Bench Tidy and my Potting Bench

I use a ‘Bench Tidy’ for potting, seed sowing and odd jobs that are best done at bench height. The brush is kept close to clean and disinfect the tray with Jeyes fluid.
Sand and compost are kept under the bench tidy for easy access.

Complex bench tidys are available for less than £20.’A practical tray ideal for keeping your greenhouse or potting shed tidy. High sided walls will hold plenty of composting whilst filling pots and trays for seed sowing or potting on. Also features a handy detachable shelf, to hold all those useful seed sowing and potting accessories. Dimensions: 61cm x 55cm x 20cm. Bench Tidy contents not included. from Thompson & Morgan‘

‘The Good Life Books’ for Christmas

Stephanie Alexander’s ‘Kitchen Garden Companion: Dig, Plant, Water, Grow, Harvest, Chop, Cook’ If you have ever dreamed of picking fresh salad leaves for the evening meal, gathering vine-ripened tomatoes or pulling up your own sweet carrots, this is the book for you.

On the other hand if you intend growing enough food to be self sufficient the you may need this book Cost Effective Self-sufficiencyby Eve and Terrance Mclaughlin. Based on the experience of many years growing ‘The Good Life’.

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Gardens on Canvas

A new service is available providing top quality Canvas art from our Gardeners Tips images. Contact us below for further information.

Archival quality materials have been used to get the vibrant image of a garden in full blooming colour on to a large canvas. The plants on display on the above canvass include yellow deciduous Knaphill Azaleas, Rhododendrons from the Seven Dwarf collection, Aquilegia  Norma Barlow, Honesty, Forget-me-not, Wallflowers Erisymum  and for the greenery, sword like Bearded Iris and soft textured conifers.

Features

• Each ‘Garden on Canvas’ will have dedicated url.

• Links to other web sites can be included on these specific web page.

• The purchasor of the Garden Canvas art can provide a dedication or short commentary to supplement the narrative about the horticultural content.

• This canvas is 40″ by 32″ or 100cm by 80cm and makes a striking wall decoration.

Cloche Protection

Cloches come in all sizes and shapes up to and including industrial sized plastic tunnels. For the amateur gardener some cloches will help protect and bring on crops.

Used most notably in the vegetable plot they also have an appeal for the alpine gardener. Many alpines resent wet soggy winters and a strategically placed cloche can be a boon. Cloches used in this way keep snow and rain off the crown and leaves of plants.

Recycled works produce a ridgid plastic cloche for under £20 but it looks a bit opaque to me.

See other cloches available from amazon

Insect House and Bee Nester

Gardens need insects and bugs so why not treat them to a snug insect house.
You can build a multipurpose house from wood, stones and old pipes similar to the one above. Fill gaps with twigs, straw and rotting wood which will provide some food. The insects will make a home in the cracks and crevices that provide winter shelter.

Bee nesting boxes will cater for bees and ladybirds.
Place on a south facing wall for optimum sunlight to help bees and for ladybirds place the nester in a sheltered area near tree branches and vegetation such as nettles.

Why do Jasmine Flowers make you Alluring?

‘Why do jasmine flowers make you more sexually alluring? When is an apple not an apple? Are trees the tallest plants? Why should tadpoles look out for Fairy Aprons? What could I grow on Mars? This book answers hundreds of intriguing questions about flowers, plants and trees for which you thought you’d never find an answer: such as why are some plants edible and some poisonous?’

A well researched book of miscellanea with a gardening slant. Caroline Holmes is a garden historian and authour of ‘The Not so Little Book of Dung’.

Oh and the twice a year flowering Sweet Violet or Viola odorata ‘occasionally toys with passing insects on first flowering but so revels in the high seed production levels of DIY pollination, that it shrinks away from the insect when it tries to alight.’

This book is our Gardening Book of the Month for December 2010

Kneelers and Knee Protectors

I use a Hozelock kneeler in the garden when my knees want a rest. That is quite frequently particularly when planting out.
The sponge offers protection but the handles help me get up when I am a bit stiff!
Stood on it’s end the kneeler converts to a seat, saw bench or portable table.

There are a range of metal and plastic kneelers available from Amazon for between £10-£20.

Helly Hanson and Rolson sell gel filled ‘Knee Pads’ that can protect gardeners who spend a lot of time kneeling. They cost about £5 per pair and make a good stocking filler for the gardener in the family.

Good Gardening Website Guide

We are biased with this first selection as our sister site offers tips for top gardeners on a wide range of garden matters. Check out the 20 categories where old post are filed such as the House Plant selection. Alternatively search for the plant, or gardeners tip you are looking for amongst the 1500 pages in the archive.

‘Royal Horticultural Society’ (RHS) says it in the name and the web site has truly regal pretensions. The public can access a wealth of information and databases but may be encouraged to become a member of the society to get even more benefits.

Garden.com is a humongous retailing site for all that are garden products. Use it to check what is on the market then shop around for a local supplier. As with most sites if you are lost click on the name or logo to go home.

The National Gardens scheme is a national institution with its comprehensive list of gardens open to the public for charity. An NGS garden will have had strict quality control and you are likely to find a location on the site that you can’t wait to visit in person.

Specialist and enthusiast create some great sites with founts of knowledge and good photography. You wont go far wrong with the Alpine Garden Society

A magazine magazine on the web can be found on Gardeners World. a spin off from the BBC TV programme and monthly magazine of the same name. If you want a virtual magazine this is the site for you

For those who what to Garden Organic then the old HDRA site is now spruce vibrant. I am not sure what Henry Doubleday would make if it but have a look for yourself.

Farmyard Manure in a Package

Horse manure comes out of horses so why does a plastic bag contain Farmyard Manure?

Well the guys at Levington’s sterilise and package their manure for gardeners to use on Roses and Flowers, Fruit and Vegetables. I am not sure what ‘Organic Blend’ means! However you can also buy Top Soil with this brand if you wish.

Manure is good for improving soil structure and adds humus. It also tops up nutrient levels and helps your garden to perform next year. I will be spreading more horse manure from local stables shortly and will have to do my own weeding.

I might try some Levington’s as part of the compost for my containers and hanging baskets next spring.

Best Garden Insurance Cover

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