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<p>To <strong>keep your terrace clean</strong> doesn’t have to be too much work as long as you do it at the right time of year and have the right equipment. It’s always nice to step out onto a clean and thriving terrace where you can watch your plants grow, sit down with a book to read or entertain family and friends. Keep it clean and looking beautiful with these tips.</p>

<p>To <strong>keep your terrace clean</strong> doesn’t have to be too much work as long as you do it at the right time of year and have the right equipment. It’s always nice to step out onto a clean and thriving terrace where you can watch your plants grow, sit down with a book to read or entertain family and friends. Keep it clean and looking beautiful with these tips.</p>
<h2>Keep your terrace clean with wood cleaner&nbsp;</h2>
<p>If you have a wooden area, it’s important to keep it clean for both aesthetics and safety. Wood can get slippery and after a wet winter especially, decking can be quite dangerous to walk on. There are special wood deck cleaners but also a gently washing with warm water. A stiff brush and washing up liquid will do just the job.</p>
<h2>Concrete cleaning to keep your terrace clean</h2>
<p>If you have a concrete area to clean, this can be really easy. One of the best ways is to use a pressure washer which will soon blast away any slippery surfaces, dirt and debris. Polished concrete is another hard landscaping surface that can generally just be swept to keep clean.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Think of your furniture when you keep your terrace clean&nbsp;</h2>
<p>If you have a table, chairs and even a BBQ on your terrace, these will all need to be kept clean as well. Furniture covers can be used to protect your table and chairs from bad weather and BBQ covers as well. When you lift off the covers in spring, give everything a wipe down with a brush and if needed some warm water and liquid soap.</p>
<h2>Keep your terrace clean with thriving pots&nbsp;</h2>
<p>A terrace is made of pots and containers full of your favourite plants. Here are some tips to keep your pots and containers clean.</p>
<ul>
<li>Give your pots a good clean&nbsp;as and when needed,</li>
<li>Don’t forget to deadhead plants,</li>
<li>Remove old or diseased material,</li>
<li>Replenish soil in the spring.</li>
<li>If you have annuals, plant up seasonal containers full of colour and interest which will help to keep your terrace looking in great condition.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Good maintenance to keep your terrace clean&nbsp;</h2>
<p>Throughout the year if you keep your terrace clean by sweeping up and washing away any dirt this will help to keep it looking great and will mean less work after the winter period. Sweep up fallen leaves, soil, food and your terrace will look great all year.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Your terrace can be kept clean and looking pretty with products to be found in store.&nbsp;</p>

Keep your terrace clean 

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

<p>Gardening doesn’t have to be hard on your pocket, your time or the environment. Our list of <strong>great gardening hacks</strong> will help you save time and money as well as gardening more sustainably. Pick one and try it today!</p>
<h2>Gardening hacks that save time, money and the environment</h2>
<ol>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>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!</p>

8 great gardening hacks

<p>Knowing <strong>what we can learn from plants</strong> 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;</p>

<p>Knowing <strong>what we can learn from plants</strong> 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;</p>
<h2>Tenacity is what we can learn from plants</h2>
<p>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;</p>
<h2>What we can learn from plants is to be happy&nbsp;</h2>
<p>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:</p>
<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>
<p>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;</p>
<h2>What we can learn from plants is that we all need something different&nbsp;</h2>
<p>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;</p>
<h2>How to thrive is what we can learn from plants&nbsp;</h2>
<p>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;</p>
<h2>What we can learn from plants is not to be greedy</h2>
<p>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!</p>
<h2>Remember your roots is what we can learn from plants&nbsp;</h2>
<p>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;</p>
<p>Update your plant collection, both inside and outside and select your favourites from inshore.&nbsp;</p>

What we can learn from plants

<p><strong>Alpine troughs</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Alpine troughs</strong> 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.</p>
<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>
<p>Choose the position for your alpine trough. Most alpines do best in the sun, although some will grow in light shade.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If you have a few interesting-looking rocks, arrange them in the compost to create the look of a mountainous environment.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Plant your alpines among the rocks.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>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.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h2>Caring for alpine plants</h2>
<p>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.</p>
<p>In winter, move the trough into the rain-shadow of a house to shelter it from excessive winter rain.</p>
<h2>Plants for an alpine trough</h2>
<p>There’s a wide range of alpine plants to choose from. Here are a few of our favourites:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><strong>Armeria (sea thrift)</strong>: Pretty pink flowers bob on slender stems above a mat of evergreen grass-like foliage. Deadhead faded flowers to keep it flowering.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Phlox douglasii Crackerjack</strong>: A semi-evergreen creeping phlox with small leaves, covered in a mass of bright pink flowers in late spring and early summer.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Sedum cauticola (stonecrop)</strong>: A low, spreading sedum with small rounded blue-green leaves and clusters of small pink flowers in autumn.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Saxifraga (saxifrage)</strong>: 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;</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Lewisia</strong>: Colourful star-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer. It prefers damper soil to most other alpines.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Sempervivums</strong>: Evergreen succulents come in a wide range of colours and sizes, forming rosettes of fleshy leaves. Very tough and easy to grow.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>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!</p>

How to plant an alpine trough

On the Blog

<p>Birds are often a mixed blessing in the garden: they'll swipe your berries, but while they're at it they'll also strip aphids from your roses, eat small slugs and hoover up caterpillars too. On the whole, they do far more good than harm: and besides, they're lovely to watch as they flit around yo

Looking after garden birds

If your leafy coriander bolts, don't despair: save the seed instead, as it's a delicious ingredient in Asian cooking. What you don't use as a spice you can save to sow for your next batch of leaves 