Planning Our Dream Garden

Chris and I have lived together for the past seven years and during that time, we have only ever lived in terraced housing with little to no outdoor space. We've since had two children and we are at the stage where we are looking to buy our own house, as opposed to privately renting like we are right now. We have a few "must haves" such as living in a suitable area close to the children's school, having a third or maybe even fourth bedroom, a garage and most important, a garden!

I feel like I'd love a garden for the children to run around in and play whenever they like as outdoor time is so important and it's much easier than taking a trek to the park. I would also really enjoy having a more grown up space for us. I've put together a little plan of what I would have in my dream garden (although I doubt I'd get the size!).

Outdoor Toys

 Photo by Luana Azevedo on Unsplash

This is probably the most important for me. I'd love to get the children one of those huge outdoor frames that comes with a swing, slide and lots to climb - it would keep them entertained for ages and would feel just like being at the park. Both children have also expressed interest in having a playhouse so I think we'd opt for a wooden one just so it lasts a little longer. I've also seen some companies that specialise in outdoor chalkboards that fasten to a fence. C and E would both definitely love that and it saves them from using chalk on the patio. Win win!

Food Area
I spend a lot of time on Instagram following home accounts and I am completely envious of Mrs Rackley Home's food area outside. Beforehand, I'd happily just have a patio with some gorgeous rattan furniture and a fancy barbecue, but she has gone that little bit further and installed her own built in pizza oven. I need one of those in my life too! It would be lovely to invite all the family around for a nice alfresco meal in the summer with the children playing next to us.

Grow Your Own 

This is one thing that Chris and I have always said that we would like to do - grow our own veg! There is no way I could have a garden without cordoning a little part off just for growing vegetables. It would save us so much money and it would be a great way to get the kids interested in it and teach them where our veg comes from.

Home Cinema
This is another thing that I didn't know I needed until Instagram came along, this time courtesy of Lust Living. Okay, it probably isn't realistic because you'd need a huge amount of space but hey, a girl can dream! Just imagine sitting outside as the sun goes down, with your favourite movie playing via a projector. Bliss!

Floriculture
I admit, I am not green fingered at all and wouldn't know how to keep a plant alive but it's definitely something that I'd love to learn if I had a garden. I'd probably opt for artificial grass for the main part (just so it looks pretty and green all year round!) but I'd love a "frame" of beautiful, brightly coloured flowers around the edge of the garden. I think it would really set the whole area off and just make it a lovely place to be.

What would you have in your dream garden?

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Our Love for Gardening in the UK

A love of gardening is one thing that many Brits have in common. In fact, the Horticultural Trades Association reported that over two-thirds of British adults visit a garden centre every year. In 2016, the UK Houzz Landscaping Trends Survey also revealed that 59% of homeowners prioritised outdoor living as the biggest influence in their overall outdoor project design.

Gardening as a hobby appears to be becoming more popular too. We have teamed up with Suttons, advocates of growing your own produce, to take a closer look:

A rising interest

It appears as though the UK as a nation is enjoying spending more time in the garden. Research revealed that the market value of home and garden products has grown by 4,548.1 euros since 2014. Similarly, Wickes has seen a 30% increase in year-on-year sales of garden lighting, which suggests that more people are spending time in the garden even when the sun goes down and perhaps in the colder months too.

One reason for the rise in keen gardeners has been suggested to be the increase in disposable income in households. In 2016, research concluded that 27 million people in Britain were partaking in gardening. More young people are considering a career in the industry too — a sharp increase has been noticed in the amount of 16 to 18 year olds who are looking to complete horticulture courses at college.

There have been concerns in the past surrounding peoples interest in gardening. It was reported that many people were paving over their front gardens with gravel for ease of maintenance or parking purposes. With the rise of urban living, it has also been reported that many people will be living without any access to a garden in the near future. However, trends have adapted and there has been a rise in the purchase of shrubbery as people try to make the most of their limited space.

It has been found that gardening is being enjoyed more indoors now too — through gardening programmes. One in four Brits claimed that they used gardening TV shows as inspiration for their own gardens. A garden transformation show called Love Your Garden, hosted by Alan Titchmarsh, saw its viewing figures hit 4 million this summer. Similarly, 3.14 million tuned in to watch the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, which is coverage of a 5-day long garden show of innovative gardeners and their designs.

