Tag: hedgehogs

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Over 430,000 acres of the UK is segregated into gardens; precious sanctuaries where we indulge our horticultural desires and celebrate nature.  We are our gardens’ curators, creating personal oases, but have we included the essential habitats that wildlife need to survive?

After the punishing drought and intense temperatures this summer, many trees are dropping their leaves early.  Standard gardening advice recommends removing aquatic plants’ foliage in autumn, to prevent decaying leaves enriching the water. 

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June blesses us with the truly wonderful convenience of being able to sow seeds outside without any risk of frost culling seedlings or dashing our hopes.  Make the most of this wonderful moment: summer can feel endless, but speed is of the essence if you are to provide your courgettes, pumpkins, French beans, and runner bean plants with sufficient time to grow, mature, and produce a decent harvest.

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If you’re looking for ways to make a positive difference to the environment, why not build a pond?  Ponds support a vast range of wildlife, from the bottom to the top of the food chain.  Insects, invertebrates, amphibians, and birds, all need ponds.  These ecologically important habitats give us the chance to see dazzling dragonflies and get closer to nature.  Ponds grant us exciting opportunities to grow waterlilies and aquatic plants! 

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Autumn leaves

Autumn is such a magical season.  Each year, I’m utterly enchanted by autumn; I watch in delight, as the leaves on trees and shrubs turn from green to gold, burnished amber, and a stunning array of fiery autumnal hues.  Autumn leaves twirl and dance, as they make their descent, gliding and tumbling through the air, whispering softly as they flutter, before gently landing on the ground below. 

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Each season is so distinct, yet so very special, offering us various gifts and opportunities until the moment has passed and the next season arrives with its offerings.  November might seem like a quiet period in the garden, but this month offers us the valuable chance to move any plants that aren’t growing well, or indeed any that have grown rather too well and have now outgrown their current situation.

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I love hedgehogs!  Hedgehogs are so endearing and entertaining.  Every time I have encountered a hedgehog has been such a special and uplifting moment; each hedgehog I have seen shuffling along or snuffling about has touched my heart, lifted my spirits and brightened my day.

Sadly, nowadays there are many threats to hedgehogs – hedgehogs are in danger as they try to cross our busy roads, but even away from the roads, hedgehogs face many dangers in our own gardens, because of these dangers, hedgehogs are becoming more scarce. 

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The garden is fascinating at this time of year.  I love the wonderful sound of the birds singing, and I just relish the scents of honeysuckle, roses, and other flowers; even the scent of the grass is so relaxing.

If you get time to put your feet up it’s the ideal time to pre-order bulbs, corms, and tubers from specialist nurseries to plant this autumn.  

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This is such an exciting time of year, with so many beautiful colours in the garden to enjoy, and hopefully a bounteous harvest to look forward to!  There are lots of lovely things that you can do now to make the most of your garden this month, and to ensure that your garden will look better than ever next year!

It’s time to move tender plants under cover.  

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The abundance of flowers, fruit, and scent makes this time of year feel rather decadent.  Make time to savour the sights and sounds of summer, and enjoy the fruits of your labour in the garden, this month.

Prune Wisteria.  After flowering, cut back the long, whippy green shoots – the current year’s growth – to five or six leaf joints.  

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I hate slug pellets, I would never use them, not even the organic kind, slug pellets are incredibly detrimental to wild life killing lovely hedgehogs (a natural predator of slugs and snails) in a horrid, drawn-out and painful way. If like me, you want to want to protect our wildlife and help preserve the natural balance of nature, there are many ways you can protect your precious plants from slugs and snails.

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This is such an exciting time of year, with so many beautiful colours in the garden to enjoy and Harvest Festival to look forward to!  There are lots of lovely ideas of things that you can do to make the most of your garden now, and to ensure that your garden will look better than ever, next year!

If your fences are looking rather tatty or wobbly, have you considered planting a hedge?  

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The abundance of flowers, fruit and scent in the garden makes this time of year feel rather decadent.  Take in the sights and sounds of summer, and enjoy the fruits of your labour in the garden, or at your allotment this month.

It’s important to prune figs now, to let in more light and allow for a better harvest of delicious figs next year.  

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I love autumn, the colourful falling leaves, shiny berries, and burnished tones add to the romance and beauty of the garden.  Make the most of the autumn planting opportunities available now, order seed catalogues and create a beautiful garden to enjoy all year round.  There’s still lots to do in the garden, or at your allotment now!

Mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial fungi species that occur naturally in the soil.  

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I love the autumn, the colourful falling leaves and burnished tones add to the romance and beauty of the garden.  Make the most of the autumn planting opportunities available now, order seed catalogues, and create a beautiful garden to enjoy all year round.  There’s still lots to do in the garden or at your allotment now!

Mycorrhizal fungi are species of fungi that occur naturally in the soil.  

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This time of year is so evocative and reflective, with morning mist and an array of autumn colour only adding to the beauty of the garden.  With shorter days, time is of the essence; there is much to do and enjoy in your garden this month!

It’s the ideal time to plant any beautiful, hardy plants that you’ve had your eye on at your local nursery or garden centre.  

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This time of year is so evocative and reflective, with morning mist and an array of autumn colour only adding to the beauty of the garden.  With shorter days, time is of the essence: there is much to do, and enjoy in your garden this month!

If your fences are rather tatty or wobbly, have you considered planting a hedge?  Hedges can be a very attractive feature of the garden, they also provide a much needed home for wildlife, and are more able to survive the perils of the winter storms than a fence.