April in the Garden

There has been a real upturn in the weather over the last week - my lawn has had it's first cut and is ready for the next one! As growth picks up apply a nitrogen-rich fertiliser to promote leaf growth. 

The weeds are making a real comeback, especially the dandelions. Put down plenty of mulch on your borders to keep the unwanted weeds down, it will also help retain moisture in the soil. Keep an eye out also for pests as they are beginning to wake up after their winters rest - I have had numerous weevils appearing in the house and garden already.

Have a look at our range of Accessories and make your gardening a little easier.

Gardening is a great pastime and hobby. Most people garden at some time in their life. That is why gardening gifts and things to aide in the garden are so popular. No matter what type of gardening the person on your gift list does you are sure to be able to find them gifts that are perfect for them. The price range on gifts for the home gardener vary so much that there is something to fit every budget.

There are products out there designed to make the gardeners daily tasks easier to perform. Bear in mind what kind of outdoor work the person you are buying the gift for does. People who mainly do flower gardening do not always need the same types of items as those who do more vegetable gardening. You will also want to consider how big an area the person does their gardening in. Also take into consideration the size of the persons patio or garden before you purchase a large decorative item.

If you are considering buying your gardener a new pair of gloves, make sure you are buying a pair that will last through the entire season. It will be best if they are heavy-duty and can be machine washed. You could buy a matching pair of knee pads to go along with the gloves.

Everyone needs to protect themselves from the sun and its harmful rays when they are working or playing outdoors. You could buy a hat that has a wide brim on it to help protect them from the sun. Include a nice bottle of sunblock to further protect their skin and maybe add to that a water bottle for them to use to stay well hydrated while they work.

Consider new hand rakes or small spades as gifts. Pruning shears would also be handy. You could buy an assortment of these types of hand tools and tie them together with a big ribbon for gardening tools.

People who like to do things outdoors usually all love birds and small animals. A nice bird house or bird feeder with a large bag of seed could be enjoyed for years to come. There are several different types and styles to encourage more of our feathered friends to visit our gardens. There are also several feeders designed to give squirrels a place to grab a quick snack.

Wind-chimes can create soothing and relaxing music for the outdoors enthusiast. You can find sets of wind-chimes for any type personality. They can be large or small. Some wind-chimes are whimsical while others are delicate and elegant. Big or small every set of chimes has a different tone and different wind sensitivity. So, a person can never really have too many sets of chimes.

Patio decorations such as garden gnomes and personalized stepping-stones or signs can be found in several styles and price ranges and are perfect as gifts. They add a touch of personality to the patio and garden while providing a smile. They make good gardening gifts for the gardener who has everything.

For a comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts & Accessories visit Down the Garden

Another New Year Upon Us...

Hello 2011... It's still quite cold outside and nothing much is happening above ground in the garden yet - except frost and ice damage. We have lost a few plants to the frost this year which have survived well in previous years. It did drop to -17 degrees one night though!

This is the time of year to clean up and oil a few gardening tools, prepare for the year ahead - hopefully it will be a good one.

I will be adding a few new products to the Down the Garden website over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out - we may have the perfect gift for the Gardener you know.

Our Gardeners Fleece Hat (pictured above) is very popular and ideal for this time of year and is available in black or green with a choice of captions on the front.

The Ice Carpet is also a very useful item in this weather, especially if you have steps outside or you are not too good on your feet.

We also have a few present ideas for the Golfer and Angler

For a comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts & Accessories visit Down the Garden

AUTUMN APPROACHING

Autumn is approaching fast, time to tidy up the garden and get it ready for winter.

Start filling up the composter with leaves and prunings from the garden, along with plant & vegetable waste from the kitchen. Stinging nettles are nitrogen rich and act as an excellent activator for the compost heap or bin. Try to build up the compost heap in layers making sure air can gain access - and don't let the heap become too wet or dry.

Think ahead to next year and start planning and preparing your garden and getting the ground ready for next season, now is the time to manure the soil if required.

