Join us on Instagram on 6th Jan for a chat with Anjee and Ally.
Then on 13th Jan we will be chatting to one of this month’s writers Marc all about his gardening year ahead.
Live at 7pm on the @gardenfolkmag page
You can find plenty of hawthorn out there still so head out on a walk.
With Rosehips the journey started in the Garden, I noticed the rosehips, vibrant against the bare stems of most of the plants surrounding it I wondered when I ought to be pruning my roses, and whether or not the rosehips could produce dye Then the research of others came in, and my preferred research method, books I shall leave a list of my favourites at the end of the article There was a reference to them in one Next was the sometimes misleading research method, the internet Will it produce bright red? Pink? Brown? There are different sources saying different things Misleading is a strong word perhaps, but what use is someone else’s experiment anyway, for me the real research is in trying it for myself and seeing what happens So I popped my rosehips into a pan and began to dye
A beautiful fragrance filled the house as I slowly heated the dye bath. Once the fabric is dyed another important process is to record. My preferred method of recording is a sketchbook and I am rather pleased with the timing of this. I have filled my first dye sketchbook so I will be starting the new year with a fresh new one. I record the swatches of fabric I have dyed (and modified) alongside notes about when/where I harvest the plants, the date, notes about the dye bath and recipe and sometimes a photograph or sketch of the plant I also start to reflect With the dye samples pictured I’m reflecting on some of the mistakes I may have made with this dye bath The first is that I used some rosehips which I’d previously collected and frozen This may have affected the colour, so I will be doing a second batch with some fresh ones I wonder if it’s a little late to be dyeing with rosehips, but they are there, and this thought will have to wait until next Autumn to be resolved There were other mistakes, I removed most of the fabric when noted in the recipe below but I also left a piece in for longer, then slightly over did it which produced a brown tone that I hadn’t intended Then, when modifying my fabric, I splattered my iron mordant across the control, leaving grey speckles. You can see it pictured underneath the rosehips, a happy accident perhaps. Finally, that other word, refining. Refining is something I want to develop this year. I would like to refine my dye practise so that I can perhaps reproduce colours I like and refine the textile that I dye into a ‘thing’. I’m not sure what that thing is yet. I’m excited to see what happens.
Rambling away aren’t I? If you are ready to dye then we shall return to the hedgerow Like last month's dye, hawthorn, it is likely that you will find rosehips in the hedgerow You may though, like me, have some in your garden Remember when foraging to pick from abundant populations, only take what you need and leave enough for wildlife
Just look at the colour!
Reading Recommendations
My favourite way to research is through books I find them to be more reliable than the internet and I enjoy having them to hand when I come across a plant These are a few of my favourite ones of late:
A handy tip for keeping track of your dyeing adventure.
‘Colours From Nature: A Natural Dyer’s Handbook’ by Jenny Dean
‘Printing with Natural Dyes’ by Nicola Cliffe
‘Botanical Colour at your Fingertips’ by Rebecca Desnos
Materials you will need
Mordanted fabric (look back at the October issue of Garden folk Mag)
Rosehips (equal in weight to fabric you want to use, e.g. 100g fabric=100g Rosehips)
Dye pan
Sieve
Water
Spoon
Bowl or container to soak fabric
Step 1 - Place your mordanted fabric in a bowl/container and leave to soak for a few hours, (or ideally overnight) so that it is ready for dyeing.
Step 2 - Roughly chop your Rosehips and place in your pan, cover with water and gently heat till simmering
Step 3 - Simmer gently for 30-60 mins
Step 4 - Remove from the heat and strain to remove the rose hips from the dye bath
Step 5 - Place your fabric into the dye bath and gently continue to heat it for 30-60 mins You may need to add some more water at this stage to ensure your fabric is fully covered.
* I used the whole plant but you can remove the hips and use just them - this part is up to you!
Step 6 - Turn off the heat and remove your fabric, rinse and leave to dry or whilst still wet, modify.
Modifications
For me the resulting colour was a soft peach/brown When modified I noted the following:
Cotton produced a wider range of colours when modified and softer colours overall
Silk produced deeper brown tones
Acid modification didn’t vary much from the control
Alkali brought out a pink tone
Iron created a grey tone
As the seasons turn and the garden ebbs and flows with the rhythm of nature, there’s always something new to discover, prepare for, or nurture
By Mel Heris
This Wildlife Gardening Almanac is your month-bymonth guide to creating a garden that's full of life Packed with seasonal tips, wildlife-friendly tasks, and simple steps you can take to plan ahead It will help you transform your outdoor space into a haven for birds, insects, mammals, and more
Whether it’s feeding winter birds in January, sowing pollinator-friendly seeds in spring, providing water for our wildlife friends during summer, or creating cosy corners for hibernating creatures in autumn, the Wildlife Gardening Almanac invites you to embrace the natural cycles of your garden and deepen your connection with the wildlife that makes it so special
With a focus on practical actions, forward-thinking preparation, and a touch of seasonal inspiration, let this me guide you through the year as you create a garden that’s alive with beauty, colour, the song of wildlife, and the quiet magic of nature
Just grab your gardening gloves, step outside, and let’s turn our garden into a wildlife paradise, month by month!
