Garden Wellness

Zen gardens, also known as Japanese rock gardens, have a fascinating history dating back over a thousand years. The original versions involved creating a kare-sansui, or dry landscape, using rocks and stones. This type of garden was ideally…

Birds are useful allies in eating slugs and snails, as well as providing a welcome sight in the garden. Whatever your view, your local eco-system depends on birds to help distribute seeds in the wild and transfer pollen on their feathers as…

Working in the garden is a healthy pastime for people of all ages and abilities. But there is a downside to gardening. People, enthusiastic gardeners, often take a fall, cut themselves, drop something on their feet or hurt their backs.…

Topiary is the art of clipping and shearing shrubs and small trees into ornamental or abstract shapes. The term comes from the Roman words ars topiaria meaning ‘ornamental gardening’. It’s a creative and relaxing pastime and is perfect for…

There’s nothing better than the taste of your own home-grown vegetables, and using organic growing methods means they’re extra good for you, too. Despite the common perception that organic gardening is hard work, here are some organic…

Bonfires are a great way to deal with garden waste and people love the thrill of gathering around a bonfire with family and friends. However, if you are planning to light a bonfire in your garden, it’s important to plan ahead as many…

You may think of gardening as just a relaxing hobby, but it is often so much more... Effective physical workout – Aside from the obvious advantage of growing nutritious fruit and vegetables, it also offers an effective physical workout.…

Installing a selection of herbs can transform your meals, save money, and have medicinal benefits. Transform a small patch of land in your backyard or balcony or go to town with a larger, impressive traditional herb garden in the form of a…

Slugs in the garden are not just unpleasant and messy, they are potential killers. As well as leaving slimy trails, eating a huge amount of plants and vegetables, and in some cases devouring garden-friendly ladybirds and earthworms too, did…

It’s natural to assume that gardening is one of the most ecofriendly pastimes. As long as you don’t go crazy with pesticides, artificial fertilisers or weed killers, then surely nothing could be greener than raising a few flowers and…

Slugs in the garden are not just unpleasant and messy, they are potential killers. As well as leaving slimy trails, eating a huge amount of plants and vegetables, and in some cases devouring garden-friendly ladybirds and earthworms too, did…

Vitamin ‘G’ is vital for maintaining your physical and mental wellness. But it’s not available from any food source, or in tablet form. Vitamin ‘G’ stands for Gardening. Grounding – When you garden, you actually touch the earth’s…

Organic matter is the key to perfect garden soil. While you can't change the type of soil you have, adding organic matter makes your soil loamier. It loosens and aerates clay, improves the ability of sandy soil to hold water and nutrients,…

Growing a wide range of plants and flowers looks beautiful and is very rewarding. But did you know that some common garden plants are poisonous? That means you should take extra care around them. It’s worth knowing which plants in your…

Whether it is in your home or office, palm house plants add beauty and several health benefits. Aside from cleaning the air, palm plants can make more oxygen available in the room. Palms are slow-growing, particularly as potted plants. It…

When you gift a plant to someone, whether it is family, friends or even coworkers, it means something special – you are giving them a living plant, full of life, instead of a bouquet that will wilt and die in no time. Research shows that…

When planning your garden, gardening experts, websites and magazines suggest conventional guidelines like say, for instance, choosing colours that complement one another. The problem with rules is that they stifle your creativity. Sometimes…

There are many different factors that go into keeping your garden healthy including nutrients, pest control, disease and fungus control and even pH. Calcium is as much a necessity in people and animals to build and maintain strong bones and…

Although blue roses don’t exist in nature, florists can produce blue-hued flowers by placing cut roses in dye. Also, in a painstaking 20-year effort, biotechnologists had made a blue rose through a combination of genetic engineering and…

Part of the charm of any garden is seeing a wide variety of wildlife. Many creatures will make your garden their home, from birds to butterflies and all kinds of bugs. Of course, some creatures are not as welcome as others – few gardeners…

Hanging plants are a wonderful addition to your living space. Not only do they bring fresh colours into the room, but they also provide health benefits. So, if you’re interested in beautiful, low-maintenance indoor hanging plants, here are…

Great garden furniture can take the comfort and looks of your garden to the next level. Buying outdoor furniture is not very different from buying indoor furniture, but there are some additional considerations as well. Here are a few things…

From being attacked by a cat to flying into a window, there are many reasons why a bird might become injured and it’s natural to want to help. But would you know what to do if you found an injured bird in your garden? Assess the situation…

The Mediterranean look is one that many gardeners aspire to create in their own garden. And the good news is, with so many different plants, herbs and decorations; it’s easy to recreate the look in a variety of climates. Mediterranean…

Our gardens are home to a whole host of insects, bugs and creepy crawlies. Many play an important part in our local eco-system and are beneficial for creating a healthy and thriving garden environment. Meanwhile others are not so friendly…

After a busy morning in the garden, there’s nothing quite like sitting down with your favourite beverage. But there’s plenty you can do with tea and coffee in the garden besides simply drinking it. If you take the time to make a pot of…

Bees are vital for the planet’s ecosystem and over 80% of crops grown for human consumption rely on bees and other insects for pollination. Despite the vital role they play, we know that honeybee populations are declining at an alarming…

If you’re searching for inspiration for your next garden makeover, a great place to start is by looking to garden trends found in other countries. And one country famed for its distinctive gardens is Japan. Japanese gardens are renowned…

If you don’t have a lot of horizontal space and yet want to have your own garden, try vertical gardening. Great to look at, these vertical gardens also do a good job of covering an unattractive wall. Any wall will do, and unless you have a…

Ponds and water features are usually associated with large gardens but you can still enjoy a ‘pond’ in a small space by creating one from a washing-up bowl or similar sized water-tight container. Introducing a mini pond to your garden is…