Spring has sprung, and the garden’s candytuft is in full bloom. The gorgeous plant drapes itself over the edge of the rock wall; its pure white blossoms stand out against the foliage of other plants that have yet to open and attract pollinators in search of early-season food. Providing bees, butterflies, and other insects with enough nectar is essential, and candytuft is an excellent way to welcome them before summer begins. Part of the Brassicaceae family, candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is a spreading, woody-based, herbaceous perennial or sub-shrub. Springtime candytuft typically f ..read more

In 2021, the United Nations World Food Programme’s Hunger Map estimated that 957 million people across 93 countries did not have enough to eat. Yet, six years earlier, a study by the Global Forest Expert Panel on Forests and Food Security concluded food forests could play a role in complementing agricultural production. How Food Forests Work Key to protecting biodiversity and mitigating climate change, a forest’s contribution to alleviating hunger is not well known or fully understood by many. Yet, forested gardens have produced enough to feed entire communities for thousands of years. For exa ..read more

Becoming an organic-regenerative gardener is worth every effort, helping you produce healthier crops and connect to Nature. The good news is that implementing sustainable practices in your garden can be as simple or complicated as you’d like; many different projects and efforts contribute meaningfully to the health of your plants and surrounding ecosystems. Looking for ideas? Try these 5 Cool Ways to Create an Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Garden Space. Start with Soil One of the most powerful things you can do as a gardener is to treat your dirt like gold. Living soil will help you grow pro ..read more

For many years, gardeners have known the rules: start seeds indoors and nurture them until they’re ready to be planted outside. Don’t forget to harden them off! And for the love of God, space them properly in tidy rows or forget any harvests. Now, imagine not doing any of that, grabbing a packet of seeds and casting them haphazardly throughout the garden space. Relinquish all control and see what sprouts. Is your chest feeling tight? Welcome to Chaos Gardening. “Chaos is meant to be disruptive. It’s meant to make you uncomfortable, and that’s how we learn best,” says award-winning author and g ..read more

A few years ago, my local garden center started selling bare-root plants. The assortment went above and beyond the typical dahlia tuber or lily bulb and included shrubs, trees, and a variety of perennials. What was this madness? I did a little digging and learned that bare root planting is easy and is becoming increasingly popular among anyone with an itch to garden on a budget. What Are They? Bare root plants are dormant perennials, shrubs, or trees grown in nurseries, dug up during their dormant period, and roots washed of soil. They are packaged and kept dormant in cool warehouses unti ..read more

In this edition of Confessions of a UK Hydro Store, our buddy Slim, owner of Slims Place in Watford and Hounslow, opens up about life in a grow shop. Slim is a fixture in the local hydro scene, known as a smart, hard-working guy who loves everything to do with plants. Here, he shares tales about his time in the industry and what makes him tick. What do you like the most about being a hydro shop owner? I love the ever-changing industry and customer interaction. From the beginning, all facets of the industry have continuously evolved, and Slims has been a part of the evolution and revolutio ..read more

Everyone is looking for ways to save money and grow sustainably. All gardening inputs can be managed to serve you more efficiently, including your growing media. You can use most growing media multiple times. However, you must ensure the media is suitable for reusing. For example, a build-up of nutrients, diseased plant matter, fungal spores, or soil-borne pests can render a medium unusable. Therefore, it is essential to maintain it throughout each growth cycle and prepare it properly before reuse. Here, we will look at each popular growing medium and go through what you must do to reuse it sa ..read more

There is nothing I don’t love about daffodils! They withstand heavy rain without flinching, and getting buried under a late-season snowstorm in mid-bloom is no big deal. Daffodils aren’t fussy about soil and will grow in sun or shade, and pests like snails, deer, and squirrels steer clear of them. Yellow is the most common daffodil color, but they also bloom in white, cream, orange and pink. There are at least 25 different daffodil species, including jonquils and paperwhites, and up to 13,000 hybrids! There’s a daffodil out there to please every gardener. The blooms last four to six weeks, and ..read more

There’s something special about starting new seeds, isn’t there? Even after years of gardening, the thrill of opening a new pack of seeds never gets old. However, some seeds can be costly, so beginners need to get the basics right to avoid wasting time and money. Let’s dive into the essentials: Choosing the Right Seeds This tip is crucial! Take the time to source a reputable breeder instead of impulsively buying from a random pollen-chucker on Instagram. I have been using a Dutch seed supplier in operation since the 1980s. (Hint: “Masters at Work.”) I can vouch for the consistent quality of th ..read more

Each garden has its own specific needs, quirks, and growth cycle. Keeping a journal of what has and hasn’t worked for my garden has helped me grow healthier plants and understand the micro-climate, ecosystem, and soil specific to my space. There are no rules on how to organize or maintain a garden journal. It can be a placeholder for seed packets and plant tags or a compilation of valuable tips. It can be a log on your phone or laptop that’s added to whenever the urge strikes or a large binder you write in daily. Whether a first-time gardener or caretaker of a large backyard or small urban pat ..read more