January: New Beginnings in the Garden
As the new year begins, the garden rests beneath a blanket of frost, but beneath the quiet surface, life gently stirs In January, the days slowly lengthen, and for gardeners, this is a time of reflection, planning, and lending a helping hand to the wildlife that brightens even the coldest days
Wildlife Garden Tips and Jobs for January
upport Birds with High-Energy Foods
he cold weather makes finding food a challenge for many garden birds. Help them maintain their energy by anging feeders filled with high energy food such as uet, sunflower seeds, fat balls, and peanuts (unsalted). lackbirds, sparrows, and tits are especially grateful for hese energy-packed treats, which help them endure rosty nights. Don’t forget to clean your feeders regularly o keep them safe and hygienic.
repare for Spring Nesting
anuary is the perfect time to clean out any bird boxes rom last year to remove old nesting materials, mites, and debris. By giving your birdhouses a fresh start, you ’ re nsuring they’re ready for new tenants come springtime.
rovide Fresh Water
With natural water sources frozen over, fresh water can be a lifesaver for birds and other wildlife visitors. Place a shallow dish of water in your garden, and check it daily to ensure it doesn’t freeze. If you have a pond, float a tennis ball on the surface to help keep part of it ice-free.
Protect Hibernating Wildlife
Be mindful of leaf piles, log stacks, or other undisturbed corners in your garden where hedgehogs, frogs, toads, and insects may be hibernating. Avoid disturbing these areas until spring to give these creatures a safe place to rest.
Plant Bare-Root Trees and Shrubs
January is a great time to plant bare-root trees, hedges, and shrubs. Species like hawthorn, rowan, or crab apple provide food and shelter for birds and insects later in the year.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree for Wildlife
If you have an old Christmas tree, turn it into a garden resource. Lay it down or place it in a quiet corner to act as a shelter for insects or small mammals, or cut the branches to cover tender plants as frost protection. If you have the room (and if your tree has roots) consider replanting your Christmas tree. This will give wildlife an extra spot of protection and you can dig it up again for the following Christmas.
Providing water for birds can be as easy as a a plastic tray.
Steps for the Months Ahead
Plan Your Wildflower Patch
Use these quieter winter days to research and plan a wildflower patch that will provide food and shelter for local pollinators. Look for native species which are fantastic for attracting bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. By choosing seeds now, you’ll be ready to sow in spring, ensuring a vibrant, wildlifefriendly garden that will buzz with life in the warmer months.
Start a Wildlife Gardening Journal
Dedicate a notebook or digital journal to tracking your wildlife garden Record which birds, insects, or mammals you spot in your garden this month and keep notes on what plants or features attract them Over time, this journal will help you understand what’s working and inspire future gardening projects
Research Wildlife Ponds
A pond is one of the best ways to encourage biodiversity in your garden. Start researching pond designs now, including planting native pond plants. Decide on the best location and materials so you ’ re ready to start when the ground thaws.
Sort and Clean Your Seeds
Go through your collection of seeds, checking expiration dates and viability Make a list of any seeds you need to order for the upcoming season and see which pollinator friendly plants to get
Get Ready for Pollinators
Plan and build small features to help pollinators when spring arrives. For example, fill small wooden boxes with straw to create bee-friendly shelters or leave a patch of bare soil for ground nesting bees.
Create a stunning flower display for you and the wildlife!
When the warmer days come the frogs will appear ready to help witgh pest control.
Make a robin friend this season. Crocus provide some early food for pollinators.
January Wildlife Highlight: The Resilient Robin
Robins are among the most beloved winter visitors, with their bright red chests standing out against the muted tones of a frosty garden. Unlike many birds, robins sing throughout the colder months, and their sweet, melodic song helps them to declare their ownership over a certain patch, which they will defend fiercely. Why they’re beneficial: Robins are natural pest controllers, feasting on insects and larvae that might otherwise damage your plants. Having them around keeps your garden ecosystem in balance while adding a pop of festive charm.
