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Gardening doesn’t have to be hard on your pocket, your time or the environment. Our list of great gardening hacks will help you save time and money as well as gardening more sustainably. Pick one and try it today!

Gardening doesn’t have to be hard on your pocket, your time or the environment. Our list of great gardening hacks will help you save time and money as well as gardening more sustainably. Pick one and try it today!
<h2>Gardening hacks that save time, money and the environment</h2>
<ol>
<li>
Split perennials to get free plants. If you’ve got overgrown clumps of perennials in your garden, dig them up in late autumn or early spring and divide them using the blade of a garden spade, or tease the roots apart by hand. Replant the new clumps, and you’ve got yourself a whole extra set of plants for free.
</li>
<li>
Check the reduced shelf at the garden centre. The plants on this shelf may not look pretty, but often they just need a bit of water and nurturing to bring them back to life.
</li>
<li>
Don’t throw out those old net curtains. Instead, save them and use them to keep pests like cabbage white butterflies off your brassicas or net your fruit bushes against the birds.
</li>
<li>
Re-use plastic whenever you can. There’s no need to keep buying new plastic labels for your seed trays. A good scrub with soap and water and a scouring pad will clean your old labels up, ready for another year. And don’t throw out those plastic trays that your bedding plants came in.&nbsp; Wash them out, fill them with new compost and use them for starting out your new seeds in spring. Plastic takeaway food containers make great seed trays, too – just poke a few drainage holes in the bottom with a needle.
</li>
<li>
Large plastic water bottles make good cloches, protecting young plants from cold weather in spring as well as from pests like mice, slugs and snails. Wash out the bottles, cut the bases off and place a bottle over each young seedling, leaving the lid off to provide ventilation. Press the bottles well into the ground to stop them from blowing over.
</li>
<li>
Re-purpose an old plastic milk bottle to make a watering can for seedlings. Using a hot needle, pierce holes in the lid of the bottle, then fill the bottle with water, put the lid on and sprinkle away. You can increase the water flow by making more holes.
</li>
<li>
Fed up with watering your pots every day? Fill an empty wine bottle with water, then turn it upside down (without letting the water out) and press the neck into a plant pot. The water will gradually soak out over a few days, keeping the compost moist.
</li>
<li>
Bare soil attracts weeds, so if there’s a bed in your garden, you haven’t got around to planting yet, cover it with tarpaulin or cardboard. This will block out the light and stop weeds from appearing, so you don’t have to spend hours clearing the bed when you’re ready to plant.
</li>
</ol>
If you require some new ideas for your garden, visit our centre where our exciting ranges of plants and garden essentials are sure to inspire you!

8 great gardening hacks

Knowing what we can learn from plants can open up a whole new connection with the natural world, and there is no better place to do that than in your garden. Plants have survived through changing climatic conditions, unrest and us gardeners planting them in places they would prefer not to be planted! So given how incredible plants are, what can we learn from them?&nbsp;

Knowing what we can learn from plants can open up a whole new connection with the natural world, and there is no better place to do that than in your garden. Plants have survived through changing climatic conditions, unrest and us gardeners planting them in places they would prefer not to be planted! So given how incredible plants are, what can we learn from them?&nbsp;
<h2>Tenacity is what we can learn from plants</h2>
Considering that plants have been on the planet long before humans, we can definitely learn that tenacity gets you far! Plants adapt and evolve; they change according to the environment and have resulted in some of the most exquisite adaptations allowing better pollination, stronger roots, vibrant colours, and so much more.&nbsp;
<h2>What we can learn from plants is to be happy&nbsp;</h2>
When plants surround us, we know that they help to make us feel happy! Research has shown that both giving and receiving flowers is good for us, that house and office plants can help productivity and motivation and that as we garden, endorphins are released, making us feel happy! These plants are excellent to keep as office plants:
<ul>
<li>Peace Lily</li>
<li>Aglaonema</li>
<li>Ficus Benjamina</li>
<li>Zamioculcas Zamiifolia</li>
<li>Dracaena</li>
<li>Sanseveria</li>
</ul>
<h2>Focus is what we can learn from plants&nbsp;</h2>
The tests involved with caring for plants are many and varied. From deadheading to sowing, watering to thinning out, there is always a job for the gardener! When you concentrate on caring for your plants, you are focusing on the moment, which is really good for your well-being.&nbsp;
<h2>What we can learn from plants is that we all need something different&nbsp;</h2>
To thrive, all plants require different conditions. From soil type to feed and watering requirements, sunlight to companion plants. Each plant has different requirements to be its best selves, and that is no different to humans.&nbsp;
<h2>How to thrive is what we can learn from plants&nbsp;</h2>
Plants are simply growing to the best of their ability. Their continuous growth without any other focus allows them to become something beautiful. It teaches us that striving for our best to reach our potential can also help us bloom.&nbsp;
<h2>What we can learn from plants is not to be greedy</h2>
Plants only use the water and nutrients they need to continue growing. They don't take more from the soil than is needed for them to thrive. Something we can think about too!
<h2>Remember your roots is what we can learn from plants&nbsp;</h2>
Plant roots are the survival system of most plants. Steading, supporting and feeding the plant, it is what's below the surface that counts! Our roots are important to us, keep us grounded and remember it Is what is on the inside that matters more than what the world can see.&nbsp;
Update your plant collection, both inside and outside and select your favourites from inshore.&nbsp;

