The beauty of lockdown is that we get to spend a lot more time in our gardens! Ours has never looked so good (if you don’t look at the grass!) with every weekend allowing us to potter away. Nothing feels like a chore either as weeding is done quickly and not allowed to build up. From pottering in the veg patch to adding new edging we have had another busy week – here’s what we have tackled in “Gardening During Lockdown – Week 8″… More Thinning As seedlings sprout up and fill out we have been doing more thinning – this week the beetroot got our full attention. Gently pull out smaller seedlings ..read more

We discovered this recipe several years ago and has been a firm favourite ever since. At this time of year we have plenty rhubarb in the garden and are always looking for interesting things to do with it. By popular demand here is the Rhubarb and Lemon Cake recipe – enjoy! Our rhubarb patch Rhubarb & Lemon Cake Ingredients: 320g plain flour (plus 2 tablespoons for coating the rhubarb) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 125g unsalted butter 225g granulated sugar zest of 1 lemon 3 eggs 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil (see note 1) 95g buttermilk (see not ..read more

The weeks keep on ticking past. We are so lovely to have a garden to help pass the time, to relax and eat in and to just enjoy nature. The weather continues to be kind allowing us plenty opportunity to both work and relax in the garden. And with a birthday to celebrate in the garden during this past week there has been LOTS of eating and relaxing! Here’s what we have been doing in “Gardening During Lockdown – Week 7″… Thinning seedlings The seeds we planted a few weeks ago in our veg beds are starting to shoot up and now is the time to start thinning the seedlings. This will allow the veg you ..read more

Another week and lots more sunshine (and thankfully for the gardens a wee bit rain!) Everything is sprouting at quite a rate so there are plenty of jobs to keep us busy in the garden. Here’s what has been happening this week at Vialii Towers in Gardening During Lockdown – Week 6… Keep on top of the veg beds All this sunshine along with some rain showers will get both your seeds and weeds growing fast! So make sure you keep on top of your weeding and watch out for your seedlings popping up. You will need to start thinning out your seedlings soon to make space for your veg to grow properly. Kee ..read more

Can you believe we are now five weeks into lockdown? The weeks are flying past here at Vialii Towers and we haven’t tackled half the jobs we had on our list! We have fitted lots of fun things into our week though and a bit of gardening along the way. So, to help keep you inspired, here is some of what we have been doing this week in “Gardening During Lockdown – Week 5″… Deadheading camellias We love Spring time as it is packed full of blooms, from rhodies to camellias, tulips to muscari. We have a beautiful white Camellia williamsii in our garden which is looking wonderful. The blousy blooms d ..read more

Can you believe that’s been 4 weeks of lockdown? A whole month? It’s a long time in gardening and with all the sunny weather things are growing at a pace and we are being tempted into our gardens all the more. What have you been tackling? Here’s what what has been happening at Vialii Towers in Gardening During Lockdown – Week 4… Sowing veg We had sown several seeds indoors during the first week of lockdown so our focus this week we turned our attention to the seeds which can be sown directly outdoors. Lulu and Tilda took over this task and armed with seeds and trowels set forth creating drills ..read more

With extra time on our hands we decided to tackle a project we have wanted to do for some time. We collected some lovely pebbles on a holiday last year which we knew would be perfect for decorating. As we are about to plant our veg seeds, plant labels would be required. But why use the same boring labels we write each year? Instead, Lulu & Tilda decided to do their own creations, drawing each vegetable and writing its name beside it. A much prettier solution for knowing what seedling are popping up. Want to try it too? Here’s how to make your own plant labels. The painted stones are a bea ..read more

So, as we come to the end of Week 3 of Lockdown, many of us seem to be getting into a new rhythm. And in many ways, this strange new life is actually OK. We can spend more quality time at home, eat meals together more often, play more games, find inventive new ways of staying in touch with family and friends. And of course spend more time in our beloved gardens. Our gardens and pets will be hoping this lockdown will continue for a while. So, if you need some hints and tips on outdoors, here is our Gardening During Lockdown – Week 3 blog… Scarify & treat your lawn All the hair & beauty ..read more

As we skip, hop and jump our way to the end of week 2 of the Covid-19 lockdown, our gardens continue to flourish and provide a safe haven for us to work and relax. There has been a bit more working than relaxing in the garden at Vialii Towers over the last week as we take the opportunity to tackle our to-do list that has been sitting around for a while. Here’s our gardening during lockdown week 2 update… Stiiiiiiill Painting!!! We have a LOT of painting to tackle in our garden. This week we painted: Veg beds Sheds A gate More fences Painting will help preserve your woodwork as well as making i ..read more

As the first, bizarre, unsettling week of lockdown due to coronavirus comes to an end, we have collated some of the things we have done in our garden during the last week. With who knows how many weeks to come, there will likely be plenty of time to undertake those outdoor jobs you haven’t got round to yet. If you are wanting to turn your hand to horticulture and not sure where to start here are some ideas to get you underway with our latest blog “Gardening During Lockdown – week 1” Sow Seeds It’s the perfect time of year to get some seeds sown and veg and flowers growing. We have sown a varie ..read more