Stephanie's Garden Blog

August can be one of the hottest months of the year, this makes watering an essential task! If water butts are running flow, grey water can be used wherever possible. If August is holiday time for you, plans may be needed to enlist the help if friends and family to look after the garden when you are away!

Raised bed gardening is becoming more popular than ever before with increasing numbers of people opting to grow their own food and live a more sustainable lifestyle. With the variations in height, size, potential higher yield and aesthetic value, raised bed gardening should be on your mind for gardening success.

Winter is slowly creeping in and now is the time to start preparing your garden for next year!

The past two weeks of glorious sunshine has been a wonderful relief from the excessive rain and gale-force winds that battered the gardens throughout May.

With March signalling the arrival of spring, I had high expectations for the weather. However, mother nature had other ideas. Aside from three bright, warm days the rest of the month was cold.

With interest in Grow Your Own flourishing, Fruit Cages are fast becoming staple additions to the garden. There is nothing more upsetting than discovering your tasty strawberries, raspberries, leeks, or other such delights have been devoured by garden pests and animals. A fruit cage increases the amount of produce that makes it from the veggie patch to the table.

Considered the least favourite gardening month by many, January was a month of two halves. It started cold and frosty with regular wintry showers and developed into far milder conditions with regular bursts of winter sun. A welcome break from the constant rain showers we were dealt in December.

Throughout November the kitchen garden has witnessed an array of weather conditions. Much like every other UK November, rain featured heavily. Not enough to put a stop to my monthly tasks, but enough to warrant several layers and a waterproof!

In the past, cauliflower was often overlooked, ranking low on the list of veggie favourites and relegated mainly to frozen vegetable medleys or crudite platters. But these days, the mild but delicious white vegetable is growing in popularity, thanks to its versatility.