Losing an hour (or two) to pottering

* I was invited to the Garden Press Event, a one day show which connects garden product suppliers with garden media, therefore I’m marking my blog posts from the event as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

One of the most enjoyable parts of gardening for me is a good potter. The ability to lose an hour (or two) to doing just that and to be productive (mainly) at the same time is a great feeling. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the results of your hard work, eating anything you’ve grown and enjoying the flowers is good, but a good potter is priceless - and good for your soul.

So whether you want to potter in the greenhouse, sowing seeds, weeding, tending or watering your plants, filling the bird feeders or however you potter, it’s time well spent, and it can be even better - and easier - with the right tools, and all the better for ones which look good too.

There were a number of brands at the show - all household names - that were displaying some gorgeous items, and I’ll share a selection of those by Burgon & Ball, Crocus and Dobbies in this post which you can expect to see in garden centres and online this season.

BURGON & BALL

I loved the bold stripes of the planters from Burgon & Ball, and I’ve got my eye on some of these more decorative items for my ‘front of house’ greenhouse when I get around to it. But also the hand tools look great and the wooden handles are always a favourite, as they feel so good in your hands (obviously without the functional gardening gloves!).

BURGON & BALL

The Crocus stand had a lot of items that caught my eye - and it’s also likely to be a dangerous place for my purse at some point. I loved the fat ball feeders and the tea light holders, which will bring immediate height and impact to any part of your garden. I’d be tempted to use these in pots around the patio so that we get to see them as much as possible.

CROCUS

CROCUS

But there was so much else - mini Victorian Greenhouses, wire cloches and the tiniest terracotta plant pots, along with the pretty yet entirely functional sieve and dibbers. It’s just as well these things weren’t for sale on the day, as otherwise I’d have been turning up to meet MOH for dinner fully laden!

CROCUS

I was also pleased to see the mushroom kits, which MOH has toyed with previously. So far we’ve resisted, but I think there is some mushroom growing in our future at some point. Though I can’t help but remember that Clarkson’s Farm episode where he is inundated with mushrooms, as of course he never does anything by halves does he?

CROCUS

And finally to the Dobbies stand which had cleverly included bird song as part of their stand - and indoors in February, before any hint of spring showing itself, that was very welcome.

DOBBIES

It’s a big year for Dobbies as they are celebrating their 160th year of helping British gardens to grow - they have released a heritage range to celebrate this which takes its inspiration from the roots of their business as a seed merchant. The print was chosen by customers from a selection of designs from an original Dobbie & Co seed catalogue dating from 1906.

They have also partnered with Alzheimer’s Research UK and are working together to protect memories for the future by promoting brain health and funding research that will lead to a cure for dementia.

Gardening is a great way to show our brains some love, and this can help reduce the risk of dementia and together Dobbies and Alzheimer’s Research UK will inspire people to keep their brain healthy through gardening and garden living.

DOBBIES

While there is no sure fire way to stop anyone from getting dementia, there are things we can do that may make it less likely that we will:

• Ask your doctor to check your heart health, including blood pressure and cholesterol and follow their advice if they are too high.

• If you have diabetes, keep to your doctor’s advice.

• Don’t smoke.

• Keep your weight healthy.

• Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

• Keep using your brain - through activities or social groups you enjoy.

• Stay active and try not to spend too long sitting down.

• Drink less than 14 units of alcohol per week.

Source: Alzheimer’s Research UK

DOBBIES

You’ll see the heritage print on their limited edition collection including tote bags, cushions, candles, throws and more - and given that the design is over a hundred years old, I think it still looks quite modern - and it’s a good sized tote bag, which I used on the day and have used since too.

As I said, you really can’t beat spending an hour (or two) pottering, trust me.

Welcoming songbirds and deterring bugs

* I was invited to the Garden Press Event, a one day show which connects garden product suppliers with garden media, therefore I’m marking my blog posts from the event as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

We’re all aware of the need to encourage wildlife in our gardens, and to maintain the balance - but I’m also sure that many of us also encounter some of the more annoying bugs too, and need all the help we can get dealing and coping with those. At the event there were companies there covering both of these, and so today I’m sharing some of their messages and products.

SongBird Survival

The clue’s in the name really, SongBird Survival is fighting to change the future for songbirds by funding research into the causes of decline to create and promote solutions, and as numbers have fallen 50% in 50 years that’s very much needed. In that time more than half of our UK songbirds are threatened or already in decline, so they really do need our help.

As part of their awareness for this SongBird Survival have partnered with Nicola Oakey who has designed their garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. The garden aims to show gardeners how they can do their bit to help stop the dramatic decline - so do look out for more on their garden later in the spring.

We’re already in the breeding season, which takes place between February and July - so if you haven’t already make sure your nest boxes are clean and ready for any feathered occupants, though go carefully in case any have already moved in.

If you’re wondering what you can do to encourage a wildlife-friendly garden then SongBird Survival recommends including their five essentials:

1. Shelter - important for escaping predators; trees, hedges and shrubs can provide this.

2. Food - a mix of flowers and greenery will attract insects, and berries and fruit trees can also provide a good source of food.

3. Nesting - nest boxes are a great way to provide safe nesting environments, but also planting long grasses and cardoons supplies birds with good nesting materials.

4. Water - provide a space for water, such as a shallow bird bath, which is cleaned regularly.

5. Be natural - ditch the pesticides to help wildlife thrive.

I’m planning to cover more of their advice in my monthly The Garden Year linky when that opens for this year, so pop back on the first of each month between April and November to read more.

