We all appreciate the use of any outside space which comes with your home. Whether the space is mainly for children to play in or just to sit and relax, provided it is well planned and designed the size of your plot is not always the most important factor. It does mean, however, that you may be slightly more restricted when choosing plants and structures for your patch of land.

For example, you would struggle to achieve the same effect when planting a large exotic palm in a small terrace courtyard in Manchester that would not look out of place in the grounds of villas in Nueva Andalucia with large swimming pool.

Careful consideration should also be given to the position of your garden when choosing plants and trees to furnish it. South and westerly facing plots provide the best growing conditions for most plants, although many shade-loving plants such as hostas ferns would thrive in a dark northerly facing courtyard. (more...)

Gardening is one of the most popular weekend activities for residents of the UK. The home garden first appeared in Britain during Roman times when people required supplemental food for their survival. Of course, few folks actually need a home garden nowadays. Most people grow fruit and vegetables simply because they finding it relaxing and rewarding. In this article we are going to discuss the most basic and important element of gardening—the soil.

It goes almost without saying that the better the soil, the better the garden will grow. Gardens that have superior soil not only produce larger and fresher tasting fruits and vegetable, they also yield more of them. But even good soil needs some help.

The easiest way to improve the balance and water-holding capacity of soil is to add organic material to it. Manure, old leaves or compost are the preferred materials of expert gardeners. In fact, many of them keep their own compost heaps in the backyard for this very purpose. (more...)

It is a well known fact that as the world gets more and more ‘developed’, natural habitats of animals and birds are significantly reducing. Birds are losing their natural nesting sites rapidly. By installing a bird nesting box in your garden or even on an outer wall of your house, you can provide a safe nesting haven for garden birds.

Loss of habitat has resulted in the decline of even some of our most common garden birds. By controlling the design of the garden flowers which attract the right type of birds, you can actually ensure that the species of bird it’s designed for can nest in it!

For example, an entrance hole of about 25mm can allow blue tits, coal tits and marsh tits to enter the nesting box. If it’s the lively chirping of house sparrows you want to hear in your garden, an entrance hole of 32mm on your bird nesting box is perfect. (more...)

Rule number one here, obviously, would be that fitted furniture probably will not prove to be the best option for outdoors - unless you are talking about an outdoors-indoors type of structure where you can actually keep the pieces. Instead, the best choices for garden furniture will be something that can be disassembled more easily and stored in the garage or shed during the long Winter months.

At the moment, the most stylish and fashionable pieces of outdoor furniture seems to be rattan. This looks perfect in any corner of your garden and has a classy and chic look about it.

Rattan furniture in dark brown or black seems to be the order of the day, at the moment, and when there are clean, crisp white cushions included - this looks as though it could easily be gracing the poolside area of the home of a celebrity. (more...)