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Gardening and Gardening Ideas

Take time out for your garden. Your life will be fuller for it! There is nothing quite so satisfying as starting your plants off and seeing them reach maturity - giving you a show of colour in what is becoming a stressful life. Gardening is going from strength to strength, and is a great hobby to have - especially in these increasingly busy times.

We have help sections that start you off with the raising of new or small plants, and then guiding you through all stages of developments and the subsequent aftercare. Hopefully we will alert you the potential problems with our comprehensive guides.

Gardening can be an important aspect of your general wellbeing - whether it is a bit of exercise digging the vegetable plot, or just drooling over the colourful display you have in your easy-to-care-for window box or patio tub.

We are always pleased to hear from you - either about the site, or about your garden, or maybe you have a suggestion that you want us to explore. We are all in gardening together.

How to Navigate this Website

This is an indepth website, we currently have 6,100 pages of gardening. You can explore via the navigation bar above, category - sub category - subject. Or you can use the Search Bar, if you are looking for "How to prune my Photinia Red Robin" this will search Our Website Only (it is powered by google and contains adverts).



Ornamental Grasses for year-round interest.

Miscanthus grasses

Ornamental Grasses are a welcome addition to any garden - in almost any situation. The fact that 'grass' is so commonplace - lawns, weeds, cereal crops, and now even as bio-fuel, sometimes puts gardeners off using this wide range of plants for the ornamental garden.

Rest assured that the ornamental grasses that are mentioned in this section, will be a delight and in no way can they be described as weeds.

Perennials form an important part of the garden

The African Blue Lily

Alphabetical listing of Perennials with links to individual pages and plants.

In this listing of perennial plants, we include the perennial grasses, bulbs and even sum vegetables which are both perennial and ornamental. Needless to say it also includes hardy ferns

Flowering Bulbs in the Garden

Tulip close up

A whole new world of gardening awaits those who use garden bulbs to their full extent, for it is possible to have flower bulbs of one kind or another, in bloom throughout all of the year. This, certainly in the UK.

To achieve this utopia of twelve months of flowers in your garden, we do have to cheat a little, and use some plants which are not grown from true bulbs, but which are still referred to as bulbs in the gardening world. At the bottom of this page you will see listings of bulbs throughout the 12 month period!

Indoor Houseplants

Cymidium Yellow

Information and Advice about care and growing Plants indoors.

If we wish to grow our house or indoor plants successfully, we have to know a little bit about them. In particular, try to replicate the growing conditions which were their original habitats as much as is possible. Not always easy, for many of the plants that are sold as houseplants - or indoor plants - originate in tropical countries. Sometimes in rain forest environment! Not always possible to provide the optimum growing conditions.

This may seem a little daunting - and a lot of bother - but it is surprising how adaptable these 'houseplant' plants are. Most can live in the same habitat as humans - but with perhaps a little understanding, care and attention.



Plants and Flowers A to Z

Red Flowered Weigela

A-Z List of common garden plants and flowers including bulbs; shrubs; perennials; annuals; biennials and everything else we can think of. Some are hardy, some are tender but all those details will be listed in the plant profile pages.

It is not a full list of every plant that is available, but representative of all the common garden plants (List of Plantae Kingdom A-Z) you are likely to encounter - unless you are a specialist in (very) rare plants.

Plants form the basis of every garden other than those where plants are 'designed out'. Most who use this site view the adaptability and versatility of plants with affection. Borders; edible; ornamental; container growing; herbs; fruit; grasses. All are plants.

Ten Best Climbing Plants

Chilean Potato Vines

Climbing Plants can give added height to gardens small and large, without taking up too much ground space. Vertical gardening at its best.

Our best climbing plants include some that are suitable for most garden situations.

Climbing plants are so versatile - climbing by way of twining and hugging, clawing and thorns, suckering and rooting, and some just flopping everywhere until they find support to start their climb. Not all climbers are invasive or adventurous. Some are dainty!

