Gardening Blog

In the last instalment of our Nurture for Nature blog, Dobbies Garden Centres' Marcus Eyles shares his top tips for getting gardens looking their best over summer.

Dobbies' Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, shares some top tips for ways in which you can use your garden to boost your mental and physical health as part of Nurture for Nature campaign.

Dobbies Garden Centres, official partners of our Nurture for Nature campaign share their top tips on how to keep your soil healthy.

This month the Secret Gardener explains why we shouldn't be wishing for the warmer weather too soon and shares some ideas on what to do in the garden this month.

The Secret Gardener reminds us that we need to give nature the space it needs this winter, and when we do, the results can be magnificent. 

This Autumn, CJ Wildlife, remind us that all of our gardens, no matter what size, can become bustling nature reserves for our local wildlife.

As the days begin to shorten in late summer, we know we are on the cusp of autumn and need to consider how we can help insects like butterflies and moths get through the coming winter.

Summers never seem long enough here in the UK, and later in June there’ll be the summer solstice, after which the days will begin getting shorter again. So all we can do is make the best of these long days and short nights by being outdoors as much as possible to soak it all up. 

In May our gardens are getting into the swing of summer. Here is what you can do to make your garden better for wildlife. 

This April, with life not as we know it, our gardening tips get creative. 

By the time February comes around, it can seem like such a long time since anything new grew in the garden.

Cultivate your passion for gardening this January with our latest blog from the Secret Gardener.

Late season nectar for hibernating species and migrating moths

See the Secret Garden makeover. From paving to pollinator pots and bare earth to butterfly blooms.

Discover how to make your garden more moth-friendly by providing night-time nectar.

Get your peat-free garden started by growing your own plants from seed.

Snowdrops are one of the earliest spring bulbs to bloom, providing a useful source of nectar for bees and butterflies such as the Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone.

It is resolution time again so why not choose to help butterflies and moths in your garden this year? Here are five suggestions for activities to engage your brain and body.

How flowery is your garden looking now? There are still a few butterflies around such as the Red Admiral, so it’s useful to note if you have any nectar plants available for them.

Rowan provides fuel for pollinating insects and is an important foodplant for several caterpillars

Heleniums bring both colour and a food source for pollinators to your flowerbeds in autumn.

This month the Secret Gardener investigates the best plants to provide caterpillar food and flying-fuel for both day and night flying moths.

The Secret Gardener's star plant which has been flowering without stopping, since it was planted couple of years ago, is the Perennial Wallflower Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’.

When buying potted plants, we should consider four significant environmental issues: pesticides, biosecurity, peat, and plastic.

As February gets into its stride, the signs of the fast approaching spring are becoming more and more evident.

January is an easy month to help butterflies and moths in the garden. Many species will be taking shelter until temperatures start to rise so leave leaf litter and postpone pruning to protect eggs, caterpillars and crysalises.

The Secret Gardener investigates which species just one lichen-covered branch could be supporting and reminds you to be careful when bringing twigs inside.

Michaelmas-daisies are one of the stars of the autumn flowerbed, providing nectar for butterflies – such as the Red Admiral - when other plants are starting to fade.