Search volumes

It appears as though Google is being consulted on gardening advice more too. When looking at the search volume of ‘grow your own’, peaks were noticed around May. This is possibly down to the beginning of the bank holidays and the rise in temperatures. On average, 50,000 more searches were made around the term in 2017 than in 2014.

Less people were searching for this term around the month of December. However, an increase in searches was still picked up (30,000 between 2014 and 2017). This could be down to the rise in ‘DIY’ kits that have seeds, tools and soil in that they can be given as a gift and used to grow your own vegetables in the garden.

More people are looking for the location of their closest garden centre too. In April 2015, there were around 230,000 searches made around the term ‘garden centres near me’ and in 2017, this figure had risen to around 700,000.

Other terms that people have been searching for are ‘gardening ideas’, which saw its search volume increase by around 130,000 between 2015 and 2017, and the search volume of ‘gardening programmes’, which increased by around 350,000 in the same period.

As our love for the hobby increases, it is expected that we’ll find new ways to accommodate for the loss of green spaces. If you’re not already part of the hype, get in the garden or visit your local garden centre to see what it’s all about!

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Plastic vs Glass Greenhouses - which should you choose?

Greenhouses are perfect garden furniture for horticulturists as they allow them to make the most of the seasons, experiment with growing more exotic plants and grow more tender vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.

There is a range of different glazing options for greenhouses and they all have advantages and disadvantages when compared. The right glazing for your greenhouse will be determined by your requirements, personal preferences, climate and budget.

Together with The Plastic People, retailers of polycarbonate sheets, we look at the pros and cons of creating a greenhouse from plastic or glass:

Fitting a greenhouse

With gardeners keen to grow their own produce in their backyards, greenhouses remain in high demand. Customers first face two choices when they decide that they would like a greenhouse – to build or to buy. Although buying a ready-built greenhouse can save time and energy, purchasing the parts from a supplier and assembling it yourself could save you hundreds of pounds.

Experts at Gardeners World estimate that building your own greenhouse would only take up one weekend too. There are plenty of tutorials online to guide you into building a greenhouse but it consists of five main steps:

• Ensuring you have a level foundation
• Assemble each section and attach loosely with clips and bolts
• Fitting the door runners, the door and any automatic window openers or vents
• Lining the glazing bars with foam glazing tape or rubber strips to act as a seal. Fit the roof first with glass or polycarbonate sheets and then the wall panes
• Tighten all the bolts, starting from the top of the fixture

If this sort of DIY is not up your street, alternatively, you can buy one from a garden retailer.

Pros and cons of a glass greenhouse

Gardeners who greatly value the aesthetics of their garden tend to go for glass greenhouses as it gives the ‘traditional’ look. Research by gardeners at The Telegraph found that, compared to twin-wall polycarbonate sheets, glass had a 2-3% higher light transmission. However, this is because the light scatters as it passes through the twin-wall and manages to reach areas that light penetrating through glass cannot which could be advantageous.

One negative of glass is durability. If your greenhouse is in the flight path of any birds or footballs, you could find yourself replacing the panes regularly. Glass is very fragile as a material and can become damaged off a small bump.

Pros and cons of a plastic greenhouse

There are many advantages of introducing polycarbonate panes to your greenhouse. Some polycarbonate sheets, like the ones sold by The Plastic People, were found to be 200x stronger than glass yet half of its weight. This makes the material easier to use and more durable. Due to its hardwearing properties, polycarbonate does not need replacing as much as glass and has been found to be a longer lasting alternative for traditional glass panes. Upon testing (vigorously with a hammer), the plastic sheets were found to be shatter-resistant which is perfect for any mishaps that may occur in assembly or in the garden.

Polycarbonate sheets also filter out nearly all the harmful UV rays that you may become exposed to when gardening in the greenhouse, allowing you to harvest your crop without the fear of sunburn.