How to Help Them:
To encourage robins to visit, scatter mealworms or softened raisins on the ground or a low platform feeder, as they prefer foraging at ground level. Leave dense shrubs or hedges untrimmed to provide them with shelter from predators and the biting cold.
A Monthly Step By
Step Journey
With each passing month, our gardens invite us to take another step on this rewarding journey of nurturing wildlife Whether it’s preparing for spring blooms, feeding winter birds, or simply marvelling at the resilience of nature, every action we take helps turn our outdoor spaces into a haven for wildlife
See you all next month!
It’s that time of year again where a lot of people “put the garden to bed” which is a phrase I hate as a garden never stops. A question I regularly get asked as a full time gardener is what do you do in the winter? The answer is simple, catch up or at least try to. It used to be a time when the weeds stopped growing and everything slowed but with our changing climate, the weeds are definitely still growing all year the grass never stops like it used to
@gardeneriddler
It does make weeding easier when the ground isn’t frozen solid, but I do miss the frosts on all the remains of the perennials that are so photogenic and give that winter feel to the place. Now we are increasingly getting wetter and wetter winters so I have to be selective where I can drive the tractor to at work which makes a lot of jobs more labour intensive especially mulching I am constantly wishing for a hover tractor so I could glide over the boggy lawns and tip the mulch where I need it, until they invent one of those I am stuck wheelbarrowing I need to speak to Marty McFly and see if he can hook me up
Another thing that I spend a lot of time doing this time of year is a planning for the year ahead , browsing seed catalogues and dreaming of spring so I can get sowing I can’t wait to get the new polytunnel at work full to bursting with annuals for keep the garden full of flowers again for all of next year So, in this article I thought I would tell you about some of the varieties of plants I am looking forward to growing next year for the first time.
Its a busy time for mulching and weeding.
Now is the perfect time to get planning for the growing season ahead.
The first one is Mangelwurzel also know as Mangel Beet it is in the same family as Beetroot and is a mix of beetroot and sugarbeet so is less earth and sweeter If you let them get huge they look like something Harry Potter might pull out of a pot in Herbology But you can use them in the same way as beetroot and the leaves are also edible, you can also use it as a substitute for potato in any dish you would usually use potato It’s an incredibly versatile vegetable which is where it got another of its names the scarcity root
Mangelwurzel
The next one I am looking forward to growing is Chicory/Radicchio Castelfranco which looks like a purple speckled lettuce and you can use it in exactly the same way. But the difference is you sow it in June then harvest September to December so it’s great for extending your season of interest, I saw Greg from Sunshine and Green veg boxes growing them and had to add them to my list. These would be a great plant to mix in with your ornamental garden also as they are gorgeous I’ll definitely be having a few in my pot display next winter
Another one I am looking forward to is Ranunculus. I have never grown these tubers but was kindly sent some from Jo @norfolkbluedoorflowers so I am going to give them as go as they are absolutely beautiful flowers and I really want to up my cut flower game If you have never heard of them, they are part of the buttercup family which means they should be easy to grow right? Apparently not; they can be divas! You need to soak the tuber for a few hours before planting in some moist compost in a seed tray Then pot them up once they get going and are big enough Fingers crossed, you will have some gorgeous flowers to cut from May to July
Finally, I ordered some New Zealand Spinach to try as I am always on the look out for for different salads crops to keep me in salad throughout the year. This is very similar to tree spinach but it’s green without the purple tinge. Apparently Captain cook and his crew ate it to avoid scurvy, so if it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for me! It likes the heat so if we ever get a summer again it’s not one that’s going to bolt like most salad crops in the summer (rocket I am looking at you!) It does contain oxalic acid so don’t eat too many leaves raw They are best in pan with a little butter or just in with your pasta dish
All that’s left for me to do is to wish you all a Happy New Year! It’s nearly time for the 2025 growing season to begin!
Ranunculus provide some beautiful early colour.
Ranunculus corns.
he Garden show review
T
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Favourite Show Garden: The Freedom from Torture Garden: A Sanctuary for Survivors designed by John Warland & Emma O’Connell. Apart from the message behind it, we loved this garden for creating a nurturing social space with tough and resilient plants
Food/Drink: Expensive but plentiful There was a good range of food vendors as well as more high end lunches and lots of champagne!
Family Friendliness: Poor Chelsea is very busy, doesn’t offer reduced price tickets for under 18s and no under 5s are allowed at all
Ticket Price: Expensive! Tickets range from £90-£130
Facilities: Clean and centrally located but busy for a lot of the day.
Extras (demos, talks, music etc): Plenty of live music in designated areas and plenty of opportunity to speak to growers and designers.
