Top Tips For Cleaning Your Greenhouse

Winter is practically here now in most parts of the country, which means that many of us in the gardening community need to transfer our plants from the garden, to the greenhouse. But before you get your plants all cosy for the winter, it’s important to give your greenhouse a good clean to remove the summer plants that will now be dying off, and ensure no nasty pests or bugs can find a hiding place.

Top Tips on cleaning your greenhouse

Here are a few tips to follow to get you started.

  1. Take out your plants and equipment.

Choose a mild day and keep your plants covered, or even take them into the house to keep them safe while you’re cleaning. Remove all equipment, pots and other storage containers from the greenhouse, vowing to return only the things that are absolutely essential.

  1. Get your structural parts in tip top shape.

In order to maximise the short daylight hours we have in the winter, it’s important to make sure the panes inside and outside of your greenhouse are as clean as can be. Using specially designed cleaner helps to remove particularly difficult algae, mould, lichen and greenhouse sun shading, but be careful to avoid getting water on the leaves of your plants. Make sure to mend any broken glass to protect your plants from the cold, and clean down any metal or other structural parts.

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Making The Most Of A Small Garden

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a garden, and with the rate the towns are expanding, most new houses come with an extremely small garden. But that doesn’t mean that you can make the most of it. Small gardens can be as lovely as a large one, plus it has the added benefit of not needing as much maintenance.

To get the most out of your little garden, you do need to spend a little time designing it in a way that creates and utilises the space you have, while also giving it the illusion of even more space.

Making the most of a small garden

Levels

Levels are your best friends when it comes to designing your small garden. Use plants of different heights, including climbing plants, to create the illusion of depth and height. Low lounge chairs are great to put you at a level to enjoy more of the space and to immerse yourself into the paradise you have painstakingly created. Hang potted plants along the fences, or implementing trellises will introduce more depth, and, by covering the physical edge of your garden, you’ll make it seem bigger than it is.

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Plantpal Watering Globes Review and Giveaway

If you are like me and forget to water your houseplants, a solution to this would be to use a watering globe from Plantpal. If you plan to go away this Christmas these are the ideal plan. They will keep your plant hydrated for up to 2 weeks giving you a piece of mind. If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a plant lover these make pretty gifts.

Plantpal watering globes come in a 3 pack of blue, green and orange. They are fairly large in size but hold enough water for a couple of weeks.

Plantpal Watering Globes

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3 Unusual Garden Hacks That Can Save Money In The Long Term

Gardening is a lovely hobby to have and it can massively improve the aesthetic appeal of your home. But, did you know that your garden can actually help you save money too?

It sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. There are some weird and wonderful garden hacks that will make your garden look amazing while also saving money for you and your family too. Check them out here if you’re interested:

3 Unusual Garden Hacks That Can Save Money In The Long Term

(Pexels: http://bit.ly/2g76bnM)

Grow Your Own Ingredients

Every family will spend a fortune on food throughout their life. What’s frustrating is that a lot of our money is spent on ingredients we buy over and over again. You spend money on a pack of tomatoes one week and need to get some again the next. Also, we can often buy things and not get good value for money as they go out of date. Again, vegetables and fruit are key culprits, as well as herbs. But, what if you started growing these things in your garden? You’ll end up with a colourful and vibrant space, and you can get all your essential ingredients for free! This is quite possible one of the best decisions you can make. It won’t matter if your tomatoes go mouldy as you didn’t pay for them and can grow more!

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The Start of a New Garden From the Beginning

When we moved into our new house at the end of June, I had great plans on designing the new garden. I love gardens, the outdoor space, the tranquility, the plants, nature. I adore it all. I knew when we bought off plan that the house had a pretty rectangular shaped garden, much better than our hilly garden in the old house! So I know this is a garden I can get the most out of. My husband said I had such a huge smile on my face when I saw actually how big it was. The size is roughly 12 x 18 metres. I have yet to get out and measure it properly!

It was a garden of mud, but I loved it! I looked beyond that and could see the potential, here is the start of the new garden right from the beginning.

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A Child and Wildlife Friendly Garden For The Summer

For most children, there can’t be anything more exciting than playing in the garden. For most parents, though, there isn’t anything more stressful on earth than their children playing in the garden. It’s one of those eternal dilemmas that we can’t resolve.

There is a way to make them child-safe without making them dull. Outdoor activities are essential in the development of your child. Consequently, you don’t want to introduce your child to the sanitised pleasure of plastic grass and fake flowers. It is about combining the excitement of wildlife and nature in the safest possible way for your children. It’s said that urban children don’t know much about farm animals. While it is difficult for them to interact with a cow or a hen, there is no reason for them not to recognise the basic British birds and bugs of garden life. After all, a little bit of nature has never hurt anyone.

Childproofing Your Garden

Childproofing the garden may sound a little overwhelming at first. It is about limiting risks so that your child can play outside without getting injured. The main areas of danger, in the garden, are the fences, the pond, and the edging decoration when children could fall and hurt themselves. Fences, if they are made of wood, need to be smooth to the touch and firmly planted into the ground. If you have a water feature, it is essential that you keep it safe, as young children could easily fall into a pond or a low fountain. When it comes to edges, your best bet is to avoid any rock and stone edge so that you don’t have to rush to A&E for emergency stitching.

Garden fence

Smooth garden fence

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