Shrubs A-Z

The kaleidoscope of foliage colours aptly describes this Abelia plant

All common garden shrubs can be found from this page, with links to the alphabetical listing of common Garden Shrubs.

Brief details of shrubs are included with full shrub details on linked pages.

We will also be doing a section of shrubs in height order - for my experience as a garden centre operator - suggests that one of the most important considerations for would-be gardeners, is that of the shrub's ultimate height and spread.

Pruning Shrubs Guide

Pruning Shrubs

The importance of pruning shrubs at the right time of year cannot be overstressed. If you prune some shrubs in the autumn, then you could be cutting off all of the next year's flower buds.

If you prune other shrubs in the spring, then the same goes. You could be cutting off the summer's flower buds. In either case, it means no flowers on your shrub!

Timing of pruning is the most important aspect for success. That is why we have put up a When to Prune Shrubs page. You can also follow our A-Z listings below for best advice on how and when to prune shrubs.



Rose Gardening

Silver Jubilee Rose

Where to grow Roses | Roses are best grown in open, well ventilated areas, without too much shade. Sunlight in your rose garden for at least three quarters of the day is ideal.

However, if you cannot get the sunlight to your roses, then get your roses to the sunlight. Simple enough as roses can be grown well in patio pots or other suitable containers.

Not all roses will grow permanently in containers, but many have been bred specially for that purpose. No longer do roses have to be grown in rose beds.

Vegetables A - Z

Assorted Vegetables

Full listing of all the articles on this site relating to growing your own vegetables.

Most of the vegetables on show here can be grown - even in small space - by home gardeners.

We all know there is nothing quite like the taste of fresh (real fresh) fruit and vegetables so what are you waiting for.

Easy basic guides on here to steer you towards you own grown veg that will be the envy of your friends and neighbours.

Herbs A - Z

Aloe Vera Plant

This listing will take you to the various herbs with growing advice, and cultural methods. Herbs are rather chaotic in that they have many names - depending upon location and the generation gap. Some of the herb nurseries do not help matters - or their sales - by adding to the confusion.

If you are growing herbs for medicinal or health reason, it is absolutely imperative that you get the name right! For instance, Sage is not simple Sage. It is a member of the very wide ranging Salvia family - some of which can be used for medicinal purposes - some most certainly cannot! Likewise with Geranium! There are hundreds of different Geraniums available - not all are herbs!

We will do all we can in this section of the site to make you aware of the importance of 'Names' but you MUST check and be aware of the herb that you are buying, or have growing in your garden.

Growing Fruit

Strawberries -yum yum

Fruit growing in the average garden, is probably one of the biggest gardening Taboos! There are several reasons for this. The main one seems to be that growing 'fruit' is difficult and requires a lot of time and knowledge!

If those are your main worries that have stopped you from attempting to grow fruit, then your worries are over! Growing fruit in its various forms, requires no more knowledge than growing any other plant successfully.

Our definition of fruit, is simply something that can be picked off a plant and eaten - either in its raw state, or by cooking first. We are not going to get into the argument as to whether a Tomato is a fruit or a vegetable!



Lawn Care

Spring Lawn care and Lawn maintenance

Look after your lawn and be the envy of your neighbours with the advice and information that we give you.

All aspects of lawn maintenance are dealt with on a seasonal basis, including advice on grass selection, weeds and control, information about pests and diseases of lawn and much more. Follow our maintenance schedule for a great lawn. And of course we take you through how to lay a turf lawn.

All of the lawn articles have been written by our editor, who has managed thousands of acres of grass areas ranging from highly ornamental lawns through lush bowling greens and tough wearing sports turf.

Plant Propagation

Fuchsia Cuttings

Propagation is the process of producing new plants by various means and methods. Most will be aware of the seed sowing method of plant propagation, but new plants can also be raised by other methods.