Real Garden inspiration: You will definitely be inspired and there are always ideas to bring home but you may need to adjust your budget to recreate some of the incredible designs at Chelsea!
Dates for 2025: 20th-24th May
The planting combinations were glorious
The Freedom from Torture garden
Anjee in her dream greenhouse
Whether you have a ticket to the flower show or not, a visit to Chelsea during the week of the show is also worthwhile to enjoy the incredible (and free) ‘Chelsea in Bloom’. Shops and Cafes in the area put on amazing floral displays and there are often street artists and performers too!
RHS Tatton Show
Favourite Show Garden: Glean- Designed by Christine Leung This was a brilliant space encouraging sustainability and growing your own using loads of recycled and repurposed materials
Food/Drink: Quite good There was a range of food vendors and plenty of picnic benches in shaded areas Not cheap but not crazy prices and you could also bring a picnic if you wished to
Family Friendliness: Excellent! Families are encouraged to attend and children under 16 get in free!
Ticket Price: Affordable: Tickets range from £26 85 - £35 85 (Student: £10.85)
Facilities: Very clean and ample amounts but a bit out of the way.
Extras (demos, talks, music etc): Live music and talks went on throughout the day but there were not as many demos and interactive displays as usual.
Real Garden Inspiration: Tatton is brilliant for real life garden inspiration with loads of small space and quirky shaped gardens There are also tons of budget friendly ideas to recreate at home
Dates for 2025: After the RHS events reshuffle, The next Tatton Flower Show will be in 2027 Instead there will be new event at Wentworth Woodhouse in Sheffield 16-20 July 2025 and on the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk in 2026
A potager garden is always in style!
Glean- the use of all kinds of upcycled nad repurposed materials was very inspiring.
The houseplant displays were a highlight.
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
Favourite Show Garden: The Garden of Renewal, Nature’s Embrace by Giada Francois This garden was a wonder of colour and textures With a focus on sustainability and the power of healing our gardens bring.
Food/Drink: Plenty of choice and some reasonable pricing options. If you do have any dietary requirements there is lots of options from vegan to gluten free.
Family Friendliness: Hampton is always a great show to take your children too with lots for them to do. With plenty of space to walk around too you can take a moment to come away from the choas of the show too
Ticket Price: Reasonable Tickets range from £25 85 - £38 85
(Student: £10 85) Children under 16 are free
Facilities: Clean and plenty throughout the day so you can avoid a queue if there is one
Extras (demos, talks, music etc: Live music in many locations with lots of tents and talks from growers
Real Garden inspiration: There are plenty of gardens to inspire you and things you can take and replicate in your own space at home.
Dates for 2025: 1st - 6th July
This yellow path provided a great contrast to the garden.
This garden was a fantastic showcase of plants that can be used for medicine.
Caley Brothers display was fantastic.
BBC Gardeners World Live
Favourite Show Garden:
Food/Drink: Limited choice within the show but the NEC itself has plenty to offer for food and drink just be prepared for a walk
Family Friendliness: Not the most family friendly show with limited things for children to do This is a very busy show in a small space so not a show for every child
Ticket Price: Reasonable Tickets range from £29 00 - £27 00 Children are £14 50 (between 6 -17 yrs) Children under 5 are free
Facilities: Clean and lots of toilets within the NEC. There is also a cloakroom if you are travelling.
Extras (demos, talks, music etc: Live talks both within the garden and food show.
Real Garden inspiration: The vast majority of gardens within this show provide a real gardening perspective with so much which you can apply in your own space
Dates for 2025: 12th -15th June
There were lots of small and achievable small show gardens.
Adam Frost’s chef’s garden was a real joy!
The school wheel barrow garden were fabulous.
We cannot wait to see what Kerry fills her greenhouse with.
3 x 4 metres isn’t a big space to play with when it comes to design but you’d be amazed about what you can fit into that footprint And I don’t know about you, but when it comes to planning a space, I don't think you can beat sketching out your ideas with a biro on a bit of scrap paper (I do love a good doodle!). Then out comes the graph paper (or a sheet from my son's maths book) ready for the scale edition. I’ve designed our new Kitchen Garden to include a greenhouse, raised beds and a seating area.
A greenhouse is something I’ve wanted for a while. Over the years, I have had multiple designs of the zippy style ones that have done the job but I wanted a greenhouse I could stand up in, potter about in and wanted something that was a bit more structural. We have enough space to accommodate a 6 x 6 foot sized one, so that's the first thing on our list to purchase We've chosen one with an aluminium frame and polycarbonate windows We decided against a traditional glass one just in case the pup lost her sense of direction whilst in "zoomies" mode and I thought the birds would be less likely to fly into it One day I will indulge myself with the greenhouse of my dreams, along with the dream country home and the free roaming chickens, ducks, goats, etc Like I said, one day!
