The threat of frost is not quite over, our Turtle Mats are still adorning our windscreens, tufty-side down to keep them ice free (thanks for the tip Susan), but there is definitely more of a spring in our step.

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. (more…)

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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. (more…)