What we can learn from plants

Alpine troughs are compact, easy to plant and very low-maintenance, so they’re perfect for gardeners short on time or space. As the name suggests, alpine plants come from mountain regions, so they’re used to tough conditions.&nbsp; Planting an alpine trough is a great way to appreciate these fascinating plants and provide long-lasting interest for a pot on a patio or balcony. Here’s how it’s done.

Alpine troughs are compact, easy to plant and very low-maintenance, so they’re perfect for gardeners short on time or space. As the name suggests, alpine plants come from mountain regions, so they’re used to tough conditions.&nbsp; Planting an alpine trough is a great way to appreciate these fascinating plants and provide long-lasting interest for a pot on a patio or balcony. Here’s how it’s done.
<h2>What you’ll need to plant an alpine trough</h2>
<ul>
<li>A shallow container or trough with good drainage holes</li>
<li>Loam-based compost such as John Innes no 2</li>
<li>Horticultural grit</li>
<li>Rocks for decoration if available</li>
<li>Alpine plants</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to plant an alpine trough</h2>
<ol>
<li>
Choose the position for your alpine trough. Most alpines do best in the sun, although some will grow in light shade.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
The key to growing alpines is good drainage – they hate sitting with their roots in wet soil. Raise your trough on pot feet to improve drainage, and place pot shards or squares of shade netting over the holes to stop them from getting blocked up with compost.
</li>
<li>
Fill the trough with a 50/50 mix of a loam-based compost like John Innes no 2 and horticultural grit to about 2cm below the pot's lip.
</li>
<li>
If you have a few interesting-looking rocks, arrange them in the compost to create the look of a mountainous environment.
</li>
<li>
Plant your alpines among the rocks.
</li>
<li>
Top-dress with a layer of grit. This keeps in moisture, suppresses weeds and stops the plants from being splashed with mud when it rains.
</li>
</ol>
<h2>Caring for alpine plants</h2>
Most alpines are reasonably drought-tolerant but water the containers during long dry periods to stop the compost from drying out completely. Deadhead plants after they have flowered.
In winter, move the trough into the rain-shadow of a house to shelter it from excessive winter rain.
<h2>Plants for an alpine trough</h2>
There’s a wide range of alpine plants to choose from. Here are a few of our favourites:
<ul>
<li>
Armeria (sea thrift): Pretty pink flowers bob on slender stems above a mat of evergreen grass-like foliage. Deadhead faded flowers to keep it flowering.
</li>
<li>
Phlox douglasii Crackerjack: A semi-evergreen creeping phlox with small leaves, covered in a mass of bright pink flowers in late spring and early summer.
</li>
<li>
Sedum cauticola (stonecrop): A low, spreading sedum with small rounded blue-green leaves and clusters of small pink flowers in autumn.
</li>
<li>
Saxifraga (saxifrage): Rosettes of fleshy leaves form mats, with clusters of small pink or white flowers float above the leaves on wiry stems. Good for shady spots.&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
Lewisia: Colourful star-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer. It prefers damper soil to most other alpines.
</li>
<li>
Sempervivums: Evergreen succulents come in a wide range of colours and sizes, forming rosettes of fleshy leaves. Very tough and easy to grow.
</li>
</ul>
It's fun starting on a new project this summer. Gardening relieves stress and is healthy at the same time. We have a great range of alpines and other plants in our centre, so visit us soon and get some inspiration for your next gardening project!

