Get your own slice of paradise with a butterfly jungle

With an ever growing awareness of our declining Flora & Fauna, interest in conservation and attracting wildlife into our gardens is becoming more popular. 

Loss of habitat in the wild has caused a decline in our native butterfly species. Providing a predator free environment for native butterflies local to the area, which can then be released, will help boost the UK population.

Encouraging butterflies to breed in a garden is a tricky prospect; female butterflies can be very picky. A netted outdoor structure planted with Nectar Source and Caterpillar Food plants will enable native butterflies to breed in their natural habitat without the added danger of predators eating their pupae.

If you do not have room for an outdoor structure, getting butterflies into your garden is the first step, getting them to stay and breed and therefore build up the declining numbers is the second and important one. Butterfly gardens do not have to look messy or unstructured; many butterfly friendly plants can be grown beautifully within a current garden set up.

A garden planted with a variety of nectar rich flowers that provide food at different times of year is a perfect habitat for a butterfly. Plants such as Lavender, Aubrietia, knapweed, primrose, cowslip and scabious work wonderfully in a border backed by larger shrubs such as buddleja.

It is not just our native species that are in danger. With the destruction of the rainforest, many exotic species are also on the verge of dying out. By having a tropical environment for these species to thrive in, we can provide a sustainable living for the butterfly farmers and help to develop and protect the rainforests in which they live and work.

Most Conservatories and Greenhouses make excellent Indoor Butterfly Gardens for the Tropical Species. These are a great education tool as Children can observe the life cycle first hand and learn about the Environment and Ecology of the Rainforest habitats.

Could you imagine a future without butterflies?

For further information please visit www.butterflyjungles.com

A spokesman said: We are a company that specialises in creating both indoor and outdoor butterfly gardens.
We offer several services that can help to attract native butterflies and other wildlife back into people’s gardens; from bespoke packages through to consultancy on current set-ups, from a wildflower meadow to a small wildlife friendly section in a garden. We also offer a range of Butterfly plants and shrubs both hardy and tender, wildflowers and herbs and other plants suitable for attracting wildlife.

"By bringing the exotic species into conservatories and greenhouses, we can help to sustain Butterfly Farmers in the tropics and work towards developing and protecting the rainforests in which they live and work."

That's Food and Drink: BBC Good Food Show Summer Announces All Star Line ...

That's Food and Drink: BBC Good Food Show Summer Announces All Star Line ...: The BBC Good Food Show Events team will be rolling into town once again for their annual Summer Food Show and today announce they will be br...

Activities at RHS Gardens this Jubilee June

Looking for an inspirational day out for the whole family this Jubilee June, where you can entertain adults and children alike with relaxing walks and a variety of events all in one place? Then families need look no further than their nearest RHS garden for a fantastic day out.

With summer weather now upon us, witness the fabulous plants at last exploding into leaf and flower; with activities from lunches to teas, and gifts from plants to pots, there is something for all the family to enjoy:

Spring Half-term, 2-10 June
Enjoy activities and events at each of the four RHS gardens, where local schools have been busy designing, planting and creating miniature gardens to be on show at the gardens. During the half term you can view and vote for your favourite design. Get your hands dirty and join in trails and fun craft workshops.

Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend, 2-5 June
Enjoy Diamond Jubilee celebrations at RHS gardens around the country including:

RHS Garden Rosemoor - Diamond Jubilee Tea Party, 5 June, 3pm-5pm Normal Garden entry applies. Come and celebrate our Patron, Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee where there will be live music and family entertainment with tea and cake available in the Winter Garden. Why not bring the whole family and join the celebrations!

RHS Garden Hyde Hall - Music for the Diamond Jubilee, Tuesday 5 June 2012, 2pm-4pm, enjoy music and cream teas to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. Normal garden admission applies. Booking not required

RHS Garden Harlow Carr - Jubilee Celebrations, 5 June, local group the Harrogate Brass Band will be playing live music in the garden to celebrate the Queens Jubilee. Normal Garden Admission applies.

Father’s Day Weekend: Great Garden Swap, June 16-17
RHS Great Garden Swap is a chance to turn out your sheds and bring in your unwanted tools, gardening sundries and excess produce to swap for something new. Visitors can swap gardening books, magazines, seeds, equipment, or any kind of herbaceous plant material. Experts will be on hand to help identify plants and give advice to swappers. Normal garden admission applies. Booking not required.

RHS Garden Rosemoor - 16-17 June, 10am-2pm

RHS Garden Hyde Hall - 16-17 June, 10am-2pm

RHS Garden Harlow Carr - 16-17 June, 10am-4pm

RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey

