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Recent Articles

Christmas Is Coming – Get Your Top Gardening Gifts Here

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Yup. It's here. It's December, it's cold, and even a grumpy Scrooge clone like me is starting to be able to hear the seasonal sounds of Slade, Wizzard and George Michael without scowling and kicking the radiogram whilst pointing out, at a loud volume to anyone who is listening, that 'Fairytale of New York' is…Continued

Something ‘s Coming. Something Fab. Spring? Not Sure. Watch This Space.

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Holly Ashcroft

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I don’t know what it is but I feel postitive and excited today. As if the wind has changed and something good is in the air. Perhaps it’s the sunshine (more than one hour a day, hooray) the lovely and chilled weekend I just had or the green and colours starting to spread already, like … Continued

After The Storm – February Comes Creeping Into Your Garden

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Drew Hardy

Freelance Writer at Mowdirect
A keen allotmenteer with an interest in all things horticultural, Drew has a varied writing background with experience in a number of fields including garden machinery, lawn care and compost. His first experience with gardening was a cultivating a small plot he was given by his house master at school. He grew a decent crop of radishes and lettuce and sold them to a local shop, exhibiting his first, and last, sign of an entrepreneurial spark. Drew lives in North London with his wife, two children and a slightly bonkers cat
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Like the old Barbara Dickson  Song (penned by the great Alan Tarney) ‘January – February’,  the months always seem to turn around so quickly and one minute you are sitting, thermostat cranked to the max, curled up in your armchair, sipping warming soup and watching the eternal loop of ‘Friends’ on Comedy Central and the … Continued

Clearing Up Leaves? Don’t Leave It Too Late. Autumn Is Here For Sure.

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Drew Hardy

Freelance Writer at Mowdirect
A keen allotmenteer with an interest in all things horticultural, Drew has a varied writing background with experience in a number of fields including garden machinery, lawn care and compost. His first experience with gardening was a cultivating a small plot he was given by his house master at school. He grew a decent crop of radishes and lettuce and sold them to a local shop, exhibiting his first, and last, sign of an entrepreneurial spark. Drew lives in North London with his wife, two children and a slightly bonkers cat
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As everyone who has eyes can see, it’s now proper Autumn. Any hope of an Indian summer has vanished like teenagers when there’s washing up to do.  And as everyone also knows, it’s been very dry. This unique combination of the expected and the unexpected (for me at least, I always expect it to be … Continued

Time to tackle the hedges and rougher areas

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Dick Roberts

Norfolk journalist and countryman, now retired from daily newspaper life but still commentating and writing. Keen gardener, when dodgy back allows, and devout researcher of local ales and French wines. Married with two children who have flown the nest, but return regularly to empty the fridge. Living in listed country cottage which gets more expensive by the year to maintain. Retired but still writing regular columns and pieces for web sites.

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Funny the way verges and hedgerows and scrubby areas keep growing in the heat but lawns merely get browned off. When it’s baking hot it’s best to leave the lawn and not trim it – grass has an amazing way of coming back to life as soon as it gets a soaking and the temperatures … Continued

Spring Forward & Earn your Easter Eggs

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Drew Hardy

Freelance Writer at Mowdirect
A keen allotmenteer with an interest in all things horticultural, Drew has a varied writing background with experience in a number of fields including garden machinery, lawn care and compost. His first experience with gardening was a cultivating a small plot he was given by his house master at school. He grew a decent crop of radishes and lettuce and sold them to a local shop, exhibiting his first, and last, sign of an entrepreneurial spark. Drew lives in North London with his wife, two children and a slightly bonkers cat
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Ah. Easter, the most magical time of this egg-infested part of the year, when DIY stores flag up the latest ‘exclusive’ sale, all the other shops start to think of Christmas advertising budgets and young men and women, full of the joys of Spring, stuff themselves with chocolate. But nay. And nay again. I am … Continued

Spring Forward and Tackle These Top Tips for March

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Drew Hardy

Freelance Writer at Mowdirect
A keen allotmenteer with an interest in all things horticultural, Drew has a varied writing background with experience in a number of fields including garden machinery, lawn care and compost. His first experience with gardening was a cultivating a small plot he was given by his house master at school. He grew a decent crop of radishes and lettuce and sold them to a local shop, exhibiting his first, and last, sign of an entrepreneurial spark. Drew lives in North London with his wife, two children and a slightly bonkers cat
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Sorry. When I get hold of that blundering twonk of a picture editor I will give him a piece of my mind! However. We’re halfway through the month, And the Vernal Equinox is soon upon us. “What is that?” I hear you clamour. Honestly, what were they teaching you in school?  Well. First of all, … Continued

Time to cut the lawn? Yes, but follow these tips so you don’t cause damage

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Oleo-Mac TK-AllRoad Self propelled mower

Dick Roberts

Norfolk journalist and countryman, now retired from daily newspaper life but still commentating and writing. Keen gardener, when dodgy back allows, and devout researcher of local ales and French wines. Married with two children who have flown the nest, but return regularly to empty the fridge. Living in listed country cottage which gets more expensive by the year to maintain. Retired but still writing regular columns and pieces for web sites.

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For the indecisive this is a difficult time of year. The mornings and evenings are a little brighter and the birds are singing, so should we get ahead in the garden and give the lawn its first trim? And we do mean trim, not cut. There’s plenty of time yet for vicious frosts and snow, … Continued

My Night With Veg. Planning Your Planting and A Few Jobs for February

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Drew Hardy

Freelance Writer at Mowdirect
A keen allotmenteer with an interest in all things horticultural, Drew has a varied writing background with experience in a number of fields including garden machinery, lawn care and compost. His first experience with gardening was a cultivating a small plot he was given by his house master at school. He grew a decent crop of radishes and lettuce and sold them to a local shop, exhibiting his first, and last, sign of an entrepreneurial spark. Drew lives in North London with his wife, two children and a slightly bonkers cat
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Well. Last week, Punxsatawney Phil came out, wiggled his little nose and declared he had seen a shadow so, sadly, six more weeks of winter are due and there is no earthly point planting anything right now. Better to sit in the house and watch comforting nineties romantic comedies or listen to your old Sonny … Continued

Cutting the lawn? In February? Surely not

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Oleo-Mac TK-AllRoad Self propelled mower

Dick Roberts

Norfolk journalist and countryman, now retired from daily newspaper life but still commentating and writing. Keen gardener, when dodgy back allows, and devout researcher of local ales and French wines. Married with two children who have flown the nest, but return regularly to empty the fridge. Living in listed country cottage which gets more expensive by the year to maintain. Retired but still writing regular columns and pieces for web sites.

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Now here’s a thought. The lawn looks a bit messy with worm casts and uneven growth. But it’s frost free, there’s no hint of snow for the next few days, so, might I venture forth with the mower? Not to perform a proper trim, but just to ‘knock the whiskers off’ as they say. Well, … Continued

Just How Bad Is Your Garden Right Now?

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Drew Hardy

Freelance Writer at Mowdirect
A keen allotmenteer with an interest in all things horticultural, Drew has a varied writing background with experience in a number of fields including garden machinery, lawn care and compost. His first experience with gardening was a cultivating a small plot he was given by his house master at school. He grew a decent crop of radishes and lettuce and sold them to a local shop, exhibiting his first, and last, sign of an entrepreneurial spark. Drew lives in North London with his wife, two children and a slightly bonkers cat
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Hopefully spring will be busting out all over in the next few weeks. At that point many of us turn our minds to the garden, with fanciful dreams of lazy BBQs, rolling around with the kids and throwing a stick for the dog…or rolling about with the dog and throwing a stick for the kids. … Continued