gardening
Protecting wildlife in the garden over winter
Once upon a time the most common animals you’d find scurrying about in the garden on autumn nights would be hedgehogs, foxes or even a badger. However, today hedgehogs, other mammals and many birds are on the decline, and the more we can do to help them survive through the winter, the better. With this […]
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How your parent’s garden can help butterflies make a come-back
This year we’re seeing a surge of ‘Painted Lady’ butterflies in parts of the UK. But it’s big news because butterflies are actually in decline. So when we’re helping our parents re-plan their gardens to be more manageable in later life, or start a new garden, why not invite the butterflies back with these tips? […]
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5 tips for creating a dementia-friendly garden
Nicky Roeber is the Online Horticultural Expert at Wyevale Garden Centres. Here, he shares his top tips for creating a garden in which someone living with dementia can feel safe and happy. There are currently more than 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, and that number is expected to rise above one million by […]
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How to enjoy the benefits of compost in your garden
Productive gardening is a joy for many reasons. But success depends greatly on the quality of the soil in which plants grow – and creating great compost is hard physical work. Or are there short-cuts that we can all use without that heavy spadework? The people at Mantis have provided this short guide. Gardening is […]
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Tips on enjoying the garden at any age
As the weather warms up it’s time to get out in the garden. But as the years pass ambitions change and bodies need more help, so we’ve put together some tips for getting the most out of time outside safely, at any age. This article is provided by House of Bath. Getting older can make […]
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The health benefits of plants for your parent
This week’s storyteller is Clare Long. Clare, founder of Granny Dodo’s Gardens, shares how flowers can be more than just gifts for our parents, they can also bring enjoyment and brighten up daily life in a care home. My grandparents had a wonderful garden, full of flowers that my grandmother (affectionately nicknamed Granny Dodo) created […]
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Gardening tips for older people
Written by Kathy Lawrence Gardening can be a joy. It’s satisfying, can be productive and it’s very good exercise. Age makes some tasks harder – the digging, mowing and pruning – but with a bit of thought there’s still plenty that can be done at any age. The Horticultural Trade Association in the UK has […]
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No more digging
My dad has always loved his garden, and I’ve always assumed that he will be tending it to the end. So it took me a long time to realise that despite all the treatment and care he’s received for problems large and small over the last few years, he’s not going to get back out […]
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Mother’s Day gifts for grandma 2015
Flowers, chocolates, fragrances – there are plenty of traditional presents for mums on Mother’s Day. If you’re looking for something different for a mum who’s hit retirement age here are a few suggestions. Story of their lives Our parents have lived through interesting times, from the Second World War through austerity and the white heat […]
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Father’s Day gift guide
Written by Kathy Lawrence According to the Internet (so it must be true) 65% of dads would rather have no Father’s Day gift than be given a tie. So if you observe Father’s Day, here are some different ideas that have passed our way. And yes, there’s a lot of eating and drinking on the […]
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