How to plant an alpine trough

Here’s why you should love earthworms. Many people see them as a fun insect that continues to live as two worms if split in half. This is a myth! So leaving the worms to work the soil is much better than messing them around. There’s a reason why leaving them in the soil is the best thing to do and here is why:&nbsp;

Here’s why you should love earthworms. Many people see them as a fun insect that continues to live as two worms if split in half. This is a myth! So leaving the worms to work the soil is much better than messing them around. There’s a reason why leaving them in the soil is the best thing to do and here is why:&nbsp;
<h2>1. Earthworms&nbsp;improve the soil structure&nbsp;</h2>
Earthworms do a wonderful job of improving the soil structure - even clay soils and sandy soils. When you mulch your soil, earthworms naturally take that down to where the roots of your plants will be nourished. If you have earthworms in your soil, you are doing something right.&nbsp;
<h2>2. Earthworms are also food&nbsp;</h2>
Not only do they help to ensure your plants are happy, but they are also a protein-rich meal for your garden birds. Have you ever noticed that as your garden turns your soil, your garden birds won’t be far behind you? As the soil is turned, earthworms come to the surface, and they do the same when it rains.&nbsp;
<h2>3. Earthworms are incredible insects&nbsp;</h2>
Earthworms have the remarkable ability to breathe through their skin because they don’t have lungs. They eat almost any dead matter in the soil and the average life span of the year is up to 4 years! That’s a long and bust soil life for a small insect.&nbsp;
<h2>4. Life would be difficult without earthworms</h2>
If earthworms became extinct, the soil would diminish, and the food we eat would be vastly less, if any. We would have more floods (since earthworms also help the soil structure) and more pollution.&nbsp;
<h2>5. A wormery is useful&nbsp;</h2>
Wormeries are incredibly useful in the garden for home composting. Worms break down organic matter such as food scraps from the kitchen and make them into perfect garden compost. Just like magic! Wormeries are great additions to a kitchen garden or allotment and are also great for children to watch in action as well.&nbsp;
<h2>6. Worm castings are full of nutrients&nbsp;</h2>
Those little piles of worm mounds on the grass or soil are full of nutrients which make a great soil conditioner. So worms in your soil both under the surface and above are a good sign of a healthy, biodiverse garden.&nbsp;
Keep your garden full of earthworms and other insects by planting a range of plants for pollinators from our nursery.&nbsp;

Why you should love earthworms

On the Blog

Watching a seed germinate and grow is a hugely exciting part of your gardening year: you hardly dare&nbsp;believe it&#39;s going to work, yet invariably that tiny kernel sends up a sturdy green sprout. The plants you raise&nbsp;from seed are always a bit special, so this year try raising something new from the hundreds of varieties from&nbsp;our garden centre.

Annuals: hardy annuals like love-in-a-mist, marigolds and nasturtiums are easiest of all and provide&nbsp;incredibly long seasons of colour from a few seeds scattered direct into the ground in spring.

Half-hardy annuals include all the bedding plants: in our garden centre you&#39;ll find seed to sow under cover&nbsp;in spring for colourful containers all summer long including pelargoniums, petunias, surfinias and nemesia.

Perennials: several perennials are very easy from seed, flowering in their first year and coming back again&nbsp;and again. Try echinacea, rudbeckia, grasses like deschampsia and hardy geraniums from our range.

Vegetable seeds: our largest selection of seeds is reserved for the grow-your-own enthusiast, with every&nbsp;veg from cucumbers to swede. Our heritage ranges boast superb flavour, or for something completely&nbsp;different try exotic veg like tamarilloes.

