We Brits love our gardens. They are our private oasis from the chaos of the outside world. We may not all have acres of land to style, but even a postage-stamp sized plot can become something quite beautiful. This May, the weather has been unpredictable and that’s saying something for a nation used to changeable weather! However, let’s hope that sunny days are ahead. In anticipation of that, this month we are featuring some British buys that can help your garden bloom.
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Seeds in a Box – Cotswold Creators
You may not be able to get to the Cotswolds, but that doesn’t mean you can bring a bit of the Cotswolds to your own home. This beautifully packed box set includes six perennial favourites, chosen to represent the colour wheel. The selection features Black Knight delphiniums, Violet Queen salvia superba, Blazing Sunset geum flora-plena, Fire King erysimum, Goldsturm Rudbeckia fulgida, and a dose of green with euphoria lathyris. All are sure to catch your neighbour’s eye and fill your garden with lots of vivid colour. In addition, each seed packet is beautifully illustrated by Cotswold artist Tracey Elphick so you also get six mini works of art. Seeds in a Box are available for £25 from Genus.
Wildlife Garden Gift Box – Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Help support conservation efforts in your own back garden and throughout Yorkshire when you buy this wildlife garden gift box from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. The box contains a Growbar Wildflower Bar, an ingenious collection of seeds neatly packed in a growing medium. Just add water! You’ll also get a small bee block to get you started with providing a habitat for those all-important pollinators. A recycled fatball feeder and a pack of six premium fatballs will keep your garden’s feathered visitors happy. Finally, a Guide to Garden Wildlife will help you identify any insect or plant visitors you are not already familiar with. The box makes a fantastic gift or buy one for yourself. You save 15% from the cost of buying each item individually. The wildlife garden gift box costs £42.50.
Grow Your Own Herbs Gardening Kit – Not On The High Street
You don’t even need to have a garden to grow a few herbs. Put some pots on the window sill and you’re ready to go. While I dream of one day having an enormous medieval-style herb garden, containers will have to do me for now. This kit is ideal for anyone who wants to have fresh herbs ready for the kitchen. It includes three tin planters, three wooden plant markers, twine, scissors, gardening gloves, a notebook to track your growing progress, and some seeds to get you started (thyme, rosemary, and sage). It’s ideal for indoor or outdoor growing and would make a great gift for a cook or a child who’s just getting into planting. Plus the scent will be divine! The Grow Your Own Herbs Kit is £38.
Book Recommendation: Gardening for Bumblebees
Published last month and just in time for summer is Dave Goulson’s new book, Gardening for Bumblebees: A Practical Guide to Creating a Paradise for Pollinators. Did you know that there are 26 different species of bumblebee in the UK? By now, we all know how important these fascinating little creatures are to our wildflowers, as well as our fruits and vegetables. Their decline means they need our help and this book can tell you what to do. Whether you have acres of space or just a flat balcony, the author shows you what plants are best for them, and how to build the ideal home for them.
