Aside from getting the garden looking spick and span for when all your relatives come visiting over the Christmas period, there are certain, more mundane, things that need to be taken care of during these lovely mid-summer days. 

November is action stations for the seed-sowing vegetable gardeners. So much has to be sown to keep us going through autumn and winter and is a good time to plant your favourite summer vegetables such as courgette, cucumber, peppers, pumpkin and squash all of which need long hours of full sunshine.

Welcome to Spring! September marks the beginning of Spring and holds the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. This means, the daffodils start coming out, Spring blossom is abundant, the days are getting warmer and brighter, and they all contribute to the sweet, fresh spring scent in the air and all the possibilities that the warmer weather entails. Lets get gardening! 

June is all about new season's roses arriving in store. Most flower gardeners consider it unthinkable to create a garden without roses as they can easily lift your garden out of the ordinary. Simply by situating them so...

Dahlias come in a wide range of colours, flower types and size, foliage colour and heights. They flower freely, are easy care, and make excellent cut flowers for the home. 

Fresh or dried, herbs add zest to cooking, perfume the house and have natural medicinal and cosmetic benefits. The fun of making pot pourri, tussie mussies, infused vinegars and pestos from your own garden is most rewarding. 

April is about planting spring bulbs and the sooner daffodils are planted, the better they will perform. There are always a few places where a few more bulbs can be planted such as scatter plantings of bluebells and crocuses under deciduous trees, little dwarf tulips and irises tucked into rock gardens or fritillaria and dogs tooth violet enjoying some shady spots.

Flowering at a time of year when little else can be found flowering, Cyclamen are a popular indoor houseplant. With their beautiful, long-lasting flowers and interesting heart-shaped leaves with a marbled silvery pattern, who can resist one to brighten up any room in the house!