All manner of plants can be propagated to produce new stock. Otherwise, there would be no new plants to carry on the cycle of growth! Plants that you see on the garden centres shelves, have all been propagated by some means or other.

Methods of plant propagation as simple as 'dividing' plants are all classed as propagating. The main aim, is to get extra plants by whatever means suits your own gardening methods!

Garden Ponds

Looking After Your Fish

All but the smallest of gardens can have a beautiful and functional garden pond. It adds interest and a totally new dimension to the garden, and will do more to attract you 'outside' than any other garden feature.

A pond can be a fairly substantial investment, so treat it as such. It should be an asset not a liability. A pond that will give years of enjoyment, and be a home to attractive water plants with all manner of aquatic life - fish included!

An investment for the future. Make sure that the garden pond is built correctly, in the right situation and well stocked with aquatic plants, and you too can have an are in the garden that will give you many hours - or even years - of pleasure.

Trees for Gardens

Silver Birch Tree

The best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago. The next best time is today!

Trees are large, perennial, woody plants. There is no set definition regarding minimum size of trees, but a tree is generally a plant that is at least 6 m (20 ft) high at maturity. It usually has secondary branches emanating from a main stem (Trunk).

A tree normally has apical dominance - that is to say the growing point of the main stem - trunk - is the dominant factor in determining its shape and ultimately height. A large shrub on the other hand, usually - not always - has a number of branches with no apical dominance. Compared to other plant forms, trees are long-lived. Some species of trees can grow to 115 m (375 ft) tall and can live for a few thousand years.



Garden Decking

Decking patios

The reasons for including a deck in your garden are numerous and will depend upon the use that you want to put it to, how much time or enthusiasm you have 'proper' gardening, and the realistic fact that you are unable to move house, so have to make better use of available space.

Decking has at last gained in popularity in UK gardens. Little wonder, for Timber Decking is so versatile and user-friendly. Those who think that decking is dead or at least old-fashioned - probably do not have a deck. Those with a well planned and constructed deck either in their garden - or attached to the house, will value the additional usable space and versatility of use that a deck can bring.

There is normally still plenty of room for growing plants around the deck, in the rest of the garden, or in or on the deck itself. The latter either in purpose made planters built into the deck or in patio containers.

Weeds in The Garden

pulling up dandylions

One of the biggest problems that confronts the gardener - and even puts many people off gardening - is that of weeds in the garden. It need not be so. All you have to do is understand what a weed is, what it wants from life, and most importantly - what it needs in order to thrive.

Walk through any area where there is a range of gardens, and it soon becomes apparent that some gardens have weeds, whilst others do not! Once we understand why this is so, then weed control or even total eradication of weeds becomes a reality.

The best way is to eradicate the weeds before they start growing, if you were to turn over your soil with a spade or fork, even though you won’t be able to see most of them, there are almost certainly thousands of weed seeds in it.

Basic Gardening

collection of gardening tools

Gardening can often be seen as a complex subject and certainly there is a deal of snobbery with some sections that are happy to see gardening as an 'elite' hobby.

Generally speaking, the gardening trade is not helpful to novice gardeners, and for some reason best known to themselves, seem happy to perpetuate gardening as a difficult to learn subject.

If only they realised that their turnover and profit line would be greatly enhanced if they thought of the end user a bit more. Anyone starting out on gardening - or even those who have been doing it for some while - would spend more if they knew how to spend it, and that if that money spent turned out to be a satisfactory buy.

Landscape Gardening Tips and Advice

Landscape Gardening Pool

This area and the links will give you landscape gardening tips and much of the advice and help you require for your own landscape gardening project.

Design and build your own landscape garden! There are many aspects to landscape gardening - several different 'skills' are needed to build your own landscaped garden.

Hopefully, these projects will take you through the whole process of landscaping - from designing your own garden to to completed job - not that a garden is ever completed of course!



Garden Soil Types

Garden soils chart can be silt, sandy or clay.