If thermal insulation is important to you and key to the growth of your plants, glass is the slightly favourable option. A single sheet of polycarbonate has 0.1 less ‘R’ value (measurement of thermal insulation) than a sheet of horticultural glass. However, this can be solved with a twin-wall polycarbonate panel which assists with useful light diffusion as mentioned.

If twin-wall polycarbonate is your panel of choice, it must be sealed properly as the flutes within the wall can attract moisture, mould and insects – proper assembly would prevent this from occurring.

At one time, a negative property of polycarbonate sheets was clouding over time. However, technological advancements have prevented this from occurring and the sheets remain clear all year round.

So, it appears that polycarbonate sheets could be the new glass when it comes to greenhouse panes. Boasting durability, shatter resistance and light diffusion in all the right places, it is ready to take on any challenge that the UK weather has to offer.

Sources

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=613 

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/diy/how-to-build-a-greenhouse/

https://www.theplasticpeople.co.uk/products/uses/greenhouse-glazing/

http://www.wintergardenz.co.nz/glass-vs-poly-vs-film.html

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What should you grow in your garden?

Growing your own vegetables can seem a little daunting at first – and then after hours in the garden the novelty can wear off, leading to people giving up at the first hurdle. However, help is now at hand! With the help of Suttons, a premium seeds retailer, we can provide you with the best fruit and veg to grow in your own garden, and how you can incorporate them into some fresh, healthy meals.

Peas

If you are looking for a hassle-free vegetable to grow in your garden, then peas might be for you. They sprout well in cooler weather, so springtime beginning in March is always a good time to start growing them. Remember, once you’ve planted the seeds, the peas need support from the stems; use either chicken wire or other netting between supports at the end of each row. Peas taste even better straight from the ground, and you can use them as part of a green vegetable medley – or alongside a lean meat to finish off a dish. The best thing about them is that the more you pick – the more they produce!

Potatoes

Usually grown during spring, potatoes are a part of the carbohydrate group which is one of your main macronutrients that should be part of your diet. They are the staple of most dishes, and go great with a lean steak or as a jacket with tuna. The growing process is also fun: plant your seed potatoes in a potato bag and as the green shoots start to sprout, cover them again with compost. Keep doing this until your potato bag is full, and then you can start watering them. Wait around 10 to 20 weeks until the foliage begins to go yellow, and then tip your bag upside down to see all of the potatoes that you’ve managed to grow!

Spring Onions and Radishes

You have a choice of two methods when it comes to growing these vegetables. Either way, they require a lot of sunlight to grow, so summer is the perfect season to plant. They can be grown either in a pot in the garden, or you can sow them straight into the ground as we lead into the warmer summer weather. Both are ideal within a fresh, flavorsome salad; the spring onion provides a sharp, sweet crunch – whereas the radish can add a natural pepperiness to the dish.

Goji Berries

Despite the exotic nature of the fruit, goji berries can be grown in a British climate perfectly fine. They are surprisingly tough as a shrub and can grow in windy coastal areas, but they also require plenty of sunlight so again, summer is the perfect season for growing goji berries. The fruit is extremely juicy and are rich in nutrients. Mix in a blender on a morning with other fruits and natural yoghurt to make a superfood smoothie to help you face the day every day. Or alternatively, use the fruit as a topping for your morning cereal to give it an exotic twist.

Blackberries

As a classic British fruit, the blackberry can easily be grown in your own garden. To grow them, take the plant and train the stem into wires so that they are easier to harvest when they fruit. They can grow anywhere in the garden as they don’t need a lot of light or attention. If you don’t want to deal with thorns, then use a variety such as the Apache. They are popular when pair up with overnight breakfast porridge. To make this sweet but nutritional breakfast, take rolled oats and pour either coconut soy milk or usual soy milk over the top of them (only enough to soak them). Mix your blackberries in and then leave it overnight to chill in the fridge. When you take it out in the morning, it’ll be a creamy texture perfect for a fresh spring day. 

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Planting Miffy Tulips for Spring

The children and I absolutely love Miffy so we were really excited to hear that after 15 years of cross-fertilisation and patient cultivation, Dutch tulip breeders have finally produced a variety to represent the Netherlands' most famous children's character.

