968 results

New Perennial Style Planting Plans

Right then. For the last while I have been both adding to our list of flowering perennial plants and working on planting plants and corresponding plant packs. As the year so far has been nuts, progres … Read more
Making Home Pressed Apple Juice using a Spindle Press

If you have your own apple trees of any reasonable size you will know that despite your best intentions the only journey many of the apples make is when they fall to the ground. And stay there. You ma … Read more
How To Clean Outdoor Furniture

Outdoor or patio furniture makes for a great addition to your garden, allowing you to spend time in the fresh air with family or just sit and soak in the serenity. With some items of furniture it’s … Read more
Do I need a Greenhouse or Polytunnel?

Greenhouses and polytunnels are both structures that allow for regulation of climate and enable you to grow a wider range of vegetables, fruits and plants than you would be able to outdoors. Temperat … Read more
Wicker & Rattan Baskets For Firewood

Rattan Wood and Turf Baskets. We must have the largest selection of wicker and rattan fuel baskets in the country as Niall seems to have been bewitched by the stuff. The quality is excellent … Read more
Garden Party Furniture

Garden furniture is often designed or bought with relaxation or solitary ‘me time’ in mind, but that’s far from the only option. The garden can be a great place to entertain, have guests around for a … Read more
Aphid Pest Control

Aphids are the source of much frustration in the garden. Also referred to as greenfly or blackfly, these small sap-sucking insects feed on ornamental plants and edibles alike. They can cause a range … Read more
Planting Garden Bulbs

Flowering bulbs are ideal for container gardening or as part of a vibrant garden border. They are one of the easiest plants to grow and with a little careful planning can provide a beautiful show of c … Read more
10,000 Bees

I rarely get out these days but myself and Niall always try to squeeze in a relaxing pint on a Friday evening. Pubs whether you like or loath them are great places to meet people in a similarly rel … Read more
Choosing the Right Polytunnel for Your Garden

A polytunnel is a game-changer for the home grower, and if you can afford the initial investment it will pay off in spades. However, trying to choose between the range of options (and ensuring you ge … Read more
Making Chutney

I asked my wife Siobhan to have a go at documenting her chutney making endeavours with the following results, go Siobhan! The English made chutneys their own after the traders brought back these … Read more
Sowing Tomatoes in late February - a guide from Rhys Jaggar

Despite the fact that I am usually busy enough in the polytunnel in late Winter (sowing sweet peas, peppers, broad beans etc....), it is not until I sow my tomatoes that I really feel the season has … Read more
The Extraordinary Migration of the Painted Lady Butterfly

The Painted Lady is a very interesting butterfly due to the vast migratory path that it traces and the fact that record numbers have been reported in the UK and Ireland this year. Normally high number … Read more
What Do I Need To Start an Unheated Greenhouse?

A greenhouse can open up possibilities for you and extend your growing season. It mainly does this by providing enhanced levels of heat and light: an effect brought about by the inherent design of th … Read more
How To Make a Wildlife Pond

Honestly, do you ever think about how weird it is that ‘pond life’ has become a derogatory phrase and insult, when actual pond life contains some of the most fascinating and beautiful creatures you w … Read more
Functional Nutrition Basics Part 2 – Digestion

‘You are what you eat and absorb’ is more accurate than the saying ‘you are what you eat’. More than 2,000 years ago Hippocrates stated that all disease starts in the gut, but we’re only now coming to … Read more
The Difference Between Indoor and Outdoor Cucumbers

Cucumber incidentDid I tell you I'm now on TikTok? Despite not really knowing what TikTok is, I made my debut on the controversial social media platform a few weeks ago when Carmel put a couple of vi … Read more
Green Smoothies With Dorcas Barry

When Dorcas Barry agreed to contribute to our blog I couldn't believe my luck. I met Dorcas at the G.I.Y. (Grow It Yourself) gathering in Waterford last year where she was talking about fresh and heal … Read more
Another unsung pollinator hero - the Hoverfly!

This Friday I thought we'd continue looking at pollinators as we had such a good response from our first 'Friday Facts' on solitary bees. Solitary bees tend to be overlooked in favour of honey bees, t … Read more
Sowing Sweet Peas and Broad Beans in January

I am not sure what it's like with you but we have had some real January weather over the weekend with some hard overnight frosts. A hard frost ads a touch of magic to the garden, with ice crysta … Read more
The Most Nutritious Fruit To Grow

Growing your own food provides many benefits to both our physical and mental health. There are many resources available online that go in to great detail about the various nutritional information and … Read more
Letters to a Beekeeper

As I've mentioned in my bee article I have accidentally ended up with a hive of bees. This is all fine and well but clearly I need to learn a lot more about them to become a successful (and expert) … Read more
How to Clean a Greenhouse

While a greenhouse shouldn’t need to be cleaned quite as much as a 'human house', it is very important to schedule a good cleaning session once or twice a year. Ideal times for carrying out this task … Read more
A Guide to Perennial Flowers

After a cold start to the year, the recent warm weather has seen a huge spurt in growth in almost everything in the Quickcrop garden and tunnel. It is wonderful to see what was an unremarkable sea of … Read more
The Fabulous Solitary Bee

I don't know whether you know this already but of the 267 species of bee in the U.K. and Ireland, 90% of them are solitary bees. Solitary bees don't produce honey, aren't social, don't live in hives a … Read more
Solar Garden LIghts

The clocks haven’t yet gone back and the leaves are still on the trees but there is definitely a change in the light. I love my time spent in the garden and will find any excuse to venture outside an … Read more
Christmas Gift Ideas for The Gardening Enthusiast (2022)

Whether you're (a) looking for a gift for the gardening enthusiast in your life or (b) you want to leave some heavy hints lying around about what you yourself would like - here's our Christmas gift i … Read more
The Knepp Castle Re-Wilding Project

I spent most of last weekend loafing around Kent and Sussex as I was keen to visit a few gardens while the season still has some life left in it. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the K … Read more
What is Rewilding?

Rewilding is a somewhat complicated topic, suitably so for the complicated times that we live in. In simple terms it describes a way of restoring ecological balance by lessening the grip that we huma … Read more
Garden Fencing Panel Comparisons

Birkdale Durapost FencingAs part of the Durapost Fencing System, a durable alternative to traditional timber or concrete fence posts, we supply two (soon to be three) Fencing panel options that have … Read more
What Is The Best Finish for Garden Furniture?

A finish generally refers to a coating which you can apply to your garden furniture to add extra protection, improve its weather resistance or retain its visual appeal. This can be done just after yo … Read more
Potato Blight - Identifying and Managing

Everyone who has grown potatoes will have heard of potato blight, it's the most serious disease affecting potatoes and one which is almost impossible not to get. The disease is thought to have origina … Read more
New Quickcrop Timber Raised Pond Designs

This week I'm giving you a look at what goes on behind the scenes at the ground breaking Quickcrop Design Bureau. For the last number of weeks we have been working on models of some of our new timb … Read more