As the base of this project is all patio, raised beds will be the choice for us to grow in We have yet to fully decide the material of these but are leaning towards traditional wooden beds Companion planting is going to be key in maximising what we can grow at home in these beds We are also, in time, going to add vertical growing structures and arches to get the most out of this space. This is where my Dad will get roped into helping us with his creative engineering skills.
There will be room to sit and have a brew in this little Kitchen Garden, maybe even a cheeky dinner date for two. This part of the design is nonnegotiable to be fair. The top of the garden catches the early sun so it’s the perfect spot for a morning cuppa and, in the height of summer, the Elder tree provides dappled shade to sit under. I want to sit amongst the plants in this space, watch the birds in the tree and daydream uninterrupted. It’s something I used to do at the old plot all the time; I’d get my jobs done, sit on the floor in the doorway to the shed with a coffee and watch the birds dance around in front of me
So, with the design down on paper, the next thing to do was to map it out and get a feel for the space In our family, no one is more precision based than our little Max so naturally he was roped into this next task with me With a tape measure in one hand and stick of chalk in the other, we got to work on drawing out the design on the patio We walked through the sliding door of our imaginary greenhouse and sat on a couple of chairs in front of the envisioned raised beds We toasted with our imaginary champagne flutes ("Nozeco" in Max's!) and patted ourselves on the back So with that task complete, the greenhouse was immediately ordered and arrived the next day! We've started to assemble the frame work, and weather permitting, I will be able to show you my new growing space next time!
Mood boards are a great brainstorm activity for a new project.
This is a great way to visualise your project.
I think we all need a Max to help in the garden.
By Kerry Tomlinson @lottie thyme
Got a glut of harvests? Why not try and donate them to some food banks.
2025 is here and let me first wish you a Happy New Year! With the Christmas festivities, food, drink and the many parties of the season behind us, it’s a time when we will look to the new year with a rejuvenated energy and good intentions for improving ourselves and our lives By now, we will be wading waist deep in the mire of the ‘New Year, New You’ diatribe, that has many of us feeling like failures by mid-to-late January when our bad habits have proven harder to curb than we previously imagined
If you ’ re sticking to your resolutions, then I applaud you, and would encourage you to keep going, but for those of us who fall off the wagon year after year, may I suggest it might be time to scrap the ‘New Year, New Me’ rhetoric and implement changes into our everyday gardening habits that are doable, sustainable and will keep making improvements for the next 365 days and beyond. If this sounds appealing, here’s a list that might just set you back on track, switching it up for your garden and giving a positive kick to your own health and wellbeing So, step into 2025 with a renewed optimism and let’s get started!
I’ve nabbed a traditional list of resolutions (from a *cough* friend) This is by no means an exhaustive list but it highlights the most typical pressures we put on ourselves at this time of year
Lose weight and get fit - Start thinking of your garden as the ultimate gym which you can use to work out every muscle you have Digging, weeding, hoeing, scarifying, raking, edging, mowing; they all benefit the muscles and without the boredom of being stuck inside with the dullest of fitness machines. Exercising in the great outdoors is a wonderful way to boost the metabolism with all that fresh air. You could even limit the amount of gardening machinery you use too. Pruning a tree with a handsaw as opposed to an electric saw will take longer, but will increase your muscle fitness and give you a good cardio boost. Swap an afternoon at the gym for an afternoon trimming the hedge with hand shears If you ’ re feeling really hardcore, ditch the mower and use a scythe instead I do this at my allotment and it’s the most fearsome work out in the world I definitely know when I’ve done this!
By Kim O’Brien
Hardy geraniums provide lots of colour to enjoy and are easy to propagate.
Working in the garden or allotment is a work our just like being at the gym.
@dahliafarmerama
Take time for yourself and practice mindfulness – this will be familiar, it’s when you literally lose yourself in the garden and before you know it, popping out to do a couple of small jobs turns into missing dinner and only coming in because it’s gone dark! Weeding the beds, sowing seeds, taking cuttings, potting on, can all be mindful tasks that quieten the noise of the busy, stressed-out world around us Be the calm Sit on the grass Stroke the moss Smell the flowers
Declutter the mess - Every garden has a designated ‘death zone ’ An area where pots of ‘plants that once were ’ gather like a graveyard, and wait patiently to be tidied Empty the compost onto the garden and stack and wash the pots ready for your new plants in the Spring If you have surplus, many garden centres have collection points for disused pots to be recycled or reused You can also donate spare pots to your cal community garden who will welcome them with open ms.
