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

If it ever stops Raining..

We have a unusual gift items which are ideal for the Self Appointed BBQ enthusiast and Chef.

With products from Aprons, Hats and Caps to Keyrings and Coasters , there is something for everyone - even a colourful Apron for the young Cook!

So get out your umbrella and stoke up the BBQ.

There are trugs full of unusual gifts for the BBQ and Garden at online retailer Down the Garden

May Gardening Tips

If, like me, you have Hostas or Succulents in your garden or on the patio in pots they will have started to come through now and it won't take long before the slugs find and devour them!

As an alternative to the usual slug pellets try shallow dishes filled with beer, these are good traps for the slugs or even better, put bands of copper metal around the top of the pots or base of the plants (flattened strips of old copper pipe are ideal). This gives off a mild electrical charge which the slugs will shy away from. Plus sharp-edged grit around the plant will also help to deter them.

There are trugs full of unusual gifts for the gardener and garden at online retailer Down the Garden