See our comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts and Accessories at Down the Garden

WONDER LAWN

If you are having problems with your lawn at the moment eg. Bald Patches, Moss, Weeds etc. - try our Wonder Lawn product and grow a beautiful, luscious green lawn in days

Wonder Lawn is ideal for sewing a completely new grass area or for fixing a few damaged and worn spots on your lawn. Neighbours will envy you for having such a wonderful lawn in record time.

Astonishingly, Wonder Lawn seeds germinate in half the time of standard seeds as the drought and heat-resistant seeds start to grow almost immediately, just a few days after sowing. Decades of research resulted in an ideal mixture of grass seeds that are resistant to any kind of vermin or virus.

Wonder Lawn is a natural product without any chemical ingredients.

A 1 kg bag covers an area up to 50 sq. metres.

Now available along with a comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts and Accessories from Down the Garden

New Dog Toilet Training Product

If you are having problems with your dog making a mess of the house and garden, try this amazing new product - POTTY ROCK, which is a small scented briquette that attracts both puppies and adult dog to do their toilet in one area thus allowing the owner to choose the location in the garden!

With simple training, following our 4 step guide the dog or puppy will do its toilet, time after time.

For gardeners it's a huge benefit, as it eliminates those ugly urine burn stains always seen dotted around the lawn and of course, keeping the garden a safer and more hygenic place for children to play.

• Easy to use puppy toilet training aid

• Young and old dogs training time significantly reduced

• Natural and life-long training method without short-term diet based products

• Works for both male and female dogs

• 115mm x 180mm x 18mm (4 1/2" x 7" x 3/4") size

• Storable with fragrance that will last for years

Now available along with a comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts and Accessories from Down the Garden

JANUARY GARDENING TIPS

At this time of year the weather prevents us from doing too much in the garden - apart from browsing through gardening magazines and catalogues and planning the garden for the year ahead.

One job that can be achieved is winter pruning, this will improve a trees well-being and encourage new growth where it is needed.

Removing the dead, diseased and broken branches should be the first job followed by removing the low branches that obstruct walkways.

Next thin out crossing branches that rub together - these can damage bark and let in infection, then thin out tangled ones which prevent ventilation. Tall branches growing in the centre of the tree need to be cut out as well. Always cut back to something, a leaf or a bud.

For a comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts and Accessories visit Down the Garden

NOVEMBER GARDENING TIPS

November is the time to sow early crops of Peas and Broad Beans - these should be ready for picking in May and June. Make sure you choose varieties which are for winter sowing and plant in a sheltered spot which has been manured - avoid waterlogged areas. Peas are sown in double rows, 10-20cms apart and at approx. 5cm intervals and 5cm deep. Broad Beans are planted at the same depth but at 20-25cms intervals and in staggered rows, 60-90cms apart.

For a comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts visit Down the Garden

Don't be disappointed - Order early for Christmas.

OCTOBER GARDENING TIPS

If, like me, you have an apple tree you will have an abundances of apples at this time of year (providing the wasps haven't destroyed them all!). Rather than throw lots away or wait until they've rotted on the lawn have a go at storing them to last you through the coming months.

Use the damaged ones straight away for apple sauce or fruit pies, but the good ones can be stored individually in trays. Make sure they do not touch each other or any that rot will pass the contamination to its neighbours - any that do fall by the wayside should be plucked out and disposed of. Keep the trays in a cool dark place which is frost and vermin free. Sprinkling the floor with water occasionally (or lightly spraying the air if this is not possible) will moisten the atmosphere and prevent the apples from shrivelling.

Then just keep an eye on them from time to time - and enjoy!

July Gardening Tips

This time of year Gardeners are plagued by weeds. The secret to an easier life is to weed little and often, ten minutes every morning and evening should keep those evil weeds quiet! Once an area is cleared spread mulch over the ground to prevent them invading again. On paths and patios use a flame gun to destroy them or spray weed killer in dry weather.

For a comprehensive range of great Gardening Gifts visit Down the Garden