<h3>Franchi&nbsp;Seeds</h3>

are the&nbsp;oldest family run seed company in the world, we specialise in &quot;Italy from the Seed to the plate&quot;. We are passionate about the provenance and regionality&nbsp;of everything we sell.&nbsp;

We were found to be the most ethical major packet seed brand by Ethical Consumer Magazine 26/2/16, we&#39;re Vegetarian Society Vegan approved,&nbsp; 
Slow Food UK approved and multiple&nbsp;RHS&nbsp;medal winners. We stock Vegan, Gluten Free, Organic, Regional, Natural and Italian Wholefood&nbsp;products.&nbsp;

Please ask the staff in our garden centre in %locations%&nbsp;for more information and advice about the seeds in our range.

<img align="left" alt="" height="75" src="https://www.thehertfordshiregardencentre.com/files/images/logo-Franchi-Seeds.jpg" style="width: 180px; height: 75px; float: left;" width="180" />

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*please be advised a variety of our products are seasonal. And can only be found at certain points of the year.

Seeds

Growing your plants in containers opens up a whole new world in which you can experiment with different&nbsp;combinations, ring the changes or totally overhaul your planting at the drop of a hat. A huge variety of plants&nbsp;from our garden centre grow happily in containers, giving you potted colour from January to December.

Spring: Tulips arrive in our garden centre from autumn: pack shoulder-to-shoulder into large containers for a&nbsp;cracking display. Other spring bulbs to try in pots include crocuses, daffodils and snowdrops.

Summer: Fill your containers to overflowing with dazzling bedding plants - in our garden centre from spring&nbsp;onwards. Container-grown veg are a great option when space is limited: we stock plug plants to make&nbsp;planting even more straightforward.

Autumn: Many shrubs look beautiful framed in a large container and many have spectacular autumn&nbsp;displays. In our garden centre look out for graceful deep purple acers, brilliantly berried skimmia and pretty&nbsp;variegated hollies.

Winter: Combine heathers chosen from the range in our garden centre with white-berried gaultherias or red-twigged dogwood and the large, leathery evergreen leaves of bergenia for winter cheer just outside your&nbsp;door.

Please ask the staff in our %locations%&nbsp;garden centre for more information and advice about plants for containers.

*please be advised a variety of our products are seasonal. And can only be found at certain points of the year.

Container plants

Herbs have been grown in gardens for hundreds of years: most have a long history, handed down from&nbsp;generation to generation, with uses from medicine to cosmetics and beauty products to flavouring cooking.

They&#39;re easy-going plants which can be tucked into almost any corner of the garden, but to plunge yourself&nbsp;into their fascinating world dedicate a sunny spot to a herb garden. You&#39;ll find it&#39;s full of fragrance and flowers&nbsp;all summer: and best of all, it&#39;ll quickly become part of your daily routine to pick peppermint for your tea,&nbsp;marigolds to brew up some face cream, or a bay leaf or two for the evening meal.

To start you off, here are some essential herbs for your herb garden from the wide selection in our garden&nbsp;centre in&nbsp;%locations%:

Culinary: Mediterranean herbs to give your cooking flavour and colour, these include rosemary, bay, thyme,&nbsp;marjoram and parsley.

Medicinal: make teas and tisanes to boost your health and well-being with peppermint, chamomile,&nbsp;echinacea and lemon balm.

Cosmetic: moisturising cream, hair dye and face packs are all possible from herbs grown in your garden: try&nbsp;marigolds, soapwort (Saponaria), catmint and witch hazel.

Please ask the staff in our %locations%&nbsp;garden centre for more information and advice about growing herbs.

*please be advised a variety of our products are seasonal. And can only be found at certain points of the year.

Herbs

Few plants are as easy-going as herbs. You can pop them in any spare corner and they'll settle in without fuss. Many of the herbs you'll find in our %locations%&nbsp;garden centre are evergreen, too, so they'll perform all year without demanding much in return.
But to encourage your herbs

Keeping herbs happy

Clear pots, seed trays, tools and composts out of the greenhouse as soon as you finish using them. Pests adore the nooks and crannies in a pile of containers or loose compost, and they'll emerge to infest your plants; compost is also a great host for fungal disease. Moving it all to the shed, where it can't do any harm, keeps your greenhouse shipshape and your plants healthy.