebore variety usually flowers from January onwards, but can bloom as early as December.

How garden trends are changing post-lockdown

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Experts predict a resurgence of lawns, an increase in growing edibles, and new admiration for subtle sculptures.

As working from home has become the norm for so many of us, our garden needs are set to change.

So says award-winning garden designer Andrew Duff, managing director of Inchbald School Of Design, who won a bronze medal for his first show garden at Chelsea last year.

“For me, garden design has changed more in the last six months than it has in the last 60 years,” he reflects. “It’s no longer the space people come home to for a gin and tonic and to watch the sun go down. They want somewhere to have coffee in the morning, somewhere to have lunch, a green calm space just to be.”

The aesthetics of gardens are changing dramatically, transforming into functional working spaces, somewhere slightly more overgrown, floppy and more attractive to wildlife, he adds. Seating may have to accommodate both a laptop working space for the warmer months, and comfortable seating with plenty of cushions when work is over.

So, how will the extra time we have in the garden affect future trends?

Keen on green

“Green is the colour the eye recognises first, so inherently we relax with that. A good green selection of plants with a balance of different leaf textures gives us that feeling of freshness and growth, which is what people are looking for as we move through the seasons,” says Duff.

“It may mean dark green backgrounds with acid greens and yellows to create a fresh and verdant look. A taxus background, with large-leaved textures of angelica and persicaria. It’s not about a riot of colour.

“In among the green palette, people will want things that give them the joy of scents, such as rosemary and sage.”

Lawn comeback

Duff has found that hard landscaping is being replaced by lawn. “I think lawns are making a comeback. The lawn has been a really usable space, particularly if you have children, and people now have more time to maintain their lawn and are finding it therapeutic to mow.”

Subtle sculpture

“We’ve had a lot of enquiries for more reflective and contemplative pieces of sculpture,” says award-winning sculptor David Harber (davidharber.co.uk), whose work has been exhibited at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. “People are seeking calm and sophistication, perhaps represented in a Zen-like water feature. People want unfussy, serene and beguiling.

“So many people have taken up yoga and meditation, they want a place where they can stand and be, where they are back in touch with nature.”

Rich shades

“People are after really subtle, deep colours that are quite jewel-like. If you’ve been stuck at your computer screen all day, this subdued rich palette that’s gentle on the eye is becoming important,” says Duff.

“We are talking deep red persicarias and the deeper blues of catmint, but overall a much more natural feeling in planting. As people are in the garden a lot more, everything is more ongoing. People are going out every day and picking off dead leaves and deadheading, rather than that being a job for the weekend. It’s less of a chore and more of an enjoyment.”

More balcony food

“We are going to see less containers filled with annual colour – petunias and geraniums are on their way out. We are going to see balconies overloaded with tomatoes and runner beans, with nasturtiums running through them,” Duff predicts.

Container changes

“Seasonality is really important, which is where growing vegetables in containers is really going to take off, along with the rotation of vegetable crops,” says Duff. “Heritage vegetables are coming back – the purple beans, the purple carrots – and for people who’ve got children, that’s exciting.”

There will be a return to terracotta and timber planters, rather than mass produced plastic tubs which are less eco-friendly, he predicts.

Sustainable landscaping

“People are much more aware of the sustainability of products and their provenance. There’s a great drive to buy British. They want to buy locally and are into supporting local businesses and nurseries,” says Duff. “People want a richness in material. Machine-cut stone is slowly moving away and the Ripon Yorkstone feeling is coming back, along with the joy of gravel.”

Working for wildlife

“Wildlife has become very important and people have become surprised how much wildlife there is in their garden,” says Duff. “People won’t be sweeping everything up to within an inch of its life, but will leave things informal and relaxed to encourage wildlife. It’s the overall eclectic, slightly overgrown look that people are adopting.”

Moving forwards

Join a webinar panel discussion event, Changing Landscapes: The Future Of Nature And Our Homes: Design, the second in a series, on September 10 at 2pm, featuring David Harber on the panel. For details visit davidharber.com/news/webinar.htm.

10 of the Best Gardens to Visit this Summer

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Many gardens have now reopened to the public for summer. Hannah Stephenson selects 10 of the best.

Still short of things to do during summer holidays? Why not visit some of our most glorious gardens, which have reopened to the public.

They all detail the Covid-19 safety measures they’ve put in place on their websites. Most require pre-booking tickets (check websites for specific details) and all have regulated social distancing – take a mask to be on the safe side too.

Here’s 10 of our favourites…

1. Arley Hall and Gardens, Cheshire (arleyhallandgardens.com)

Arley Hall and its glorious gardens have provided the setting for some familiar TV series, including Peaky Blinders, Antiques Roadshow and Great British Garden Revival. Head for the herbaceous border, its best known feature, which boasts some spectacular planting, then wander through the pleached lime avenue of trees and lose yourself within The Grove. There are many different areas within its eight acres of formal gardens, as well as an arboretum and woodland walk. The hall remains closed.

