Garden Advice

Sowing seed is probably one of the most exciting parts of gardening. Ask any gardener or allotmenteer and seed selection then sowing is high on the list of favourite gardening activities. I’ve recently written a handy guide on how to sow seeds, so if you’re new to the seed sowing party maybe read that first […]

It’s amazing to think that most of the plants in your garden can be grown from tiny unassuming seeds. These little pods of life allow plants to propagate themselves and spread joy with us gardeners wanting to grow our own. The beauty of sowing seeds is the sheer variety of plants that you will have […]

I’ve already detailed the issue with plastic plant pots and containers in the garden. Even when conscientious gardeners pop them in their recycling bin, more often than not councils won’t recycle them. In fact 87% of those councils that could recycle plastic plant pots don’t. Frustratingly most of these items then become ‘single-use’ and end […]

Herbaceous perennials don’t require the care and attention of annuals or bedding plants as the majority of them are fully hardy (there are exceptions as with anything). Meaning they will happily survive underground during the harsh winter frosts. Arising again in the spring to dazzle us with their offerings. However, most people struggle to know […]

High impact borders can bring the wow factor to your garden. It doesn’t matter whether you have a postage stamp sized garden or a few acres, the principles are the same. Here in the Exploding Atom Garden, I’ve been planting up what I’ve nicknamed the ‘Moody Goth Border’. The aim for this border is to […]

I started this blog to help people make the most of their outdoor space by sharing all of my garden design and horticultural knowledge in easy to digest blog articles. It’s grown pretty rapidly and is now listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Gardening Blogs! All thanks to you; the keen gardener who […]

I get a lot of emails and comments from new gardeners that they really want to garden but have no clue where to start. That they don’t know what they’re doing and panicking that they will mess it up! This is known as the fear of failure in gardening. So I thought it about time […]

Starting to garden as a beginner can be a daunting process. You search the shed and find a rusty trowel maybe a wobbly handled spade that has seen better days. They may have even been left by the last owners, too ashamed to even take them with them. You have a go at using them […]

If you’re like me and have a nightmare garden border that’s both shady and awkward then this guide is for you! I’ve recently been planting up my driveway to mixed success. It’s shaded, dry, windy and has competition from both a hedge and mature trees. It’s enough to make you give it up and simply […]

I’m going to be brutally honest in this blog post, in that I’ve wanted a greenhouse for so many years but never had space for one. I’ve wanted one so much that when I bought one a year ago it languished behind the garage, unpacked for over 12 months. The irony of getting what you’ve […]

The Hori Hori comes from the term ‘to dig’ in Japanese and that is something they do very effectively. They are used for a variety of gardening purposes from weeding to excavating with precision. Usually, they are made of carbon steel which can be cleaned, sharpened and maintained for years. Now I know what you’re […]

Caroline Mann is a Buyer with garden supply specialist Wyevale Garden Centres. She explains to Garden Ninja viewers how you can keep your garden furniture in optimal condition for longer, by showing you how to care for your wooden, metal and rattan sets. Our garden furniture can be our pride and joy, with many of […]

As a garden designer, who specialises in awkward and overlooked gardens, I use pleached trees a lot in my designs. This is not because I’m lazy with my tree choice, but because they really do offer a host of benefits to a small garden. Whether it’s politely blocking out nosey neighbours, adding some contemporary drama […]

Henchman tripod ladders have been designed typically for pruning trees, topiary and hedges they allow you to work at heights without wobbling about. Designed for when you need to be at height for a while without needing to hold on for dear life.  I find that standard ladders have a habit of wobbling about and […]

The fruit tree grafting course was run at Ordsall Hall in Salford, a Tudor hall and knot garden here in Manchester. Peter Nicols from the Northern Fruit Group led the grafting workshop in showing us how to successfully graft some apple trees. The session was aimed at getting us from grafting zero to heroes! We […]