t more healthily - This one is easy if you follow one simple le, which is ‘Grow what you love to eat’. There’s no doubt bout it, a tomato picked and eaten straight from the vine has sweetness that cannot be replicated by any supermarket buy; nd where do you find sweetcorn that is creamier than the rn harvested from your own plot? Each year I follow the 0:20 rule where 80% of what I grow are staple favourites at I know my family already love, and the other 20% is for aying and growing experimental produce that’s new to me ome of these in turn become family favourites, of the future
prove finances - There is nothing cheap about garden ntres and nurseries, and this is in no way a slight, as orking closely with a garden centre as I do, I can appreciate e overheads, staffing costs, and importation taxes that have passed on to the consumer. That’s just business. But if you nd yourself buying (and losing) lots of plants throughout the ar, stop the expensive impulse purchases and only buy ants that you have a suitable space for. The old adage of ght plant, right place’ has never been truer and buying a rn for bright sun and heavy clay or a rhododendron for chalk il and shade, is pouring money down the drain. Resolve to ke lots of cuttings from the plants that already flourish in your arden, and do swaps with your neighbours to add variety. is will do wonders for both of your bank balances and will e hugely satisfying in the process
Verbena bonariensis are one the easiest flowers to propagte. Don’t forget to share them with your neighbours too!
Stop mowing an area to improve biodiversity.
Share your harvests with family and friends.
be a wonderful problem to have, and perhaps you are skilled at pickling, preserving and canning Even if you do these things, if you have an allotment or kitchen garden, you are likely to have an abundance of fruits, veg and herbs that are more than your family needs This is a brilliant opportunity to donate food parcels to your local food bank and share the love and flavour of sweet tasting, freshly-grown produce with others in your community who may not have access to such a wonderful resource If you pop a note in with it to say that it’s homegrown, you never know, you may just inspire a family to try growing their own too
Care for the environment - As gardeners we are all environmentally aware and are becoming increasingly so with each passing season. Installing something in your garden this year that serves as a habitat for wildlife can do wonders for the biodiversity in your little patch of heaven. It could be as simple as allowing a nettle patch to grow, installing an insect hotel, or a bird box or hedgehog shelter. It could be a large project such as digging up your lawn completely and swapping it for a mini wildflower meadow or installing a pond (a simple sunken bucket will do).
I bet these are 7 resolutions that we can all keep, and even if you already do some of these, resolve to do them again, but in a new part of the garden and in a new way It’s really so easy to turn these seven deadly sins into seven stealthy wins and lets all have a happy, healthy attitude to nurturing our gardens and allowing them to look after us all too in 2025
Wildlife habitats can be elaborate toolike this colourful entrance to a hedgehog shelter.
Plant spring bulbs in your lawn to support the pollinators.
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Californian poppies are a fantastic addition to any garden.
As gardeners, we pour our hearts and souls into our green spaces, cultivating not just flowers but also hope, joy, and a place to sit back and catch our breath Yet, some seasons challenge us in ways we couldn’t anticipate, and 2024 was one of those years.
For many of us, it felt like a “horrible, no-good, everything-thatcould-go-wrong-did-go-wrong” kind of year Endless rain, hungry critters, and a lack of sunshine created a perfect storm of difficulties that left many gardens, including my own, struggling to thrive.
The summer flower garden I’ve been rebuilding since the extreme heat and drought in 2022 my happy place, my sanctuary was hit hard again this year. Months of planning, planting, and nurturing felt lost amidst the relentless challenges. For the third year in a row, the garden that has always brought me joy seemed to offer more heartbreak than blooms, and I’ll admit, this time it’s left me feeling more uncertain than ever about the future of this project
Reflecting on the Summer’s Struggles
This year was supposed to be a fresh start for my flower garden After 2022 and 2023 being filled with challenges (in 2022 the extreme heat and drought, and in 2023 when the full extent of the damage the extreme weather had done the year before became clear), I had high hopes for this rebuild. I planted 700 summer bulbs and bare roots, carefully selected for their ability to thrive in our ever-changing climate. I sowed 100 seed packets to create a garden bursting with seasonal variety. I even planned out new features, like expanding the flower beds and adding hardscaping to make the garden both functional and beautiful.
