So, what’s the plan… lots of you told us “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” so we won’t be re-inventing ourselves a la Madonna, that’s for sure. However, there were some stand-out things you asked for which would make shopping with us more enjoyable or our range better suited to you.

So, thank you Paul Clark, Dawn Seddon and Lynne Addison for suggesting that we give you the option to see different sizes grouped together on our website – hopefully you will notice the change in the next few months, so you can jump straight into seeing all the mats we have available at the size you want. Judy Barham, I hope the newly launched Micro Mats fulfill your need for smaller sizes too.

Lots of you wanted new designs and I am happy to say there will be some fresh faces for autumn/winter 2010, with more to follow in the spring. Keep checking the blog to find out more, as we may well post a sneak peek of some of the new designs here first.

Finally, congratulations to Sue Boxall from Camberley who won our survey responders’ prize draw for a National Trust day pass and free cream tea – we hope you have a great day out!

No longer is spring hiding its modesty behind early morning frosts and hazy showers, now it is out in all its splendor; our gardens and their visitors are testament to that.  We have an abundance of colour from poeticus daffodils proudly and fragrantly showing us their wares to the blossom in its final farewell for the year, leaving in its wake a confetti-like trail of petals.

Our “Turtle Towers” visitors are still setting up camp around our feeders. We have desperately been trying to snap a few shots of our resident yellow hammer but he seems to be a little camera shy! The Jackdaws in all their foreboding menace are however strutting around the feeders like Mike Jagger at his finest and have been since about the beginning of the month. Also spotted: finches, sparrows and tits. No return however of the woodpecker.

Of course, how could we forget April also means spiders – whether you love them or loathe them you’ll find them basking on some sunny wall. When dealing with our eight-legged friends we tend to follow the old English rhyme:

“If you wish to live and thrive, let a spider run alive.”

We’ve been propagating like crazy– white Black Eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata Alba) for which we are having mixed success with only 50% germinating, the ubiquitous sweet peas, Cosmos and other annuals; as well as veg a plenty.

Finally, there’s some rain forecast for this weekend (typically just in time for the bank holiday!) so if you plan to be out in the garden come rain or shine like us, then don’t forget your Turtle Mat at the back door for those muddy wellies!

You may have guessed by now that here at “Turtle Towers” we are animal and wildlife lovers (just not fans of the mud they bring in on their paws!)

In fact, as I write this Molly and Lucy our loveable but curious “Turtle” dog double act are bounding around our garden. Lucy (Jack Russell) is certainly lively and Molly (black Lab) is the perfect foil to this, being quiet, thoughtful and tolerant (well she has to be with Lucy around).

We also know how much some of our customers love their pets, as we often receive photos of cats and dogs lounging on Turtle Mats. It’s great to receive these so please keep them coming and you can also now add them as fan photos on Facebook too.

With all this talk of our “furry friends” we’d like to tell you about the great work animal welfare charity The Blue Cross do, as they are a charity not only close to our hearts but also close to our home here in the Cotswolds.

We have visited their Burford facility a number of times and seen first hand how they make a real difference. As a pet charity they provide support and information for pet and horse owners – The Blue Cross has a fascinating history of helping work horses in London during the early 1900s as well as horses from the trenches of World War 1.

They provide practical care for pets whose owners cannot afford private vet bills, work to re-home abandoned and unwanted pets as well as educate people on the responsibilities that come with owning a pet.

We were lucky enough to have around 300 spare Turtle Mat – Pet Mats and were pleased to pass these on to The Blue Cross who were able to make use of them to raise much needed funds to support their ongoing work.

If you would also like to show your support for the Blue Cross, find out more about the great work they do or volunteer please visit http://www.bluecross.org.uk

The Turtle Mat garden, although quietly coming to life, is seeing some impressive bird activity already. Amongst our usual winter visitors – finches, robins and blue tits, we have spotted yellow hammers and a great spotted woodpecker, so twitching here is almost a full time job!

We’ll try to keep you up-to-date on our visitors in future posts, with a few snaps if they’ll stay put long enough.

We missed the opportunity to plant bulbs in autumn so the garden isn’t as colourful as it could be – we’re reliant on several different coloured Cornus for a bit of zing.

We’re thinking daffies for next year so if any of you have any favourite varieties you could recommend – please let us know by commenting on this post.

At home, us “turtles” are having a little more success with bulbs – Susan’s snowdrops are beautiful, and Becca’s late daffodils (all white) are creeping through, which she can’t quite believe having planted them so late.

I know we might be slightly biased but our Turtle Mats have really worked hard this autumn/winter, especially with the heavy Cotswold mud. Another quick tip from us – older Turtle Mats make great weed suppressors as well as protection for tender exotics (such as palms) over winter – again tufty-side in.

Here’s our favourite link at the on all things spring: http://www.wildaboutgardens.org

Whether after flower blossoms, fruit and vegetables, herbs, or a combination of these, the spoils of a summer garden are well worth their labor. Invest some time sketching to scale what the garden should look like in full bloom.

Colors of flowers and leaves, height of mature plants, sun needs of plants, and the shape of the garden being planned should all be considered. Now that there is a goal in mind, it would be time to remove debris, pull out grass and weeds by their roots, but leaves may stay, as partially decomposed leaves are good fertilizer to till into the soil.

Most gardeners agree that the savviest time to add mulch, compost, or fertilizer into a garden is right before it is planted, since nutrients will seep through the soil with water drainage even in the fall and winter. Spread the nutrient of choice evenly and till it into the soil. Loosen the soil between six to twelve inches down.

If the garden was tilled in the fall this should be rather easy to do, however, loosening the soil for the roots to grow in is a necessary part of gardening, if not the most back breaking. Consider spreading the burden out by buying or renting a tilling machine, or make a plan to till sections of a garden over several days.

It is time to reevaluate the original garden sketch. Use a spade to create furrows, or divots where plants were first desired, to get a feel for the garden’s final plant placement. Finally, enjoy ordering the seeds and starter plants to fill in the perfect garden.

Remember also about preparing your home from dust and dirt that you might bring from the garden and try Turtle Mat Door Mats – the original dirt trapping mats.