2. Abbotsford Gardens, Roxburghshire, Scotland (scottsabbotsford.com)

Abbotsford was Sir Walter Scott’s home, and his imagination extended to the outdoors with the creation of these beautiful formal Regency gardens. Highlights include the kitchen garden, the third of his interconnecting outdoor ‘rooms’, which house a mix of flowering and scented plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables.

The gardens are currently open Wednesday to Sunday, with hopes to reopen the historic house in August. Check the website for updates.

3. The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall (heligan.com)

With some 200 acres of garden and estate, you simply can’t do all of Heligan in one visit – so if you’ve only got a day, seek out summer highlights. An incredible 15 acres of wildflower meadow has been planted, featuring cornflowers, corn chamomile, poppies and corn marigolds, to create a stunning visual backdrop, perfect for butterflies and bees.

Families are invited to pick up a ‘Heligan Summer’ booklet from the ticket office before setting off. Pre-booking essential for timed tickets.

4. Montalto Estate, Co. Down, Northern Ireland (montaltoestate.com)

The trails and gardens within this magical estate have now re-opened, so visitors can explore a wealth of features – including the cutting garden made up of annuals, biennials, perennials and shrubs, the formal garden with its defined geometric shapes and stunning views of Montalto Lake and boathouse, and the alpine garden, with its impressive collections of plants.

The trails and gardens are currently open Wed-Sun but all visitors must pre-book tickets online. Access to some gardens may be restricted due to events.

5. Wightwick Gardens, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (nationaltrust.org.uk)

Comprising 17 acres, this might not be the biggest National Trust garden but it certainly packs a punch in the style stakes, thanks to 20th century Arts and Crafts garden designer, Thomas Mawson. The dominant design feature of the garden is its ‘rooms’ – areas marked by clipped yew hedges or terraces, giving the space a wide variety of different feelings.

Tickets are released on Fridays for the following week and pre-booking for timed visits is essential. The Manor House remains closed until further notice.

6. Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, South Yorkshire (english-heritage.org.uk)

Spectacularly restored to their full Victorian splendour, the 15 acres of gardens at Brodsworth are home to a collection of grand gardens in miniature, filled with colourful seasonal plantings and displays. Stroll through the statue walks and the beautiful wild rose dell, with over 100 varieties of historic rose. You can also admire period bedding plants in the Flower Garden, including cannas and gingers for dot planting, with salvia, gazania, ageratum and verbena.

Pre-booking essential for timed tickets. House and play area remain closed. A family-friendly summer explorer quest is taking place throughout summer.

7. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (kew.org)

The world famous botanical gardens opened doors to visitors in June. They’ve now reopened the glasshouses too, so you can admire an array of tropical treasures, desert species and more in the Palm House, Temperate House and Princess of Wales Conservatory.

In a final flourish to Kew Gardens’ summer landscape, a bespoke botanical sculpture – created by the winning duo from the acclaimed Netflix television programme, The Big Flower Fight, will be on display in August.

Pre-booking essential for timed entry. Toilets, shops and some outdoor food facilities are currently open and screened regularly. Check website for details.

8. RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey (rhs.org.uk)

Visitors to the jewel in the crown of the RHS gardens will be able to enjoy its summer highlights, including sizzling dahlias and tropical banana plants in its exotic garden, which showcases plants that have a tropical look but flourish outdoors in a typical UK summer climate. Don’t forget to stroll along the mixed borders for a riot of summer colour and surround yourself with lavender on the viewing mount.

Pre-booking essential for timed tickets, card transactions only on site. Glasshouse, alpine houses, learning centre and library and advisory desk remain closed.

9. Wollerton Old Hall Garden, North Shropshire (wollertonoldhallgarden.com)

Set around a 16th century hall (not currently open to the public), Wollerton Old Hall incorporates a formal modern garden on an old site covering four acres. Its garden rooms are beautifully planted with stunning perennials and offer some terrific design ideas. The garden is famous for its salvias, clematis and roses and the clever use of colour, form and scale. The main perennial border in late summer is still awash with colour, so don’t miss it.

Currently open Thursday, Fridays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. Pre-booked tickets essential.

10. Witley Court and Gardens, Worcestershire (english-heritage.org.uk)

Survivor of a devastating fire in the early 20th century, Witley’s romantic gardens are full of delights. A spectacular lake, vast fountain of Perseus and Andromeda, and colourful French parterre are among the highlights. In summer, the East Parterre at Witley Court is spectacular and includes variegated pelargoniums, ageratum, evening primrose (Oenothera) and verbenas.

This summer, take the family on a free fun adventure quest with an historical twist. You can download your trail map on the website before you go.

Pre-booking essential for timed tickets.

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