Garden soils can be silt, sandy or clay based. (There are other types of garden soil as well, but these are a good starting point)

The great 'diarist' - John Evelyn - wrote in 1675...That in his opinion, there were no less than 179,001,060 different types of earth........! Time is short, so forgive me if I only mention a few!

Garden Soil Types are normally referred to as being one of three basic 'soil structure' groups; Sandy soil, Clay soil and Loam.. This is just the start, but it is a good starting point, for each of these groups tell us much about the garden soil, and what - if anything - needs to be done to improve it.

Container Gardening

An assortment of plant containers

Container gardening - or growing plants in pots - has seen a huge increase in popularity during the last ten years. The reasons for the increased popularity of growing plants in pots are many and varied. Container compost for pot grown plants have improved; the range of plants available for containers has increased; container gardening it is an 'easy' way to garden; you can have colourful plants nearer to the house etc etc etc.

Plants in pots and tubs also make for great colour photographs - the gardening magazines love them. It helps to 'brighten up' magazines and books. You can also have a 'container garden' wherever you want it to be, and change the containers round regularly.





Top 10 Gardening Favourites

Everyone has their own particular favourites - and we are no exception!

We list our top ten gardening favourites. You can help us to maintain this section by having a say on what you think should be included! After all, the information is for you!

How to Garden! Tips, Ideas and Advice about Gardening

Everyone will have their own idea as to what a garden is, or should be. That’s what makes gardening a bit of a challenge on times. The right answer for one, is not always the right answer for others. A garden is normally an individual statement about you. It is more or less impossible to find two gardens that are identical. How then do we cover the subject - How to Garden?

There are terms and questions often cropping up in gardening about 'What is'? The section should be a quick help resource to halp you answer your query or even give you a little extra knowledge - always welcome in gardening.

Plants in Flower and colour each month - Flowertime

Hardy Garden Plants throughout the Year with images and cultivation hints. We all get stumped for ideas as to what to plant to give flower or garden colour in one particular month of the year, or perhaps see a plant in flower that we cannot name. This is the place to find the answers to plants that flower in a given month. Or at least have some respectable colour or interest with foliage or stems.

Gardening Events in the U.K.

If it is on, we will try to list it (but you need to tell us about your gardening events first!)The Gardening Events Board is a free service that we offer to our clients and other horticultural organizations. The aim is to inform our visitors, so please bear that in mind when using this service!

The Garden Calendar

The Garden Through the Seasons with Gardening hints, tips and advice on a monthly basis. One of the problems in writing about 'what to do in the garden this month' is the fact that the website is viewed by gardeners from all over the world! So, temperature zones and all manner of changes need to be catered for. As well as people living in different 'zones, there is also the problem of climatic and seasonal changes.

Gardening Businesses in UK and USA

This page is a listing of businesses such as garden centres, nurseries and places to buy garden products. We do not carry adverts directly from businesses on these pages, so please do not submit your website to us for this free service.

It also lists businesses for the UK and USA of companies that do various tasks - such as tree surgeon, garden maintenance and the like.


Popular Gardening Sections

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Sections

Learn - all aspects of lawn maintenance, how to build and maintain a pond, care and grow vegetables and fruit, fit for your table.

Sections
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Problems

Identify Weeds in The Garden - How to deal with weeds. Diseases and Pest which harm your garden and plants, learn how to prevent, deter and erradicate your garden problems.

Problems
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Pruning

Pruning Guide. Shrubs flower better with correct pruning. Many illustrations and examples of what to do - and when. Includes evergreens, roses, flowering shrubs, spring flowering shrubs and pruning for stem effect. This is our most viewed and comprehensive section,

Pruning
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Businesses

Gardening Businesses listed in the UK counties and USA states. County and State Listings of businesses involved in Garden supplies and services. If you wish to be added to the Directory, please send us your information. Having problems, use the search box

Businesses
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Gardening

In this section you will learn about Gardening Basics, Containers, Landscaping, Propagation and Soil.

Gardening

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