Landscape Juice

Met Office confirms summer will be drier and warmer than average

Back in January 2009 I expressed my thoughts that that 2009 would be warm and even questioned the possibilities of a heatwave.

This prospect seemed to be heightened when the Met Office also predicted that 2009 would be warmer than average.

Sign petition for more funds into bee health research

The is no doubt that bee health is becoming a considerable concern; not just amongst beekeepers but also farmers and gardeners who depend on pollination for crops.

You could help make a difference by signing this E-Petition (should that not be B-Petition) on the Number10.gov.uk website

The Prime Minister's office is being petitioned by Annette Barsby of Kent Beekeepers Association.

Shirley Warren Community Garden gets a makeover

The Shirley Warren Community Garden was built in 2007 and received nearly £10,000 from the National Lottery Fund.

Yesterday, TV gardener Charlie Dimmock returned to give a makeover to the entrance of the garden as part of a road-show to celebrate the giving away of £25 million in funding to good causes.

On her visit to the garden, Charlie Dimmock said: “Having an open space like a garden to enjoy brings so many benefits to people’s health and wellbeing and gives people a real reason to get out and embrace life - it’s something many people take for granted but it’s not always possible to have access to a garden at home.”

Follow Landscape Juice on Twitter

I have been registered on Twitter for several months and on Facebook for much much longer, yet, until very recently, I have not really used either of them to their full potential.

Now, all of my posts will automatically launched to Twitter which in turn updates my Facebook account.

There are many ways to keep up to date with Landscape Juice - just click on the one that suits your lifestyle.

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Is it time for a gardening blockbuster?

Have you ever heard the phrase 'the trend is your friend'? - With the emphasis turning to the sanctity of family life and, as the importance of improving one's immediate environment gathers pace, I get the feeling that a film or TV series that features gardening at the heart of the story might just go down well at the box office.

Help me think back over recent years. I can recall a few screenplays that have brought the 'feel good factor' into our lives. One in particular, Down to Earth , with Pauline Quirke and Warren Clarke, was part of the stimulus for my change or life.

Transplanting vegetable seedlings into open ground

Planting : How To Transplant Seedlings InTo The Ground

If you have grown vegetable seedlings in a greenhouse or cloche for the first time or you have decided to buy seedlings from the garden centre, you might be interested in this simple little video that explains the technique visually.

It is a little wishy washy but essentially ideal for beginners to understand the process. Pay particular attention to removing the seedlings from the trays so as not to damage the roots or stem and note how small plants are seated into their holes by 'puddling'.

Jonathan the oldest tortoise in the world - or is he

At 176 years of age, Jonathan is thought to be the oldest known tortoise in the world and lives on the tiny island called St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean having been imported to the island in 1882 at the age of fifty - although there is a theory that Jonathan is a fake and the Seychelles tortoise in the photo was in fact another tortoise named Jonathan which died in 1910.

The previously recorded oldest tortoise was a Giant Galapagos tortoise named Harriet who died at the Australia Zoo in 2006 and was thought to have sailed out on the Beagle with Charles Darwin, after his expedition to the Galapagos Islands.

I was stimulated into researching the oldest living tortoise because I think I have found a picture of the oldest know fossilised tortoise in the world.

So you want to set up a school gardening club?

I am a very firm believer that kids could benefit greatly from getting their hands dirty in the garden rather than playing on a computer. I also passionately believe that gardening should be taught at school.

In many cases there just isn't an enthusiastic parent or helper but if you are reading this, and your are keen to get involved and help start a school gardening group, then why not go to your local school (it doesn't even have to be your own kids school) and make a suggestion to the head teacher?

Do Marshalls read Landscape Juice

I have followed the Marshalls story very closely in the last year or more as the market for hard landscaping materials deteriorated, leading to Marshalls closing down its point of sales areas at their heavyside yards.

I very much considered Marshalls as reacting to the market rather than anticipating trends and sticking to a well founded plan.

In a previous post I said - Marshalls PLC says 'outlook uncertain' as orders decline

Sourcing garden gazebos, pergolas and wrought iron

There are many ingredients one needs to create a great garden. The design and build skills are essential but often overlooked, especially by amateurs, is the hardware that will compliment their creation.

It is worth spending time discovering what is on the market but I have a little short cut up my sleeve by the way of Claudia de Yong to help you with the process.

Claudia is going to share some of her knowledge and help you source materials - Metalwork and especially arbours and gazebos gets us started.

Claudia says: I am often asked as a designer to look for something ‘different’ for clients to put in their garden. I also like to try and find local craftsmen so that I can support their work but also have something truly hand made .