Commercial compost is a range of products sold in plastic wrapping in garden centres, DIY shops and sundry retailers. This is not to be confused with your own garden compost made from decomposed plant matter.
The contents of these types of commercial compost vary and can affect the growing result considerably. All have a base which has no or negligible nutritional value plus additives that make it useful for a specific purpose.

Typical Compost Constituents – Base

Peat base of small fibers of bog peat is excellent for many purposes but now seen as none ecofriendly due to the over extraction of peat and lack of replenishment of the resource which isn’t sustainable.
Coir as a peat substitute for the base. Coir is made from the hairs & fibers of coconuts and such compost are widely available. There are special organic compost products approved by the vegan society .
Wood pulp based composts and partially composted bark are other bases the industry is trying to develop into retail products but mixes and formulas keep changing
Steralised loam based composts, generically called John Innes after the guy who first formulated them, tend to be heavier.
Composted green waste is becoming popular if you can find a reliable supplier who uses undiseased raw materials

Typical Commercial Compost Constituents – Additives

Most composts are mixes of some of the base ingredients and possibly sand or vermiculite to open up the compost and improve drainage
Fertilisers are added that are appropriate to the end use. seed compost needs less fertiliser than a container planting compost where a plant has to live for at least a season
A wetting agent is often added as peat is very difficult to get wet and you need an even moisture in a pot or seed tray.
Water retaining gels may be added for hanging basket compost.

Typical Compost for Special Uses

Rooting and cutting compost is usually just a mix of sand loam and peat
Seed compost has crushed limestone and phosphates added to help drainage an promote root growth
John Innes No1, 2 & 3 has varying quantities of fertilisers; hoof and horn, superphosphate and potassium sulphate . No 1 Potting Compost is for pricking out young plants, No 2 Potting Compost is for potting on and No 3 Potting Compost is for established plants and shrubs.
Ericacious compost is for acid loving plants like Rhododendrons and lime hating plants like Mahonia and has flowers of sulphur added to the peat based mix.
Cactus compost, Bonsia compost, Orchid compost, Citrus plant compost even African Violet compost are all available from a range of suppliers. One brand with a range available in many outlets is Westland http://www.gardenhealth.com/latest-news.php
Bulb compost used to be called bulb fibre and has no fertiliser . It is used for bulbs like Hyacinths that have already got a store of energy to produce a flower.

Tips On Compost

As it is an organic product the quality can be variable but there will be a brand you like so try some out – currently I am using Arthur Bowers and B&Q own label.
Mix in a bit of grit, sand, vermiculite or water preserving gel depending on how you plan to use the compost
Try keep it uniformly moist.
Add a drop of liquid soap to the water to restrict the growth of moss on seed compost used for slow germinating seeds.
Grow bags contain compost and are a cheaper way of buying compost than small bags.
Compost deteriorates with age so buy fresh compost from a commercial supplier with a fast turnover.

Link to Garden Compost from Amazon

As I considered what garden product to cover this time I realised that garden plants do not get the full coverage on Garden Products. What would a garden be without plants? (Easy to maintain I hear someone say.)

Some of our costs are defrayed by the affiliate income we get if readers buy there plants from Thompson & Morgan or Jersey plants so I do not apologise for giving them a plug.
Plugging away on that theme, click on the top right and peruse the seeds and plants that you want to buy this year. The prices and deals are the same as you would pay even if you were not helping us!

Garden Plants for Free

• OK our commercial is over and you do not need to buy garden plants if you are a bit crafty
• Cuttings will root and take at this time of year. I have several Ceanothus and Dog Woods I have grown for nothing. Even some annuals can be increased by cuttings including Petunias or Verbena and healthy Fucshia, Dahlia or Delphinium can be raised from cuttings
• Saving seed or collecting it as you walk around can produce some interesting plants. I like to collect wild rose hips and grow on the seed.
• Beg plants from friends and neighbors, they are often generous if given a little praise about their garden.
• Split clumps of hardy perennials to increase the number of plants. Some just need the roots pulling apart like the primroses shown above.
• Bulbs and self sown seedlings will multiply for free but you may need patience and be willing to move the wayward seedlings

Choysia grown from cutting

What can you give your gardening relatives for Christmas?
I would be happy to receive vouchers at anytime and at Christmas it beats a shirt, tie or socks into a cocked hat.

In order of my personal preference I would ask for:-

Amazon vouchers. The range of garden and outdoor products is now quite large and I love gardening books into the bargain.
National Garden tokens are accepted by lots of garden centers and some nurseries.
Seed and supplies are available on tokens from Thompson & Morgan
Local nursery vouchers which are bespoke to one nursery (I can always use them for dry goods if there are no plants I want)
B&Q Gift Cards can be spent on anything at all UK B&Q stores, including the massive range of gardening goods. From sheds to shears, they make a great garden gift.
Argos Gift Cards can be spent on the catalogue store’s complete garden range including barbecues, garden decoration, garden power tools and lawnmowers
Love2shop Gift Vouchers are accepted at 20,000 stores around the UK including Argos and Wilkinson (wilko).
RHS gift vouchers make great presents and are accepted in any RHS shop, along with HTA vouchers.

and more…

If it is a close family member we often make our own homemade gift vouchers. The gift may be cash, time or a service and is often well received as it is very personal.
You can make your own voucher from garden material or the back of a flower photograph. It is the thought that counts.

(CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Gift Voucher by lu_lu, on Flickr

‘…Another emerging trend is for garden tools and rubble left lying about in
the garden to be used to smash windows to gain entry into properties. Now
the weather is becoming milder people are starting to venture back into
their gardens to tidy up, but seem to be leaving their tools lying around,
which make ideal implements for a would be burglar. Please remember to
secure all tools when you have finished gardening, and to tidy away bricks
and rubble if at all possible.’

Read Gardeners Tips on Garden Insurance and for Allotment Safety

Unfortunately, in recent years, garden theft has been on the rise. Plants, furniture and statues can all be  subject to being stolen

Here are some tips on what can be insured in the garden

Some of the best ways to get garden insurance cover

Home and Garden Insurance -Protect your home and garden with comprehensive home and garden insurance.

Common vs Garden Insurance article at Telegraph