Alfresco, Anti Bug Bite Botanical Blend

Free from DEET, parabens and synthetic chemicals these products by Alfresco feature a unique blend of over 25 essential oils which means a naturally derived mosquito repellent, along with a pleasant long-lasting fragrance - which is a world away from the usual insect repellent smell we’re used to, trust me!

I tried the Power lotion on the day of the show and was pleased with how it smelt and felt on my skin, so I’m looking forward to trying it for real as the year goes on, as I don’t think there’s anyone that enjoys attention from the bugs is there? The spray looks as if it could be useful too - there’s a few different varieties to choose from - Classic, Planet and Power, each with a different fragrance.

Super Ninja Against Plant Flies and Fruit Flies

In the past we’ve experienced both plant flies and fruit flies, and they are very annoying. These products from Super Ninja are also from natural ingredients and claim to provide ‘immediate results, without harmful side effects’ as well as easy to use. And when you’re inundated with bugs, you want something easy don’t you?

The Against Plant Flies, made from recycled plastic (and are recyclable) are the yellow sticky traps which are said to last up to three months. The Against Fruit Flies are innovative and discreet, according to their website. The pack contains two small bottles of liquid which attracts the unwanted pests, and these also come with a sticky pad so you can get the bottle close to the source of the problem.

I’ve not tried either of these, and in some ways I hope I don’t need to! But if I need them, then I know from previous experience that it’s great to have something to hand to use straightaway, so if (when) that day comes again I’ll be hoping they’re as good as their word.

The Chef's Table by Adam Frost

* I was invited to the press preview of Gardeners’ World Live and provided with a pair of tickets to visit the show, therefore all my posts will be marked as 'Ad’ though as usual my views and opinions are very much my own.

This is absolutely my kind of garden, and I’ve realised while writing this post that it brought about the same excitement as when we visited Hunte’s Garden in Barbados - which is an odd comparison I know, but bear with me. This garden is full of herbs, flowers and vegetables rather than the tropical plants in Barbados, but it is jam packed full of them just the same. The dense planting really appeals to me, as does growing herbs, veggies and flowers together - though I guess that’s really not that new an idea, but Adam Frost’s garden does it particularly well.

Adam’s Show Garden is overflowing with edibles growing in a naturalised setting, and provides plenty of ideas for how you can integrate edibles into your own garden. The outdoor cooking-dining area is rustic, perhaps a bit too rustic for my tastes, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll be using this garden as inspiration for my own in the years to come.

The kitchen was put to good use at the show though as Adam welcomed chefs such as James Martin, Michel Roux, Glynn Purnell and Si King into the garden and kitchen at various times over the course of the show. We didn’t catch any of these - James Martin was up on the day we were at the show, but I did have quite a random encounter with Adam himself.

The press invitation is to view the gardens before they open to the public, and takes place the afternoon beforehand and ends with the presentation of the awards - so it’s a fab thing to be invited too. We’d seen a lot of the gardens, and I’d even managed to photograph many of them and so we made our way into the marquee having a look around that, enjoying the peace and quiet which is completely different to show days, when moving around the marquee can be more of a shuffle.

Adam walked past us, still very much in garden prep mode - I’m sure there’s much more than you think to making a show garden look this good, and so not wanting to be an annoying member of the public, as we crossed I just said hello. Being the type of guy he is - very down to earth - he stopped said hello and how are you doing. Fine thanks, and we were past each other, nothing more required. Though, well I’d quite like him to come and design my garden at some point!

He is I’ve decided, from this encounter and from his TV appearances and the chat he did at the awards presentation, a very nice man indeed. I almost said a very nice guy (and he is) but stopped myself as that sounds very Trumpian, and that’s the last thing I want to be, or to ordain someone with!

The show garden had a welcoming rustic feel at its entrance, but as you moved through the garden there was also an orchard and the illusion of water - which I think from a hazy memory is the cream path intersecting the beds in the photo above. I’ll admit that water, or even the illusion of water in a garden isn’t something I’m fussed with in a garden - I know it’d be relaxing, that is until whatever the water feature was needed cleaning, so it’s a no from me.

What was unusual - and gives food for thought in my own garden is the changing paths - there’s the gravel edged with bricks and a wooden boardwalk, both of which have very different textures and textures are so important aren’t they?

I also liked the small groups of pots at points in the path - and I’m sure these pots of succulents influenced me to buy my own succulents the very next day, and which I’ve added to since then too.

The combination of rosemary, geranium and mints - as well as my favourite astrantia - was a heady mix, though I’m not sure I’d plant mint in a border like this - it spreads and spreads, and turns up everywhere. My mint will be staying firmly in a pot I’m afraid.

I had to include this shot, looking down on the thyme, rosemary and santolini with the sun on them - I can almost smell them from here. These are all plants I will have in my garden, the santolini is currently the only one I’m missing though.

Growing vegetables among other plants and making them look good is a skill, and a skill I want to have. The vegetables here - cavolo nero (above) and yellow chard and kale (below) again have texture and bring a colour to the space too.

I was all for heading back to the picnic dining table to see what was cooking, but alas I wasn’t quite brave enough to sit down - and stage a sit in, plus we had a hotel to get to!

* With thanks to Gardeners’ World for inviting me to Gardeners’ World Live, it was just as good as I expected! I’ll be sharing more from my visit to the show - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.