Lockdown spring gardening jobs
Spring is the time to start the gardening year As we’re all now mainly confined to home it’s the ideal time to tackle the garden and get all those little jobs done that normally get put to the bottom...
Hayes Personal Shopping Service
Struggling to keep your garden looking good? We can help This service has now resumed, call the store on 015394 33434 10:00 - 4:00 Monday to Friday. Stocks are limited as we are not receiving goods so...
Hayes Coronavirus Statement
The store is now closed but we are operating a Personal Shopper service in the local area; Keswick to Kendal. Orders can be placed on 015394 33434 10:00 - 4:00 Monday to Friday, stock is limited so...
How to make wild bird food
Budget friendly wild bird food project to make with kids Once the hedgerows have been depleted of berries in late winter and spring wild birds can struggle to find enough to eat and may need a helping...
All about wild garlic
Stay healthy and forage for free food Wild garlic is a common sight in woodlands and under hedgerows in the countryside from March onwards until it has flowered and the leaves have wilted in June...
Indoor gardening with children
Stuck for ideas of what do do with a bored little one? There is much said in the press and on social media about children not getting enough exercise and spending too much time on devices. There are...
What fresh home-grown vegetables can I have over winter?
Follow our tips to be self sufficient in winter Winter usually means we abandon the garden, batten down the hatches and hibernate indoors. It also usually means if you want a good choice of vegetables...
How to make an indoor cactus garden
Try this easy, fun project on a rainy day with the kids Cacti and succulents are the perfect starter plants for anyone who has no experience of keeping plants, they’re perfect for children and adults...
Do I need raised beds?
Raised beds in the garden allow you to grow plants not suitable for your garden Image above: Raised beds in construction at Sizergh Castle, Kendal A raised bed is an area of soil enclosed in a low...
How to plant a tree
Enhance your outdoor space, help wildlife and the environment In these times of climate emergency most of us can do a little something to mitigate the negative impact we humans are having on the...
How to protect tender plants over winter
Bring a taste of the tropics to your garden Many of us love the taste of the tropics when it comes to our gardens but unfortunately the downside is that these plants have to be protected from the...
The state of peat
Peatlands are unique, environmentally sensitive habitats (Image: healthy raised bog flora) Peat has been used by gardeners for generations, but it is a non-renewable resource and its destruction is in...
How to have a low maintenance garden
Cut down on the work and enjoy life Not everyone can have a show garden, which, let’s face it, is very time consuming and does require a certain degree of horticultural knowledge. Many working people...
How To Look After Your Garden Pond Over Winter
Tidy the pond for winter and start spring with a healthy pond and fishDon’t neglect your garden pond or water feature in autumn when you are preparing the garden for the winter shut-down. Not looking...
Outdoor Living Trends 2020
Live life al fresco In the past few years the outdoor space has increasingly become an extra room and this looks set to continue into 2020, but with the emphasis more and more on environmental...
January/February
February is nearly upon us & the snowdrops are in flower offering the promise of spring to come. If you want to introduce a bit more colour to brighten your day there are lots of plants in the garden...
Best Choice Of Shrubs To Give You Spring Colour In The Garden
Rhododendron 'Golden Torch'Plant spring flowering shrubs for colour and scentAfter a dull, dreary, cold, wet winter what could be more uplifting than the sight of the first blossoms of spring that can...
How To Choose Plants To Give You Spring Colour At the Bottom Of A Mixed Native Hedge
Add colour to a mixed native hedge with spring flowering plantsThere is nothing lovelier than a native mixed hedge, and nothing better for providing a wildlife habitat, both food and housing. But in...
How To Choose Trees To Give You Spring Colour In The Garden
Spring blossom in the Lyth Valley, Cumbria
How To Choose Plants And Bulbs To Give You Spring Colour In The Rockery
Welcome spring with these alpine gems in the rock garden or containerWhat could be more uplifting after a long weary winter then the sight of little brightly coloured jewels popping through the soil...
How To Plant Bare Root Soft Fruit, Trees And Hedging
Plant bare root soft fruit, hedging and trees in winter and early springBare root trees, soft fruit and hedging are supplied without soil; they usually come wrapped in sacking. These plants are...
How To Plant Up A Spring Container
Plant your spring containers following our easy guidePlanting up a spring container is fairly easy and straightforward and does so much to lift the spirits at the end of a dark, wet, dreary winter. As...
Taste of BBQ courses
Try your hand on one of our Taste of .... BBQ courses Are you a keen barbecuer? Want to impress family and friends with your barbecuing skills by producing perfectly cooked, succulent, tender meat or...
How To Make The Most Of Autumn Leaves
Free soil conditioner from fallen autumn leavesAfter we have enjoyed the flaming autumn spectacle put on by gorgeous deciduous trees the leaves start to fall and become a nuisance. They clog drains...
How To Make The Perfect Compost
Compost is an essential element for producing healthy soilComposting is one of the most important tasks you can carry out in the garden; it re-cycles kitchen waste and spent organic matter from the...
How To Make A Magic Mulch For Your Garden
Mulching improves the soil, protects plants, saves money and workWhy go to the trouble of spreading mulch?Because it benefits the garden and the plants in so many ways:Suppressing weeds; it is worth...
How To Help Our Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs, the gardeners friendHedgehogs are one of our most charismatic native mammals and they need our help. A survey commissioned by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s...
A Winter Container Vegetable Plot
If you fancy growing your own veg this winter but haven’t got the space, why not have a container garden instead. There are a number of vegetables that will grow in pots if fed & watered & not all of...