The Miffy tulip is deep red in colour and it is a perfect match to the shade that Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna used in the much loved storybooks over 60 years ago. The cultivation process started in 2001 when tulip breeder Ligthart Bloembollen cross-fertilised two varieties to achieve the right shade and form required, then it was a question of waiting for vegetative reproduction to take place.

By 2014, Ligthart had created a cultivated area of 50m² at which point the company sold the variety under a code name to a company called Pennings de Bilt in Breezand. They are now aiming to increase the area to supply enough Miffy bulbs for sale at retail in 2017/18.

Marja Kerkhof, MD of Mercis, Dick Bruna's publishing company said, "We are nearing the end of a long, special journey working with some of our country's most talented tulip growers to produce the special Miffy tulip. I am looking forward to the moment when the variety is on sale to the general public, which hopefully will be next year."

This year, there are only 2,500 Miffy bulbs in existence and we were really lucky to receive a pack of five bulbs to plant ourselves! We don't have a proper garden with grass so the children don't really have a lot of gardening experience, although C does like watering the flowers at preschool when he needs a little break from the noise levels indoors. Luckily, we didn't need a grass area to plant these and we decided to use little pots instead.  

Both children had so much fun getting messy with the soil, popping their tulip bulbs in and topping with more soil. C has been a little impatient and keeps asking if they've grown yet! They both are enjoying taking care of their little plants and making sure that they are watered daily. I will be sharing their changes over my social media accounts so please keep an eye out - I'm so excited!

We received a copy of the Miffy's Garden book too which I think is getting them even more excited. I think they've caught the bug now and we will definitely be making sure we plant some more bulbs of different varieties.

Some of the 2,500 Miffy bulbs have been planted in the world famous Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. It will be open from March 23rd until May 21st 2017 and you will be able to see them growing in the Keukenhof's Walk of Fame and also in the Miffy garden located in the park.

 

Improving Your Health Through Gardening

As a manufacturer of a raft of products, which are perfect for improving both your home and your garden, The Plastic People has plenty of insight into how gardening can be great for your health and wellbeing.

Welcome the start of summer by reading their helpful guide and become encouraged to spend the warmer weather in your garden this year:

How gardening can improve mental health

When gardening company Bakker Spalding surveyed a group of people in one of their studies, 88 per cent of respondents said that the mental wellbeing that gardening brings them was a key benefit for them to spend time in their home’s outdoor space.

Speaking to The Telegraph in regarding the positive effects that gardening can have on a person’s mental health, leading disability and gardening charity Thrive’s CEO Kathryn Rossiter pointed out:

“As well as the strong therapeutic value of gardening, it can help people connect with others, reducing feelings of isolation. It makes us more active; gaining both physical and mental health benefits.”

How gardening can reduce stress

A study titled Gardening Promotes Neuroendocrine and Affective Restoration from Stress has led to the claim that gardening is much better at easing stress than a selection of other relaxing leisure activities.

In order to reach this conclusion, those who took part in the research were tasked to complete a task that was meant to increase their stress levels. After this assignment was completed, those involved in the study were divided into two groups.

Individuals in one of the groups were kept indoors for half an hour and asked to read, while those in the other group were requested to spend the same amount of time outside doing a spot of gardening.

At the end of the 30 minutes, those who had been assigned gardening tasks outside were reported to have felt in a better mood than those who had stayed inside reading. Individuals in the gardening group also had lower levels of cortisol — the stress hormone.

How gardening can bring down the risk of a heart attack or stroke

A 12-year study headed by Dr Elin Ekblom-Bak at Karolinska University hospital's department of medicine has led to the claim that someone in the 60-plus age bracket can reduce their chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke, and prolong life by up to 30 per cent, if they carried out gardening or a spot of DIY on a regular basis.

The study, which was reported on by The Guardian, saw around 4,000 60-year-olds who were based in Stockholm, initially queried about their diet, lifestyle and inclusion in physical activity. A series of physical examinations and lab tests were also carried out. Following this, it was concluded that those seen as having an active daily life were at a lower risk of experiencing a heart attack than others involved in the research.

As the study progressed over the 12 years, it was also found that individuals who participated in regular activity reduced their chances of suffering from cardiovascular problems.

Do you garden? Did you know that it was good for your health?

 

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