Spring started with promise Bulbs began to sprout, seedlings emerged, and for a brief moment, I felt hopeful that this would finally be the year the garden bounced back But then, the weather turned Weeks of relentless rain washed away carefully planted seeds, slugs and snails feasted on tender new shoots, and a lack of sunlight stalled growth, leaving the garden struggling One by one, the plans I’d worked so hard to bring to life seemed to slip through my fingers
This year, the emotional toll has been heavier than ever The garden has always been my safe haven a place of peace, comfort, and joy But this year, as I struggled with my mental health, as my anxiety took the upper hand and old challenges I thought I had worked through resurfaced relentlessly, I found myself needing that haven more than ever. To see it falter once again, despite all the love, care, and effort I poured into it, was heartbreaking. It felt as though the place I could always turn to for solace was slipping away, and despite knowing the circumstances were beyond my control, it was hard not to feel as if I had failed.
And then there’s the financial cost, of course Even with sowing as much as possible from seed, nurturing cuttings, and shopping smartly for deals, the effort still came with expenses
By Mel Heris @bluebellandbumblebee
August 2021
August 2022
August 2023
Trying to Focus on the Bright Spots
While it’s easy to focus on what didn’t go right (one of the reasons I don’t have a lot of pictures of the summer flower garden this year), I did try to find joy in the small victories The few blooms that did emerge brought beauty and happiness to the garden Seeing self seeded plants like borage and cosmos pop up in unexpected places reminded me that nature has its own way of filling in the gaps Lavender, geranium, and gaura, three rock stars of the garden, thrived despite the odds, their resilience offering a glimmer of hope
These small successes, though bittersweet, serve as a reminder that even in the toughest years, there is beauty to be found And while it may not be the flourishing flower garden I envisioned, each bloom is a testament to the resilience of nature and of us as gardeners.
Looking Ahead: What Comes Next?
Unlike last year, when I was full of plans for the next steps in the rebuild, now I was left at a bit of a loss. The usual excitement I felt for planning the garden’s future had been replaced by uncertainty How do I move forward when the last three years have brought so much disappointment?
I have given myself time to pause, reflect, and process the heartbreak, and now I’m slowly starting to pick up the planning again taking small, manageable steps forward, and focusing on what has worked and letting that guide me
This means prioritizing plants that have proven their strength in the garden and seeking out different colours and varieties to add more interest I’m also helping nature do its thing by sprinkling seed heads from resilient plants directly into the garden There’s hope that some of the bulbs and bare roots planted last year might still surprise me by popping up next season. I’m also relocating self-seeded perennials and sowing more flower seeds, a mix of different kinds of annuals and perennials, both of which I will be sowing both indoors and directly outdoors.
Embracing the Journey
Gardening, at its core, is an act of resilience. It teaches us patience, persistence, and the ability to start over, even when we don’t know what lies ahead So, while the path forward feels unclear right now, I know that this is not the end of the story
While 2024 was one of the most challenging I’ve faced, I’m holding onto the belief that the summer flower garden will bloom again It may not look exactly as I envisioned, but it will be beautiful in its own way, and it will be a reflection of resilience, growth, and the love poured into it
Asters provide a wonderful source of food for pollinators.
Roses were a huge success for Mel this year.
Cheese board leftover Cheese and Onion Pie
No Christmas buffet would be complete without a sizeable cheese board, but what to do with all the odds and ends of those various cheeses that end up sat in the fridge?
Why not combine them all together in an unctuous, indulgent, Cheese and Onion Pie? It’s the ultimate comfort food and teamed with a gut friendly dollop of homemade sauerkraut (come back next month for that recipe!) it’s the perfect January pick me up.
The perfect treat on a cold winters evening.
Makes 12 bite sized or 1 family sized pie
250g leftover cheese
equal amount of sliced onion
Herbs (fresh or dried)
2 eggs
Shortcrust or puff pastry
Shortcrust Pastry
300g plain flour (plus 1 tsp xanthum gum if your flour is GF)
150g chilled butter cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
A splash of water
A great way to use up the herbs you have growing at this time of year.
Add whatever cheese you fancy.
Even in winter you can still grow your own ingredients.
1 Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
2 Roll out your chosen pastry and line a greased baking tray, pie dish or muffin tray.
3 Roll out a second piece of pastry for a pie lids, if you require them, and set to the side
4 Put chopped onion into a pan and add enough water to almost cover it, then boil until soft and most of the water has absorbed or evaporated
5 Turn off the heat and add the cheese and 2 beaten eggs Mix well
6 Add in herbs (and a pinch of pepper and a pinch of turmeric if desired)
7 Pour into the pastry lined pie dish or muffin tray If you are adding pastry lids, brush beaten egg mixture around the edges and cover with the pastry lid- use a fork to press down the edges then brush all over with the beaten egg mixture and pierce a couple of holes into the centre with a fork.
