The Gardening Community

This is where we discover what our customers are doing - and wearing - in their gardens.

Christmas tree recycling: Why not lease your tree instead?

The horticultural and forestry world has been busy over recent years innovating around Christmas trees.  It’s not just the introduction of new species of tree like the Scot’s pine or the Noble fir instead...
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Monet's garden at Giverny

Monet’s garden appears to have become the latest battlefield of Anglo-Franco discord.  An interesting article in the Sunday Times described the challenge faced by the Head Gardener at Giverny. James Priest...
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Hampton Court Flower Show

Whilst not as internationally famous as Chelsea, Hampton Court Flower Show is the world’s largest flower show.  It covers an area of 34 acres set inside the grounds of Hampton...
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Is the gardener's calendar changing?

There is much talk of climate change and how gardeners will need to adapt their gardening practices as a result.  When we think about the last few years it’s easy...
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Gardening as social glue? Britain in Bloom

It is a fact that in our society neighbours seldom talk to each other.  You can live for years next door to someone and never even know their name.  A...
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How much fruit and veg - is it 5 or 7?

Five a day doesn't mean WEARING the fruit and veg Eating fruit and veg has been a big topic in the news for some time.  In the UK the campaign to “Eat...
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Fashion & Gardens Exhibition

Earlier this week, we visited the Fashion & Gardens exhibition at the Garden Museum in Lambeth, London.  Curated by Nicola Shulman, a well-known author and journalist, who is also a...
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Keen gardener Susan's old trousers

 Susan Middletons old gardening trousers Thanks to keen gardener Susan for sending in this photo of her old gardening trousers.  She can now enjoy her free pair of socks. To...
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Radio 4 Extra Goes Gardening - Spotlight on Gertrude Jekyll

Radio 4 Extra is broadcasting a great programme on Gertrude Jekyll at 9am today, 1st February. Gertrude Jekyll (29 November 1843—8 December 1932) was an influential British horticulturist, garden designer, artist...
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Patricia Deacon's old gardening clothes

We are asking keen gardeners to send in photos of their old gardening clothes, and in return we're giving them a free pair of Genus socks. Thanks very much to...
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Say goodbye to allergies when gardening

Gardening offers many health benefits: it increases flexibility, provides a workout, helps to keep you supple and can even boost your mood, alleviating depression and anxiety. But for allergy sufferers,...
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A gardening revival for all ages

A new BBC series could see thousands of people who have lost their passion for gardening take an interest once again. ‘Great British Garden Revival’ is a 10-part series which...
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Gardening for SAD relief

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is often also referred to as winter blues or winter depression, and affects up to 20% of the population annually. It’s a type of depression which...
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Grow vegetables for a healthy body and mind

Gardening has been proven to have health benefits for everyone, particularly the over 60s, and helps to de-stress your body and mind. So why not use your garden to grow vegetables...
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Gardening significantly reduces heart attack risk in over 60s

A study of over 4,000 people in Stockholm, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, has showed that regular daily gardening can prolong life by up to 30 per...
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100 years of sustainable gardening

Sustainable gardening is nothing new: the concept actually came about during the First World War (1914-1918) with the invention of so-called ‘Victory Gardens' in which vegetables, fruit and herbs were...
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Monty Don says compulsory gardens would develop young people

Monty Don, presenter of the BBC programme Gardeners' World, has put forward his views that everyone in the UK should have access to a garden or allotment, especially young people between...
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Five fantastic examples of urban gardening

Sometimes, the best things are those which are unexpected, such as a garden on the roof of a tower block!  Urban gardening is a movement sweeping the nation – here...
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Horticultural therapy for veterans

The charity Thrive has recently launched a new project, ‘Down to Earth’ in Gateshead and the West Midlands, aimed at helping ex-service personnel living with mental ill health or physical disability to ...
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Great blogs for growing vegetables

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to ensure you know exactly where your five a day is coming from, so with that in mind, here are a few...
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University gets students gardening

It seems gardening hasn’t just come to schools – it’s making its way to universities as well, starting with the University of Newcastle which has announced a number of innovative projects to...
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