8 Bake for 25-35 mins until golden brown.
Since the last piece in the magazine was written , I’ve spent the pre/post Xmas period battling wind problems While most of the garden jobs lay dormant for a few weeks – wind patrol has been at its highest with some of the worst winds I’ve ever seen since beginning gardening!
By Jen Howarth
We reached gusts of up to 75mph, which let’s face it is completely crazy. Wind is certainly one of the most destructive things I’ve ever known. It’s my most hated of all weathers because of the damage and heartbreak it causes for many people in their gardens and I completely empathise with you if you have been a victim.
The more you venture into your gardening journey the more you start to have to lose, greenhouses, polytunnels, cold frames, sheds , the list goes on and with this the wind damage becomes more expensive and disheartening every time
This time the wind caused a rip in the polytunnel plastic, broke a few panes of glass in the greenhouse, ripped up some plastic covering and a smashed water collection tray I’m writing this as I await a trip to the allotment to survey the latest round of damage from not being able to replace greenhouse glass over the twixmas period – every place on the Wirral was shut!
As with the slugs, we pick ourselves up and try again This gardening malarkey really does build your resilience and sometimes test your bank balance
January is a really exciting month for me as it contains something I’ve been really looking forward to which relates to the wind I’ve been battling over the past month.
The Flowers from the Farm conference!
Flowers from the Farm is a collective of British flower farmers with over a 1000 members nationwide. It provides it’s members with opportunities to collaborate and learn from each other while offering the public a chance to find their local flower farmer to give them access to sustainable and seasonal blooms
This year ’ s conference is all about farming with climate change, how we are reacting to this from a business perspective, and what the future holds for our blooms I’m looking forward to reporting back the findings and actions I’m going to take on the farm infrastructure
As we hit 2025, the farm opening feels much closer and I’m very excited/nervous/overwhelmed as the infrastructure building is in full swing during January If you need me, I’ll be mulching beds with LOTS of manure!
@life on the lot
Photo Credit: Jen Howarth
January heralds the beginning of a new year and a garden full of new possibilities. As gardeners though we know that spring is still a way off. However, there’s plenty to do outdoors and if you have the right kit and space inside you can even start sowing a few things.
Things to sow/plant
Flowers
Antirrhinium
Begonia
Geranium
Verbena
Sweet Peas
Lobelia
Edibles
Chilli
Onion Seed
Aubergine
Sprouting beans
Broad Beans
Shallot seed
Sweet Peppers
Come and join the @gardenfolkmag team for live garden updates throughout the month over on Instagram.
Lively discussions with gardening personalities and experts from the fantastic world of gardening.
This month can be one of the hardest with low light and a lack of Vitamin D so get outside whenever you can - both you and the garden will benefit.
Purchase and plant bare root trees and bushes when the groud is not frozen.
Leave it messy!
Leaf litter, old stems and seedheads will be providing much needed food and shelter for the wildlife
Get some fresh air and exercise and turn your compost Make sure you check for any creatures that have set up home for the winter
Check houseplants regularly.
Clean pots, potting benches, waterbutts, greenhouses and cold frames ready for spring.
Remove yellowing leaves from winter brassicas.
Continue to prune apple and pear trees now to control their shape and size in the coming year.
Get outside and find some snowdrops to admire
Protect outside taps by insulating them to prevent burst pipes.
If you have a heat mat and UV light you might want to start your Chilli seeds indoors this month
Prune Roses while dormantcut branches to just above a bud
Brush heavy snow off hedges and shrubs to prevent branch breakages
This month we asked you:
“What are you going to do different in 2025?”
Nothing. I will continue to ignore growing instruction, do some more chaos sowing and celebrate anything that grows in my garden ��
@star of 72
Remember that everything is an achievement, no matter how small @annasgardenjourney
Buy less plants (very unlikely to happen ��) @lemon housegarden
Definitely going to use a good quality compost to sow seeds and to up my beds at the allotment. And try succession sowing more this year!
@allotment life 16a
Try and be more present on socials to get the balance right
@theplantparlourgram
I’m going to put off procrastination until next year �� @fiveminutegardener
Grow things I like the look of/the sound of rather than exactly what the books tell me to grow! As one garden plan doesn’t suit all! @possibly.a.potager
Maybe I’ll achieve my forever goal of properly labelling things
@diaryofaladygardener
Growing dahlias from seed for the first time! Can’t wait to see every unique flower surprise @yorkflowerpatch
Next month we want to know: “ What plant could you not live without?” Send us a message on Instagram or email us your answers to info@gardenfolkmag.com
@flowers food garden @dough and durt @georgies flowergarden @stephs allotment
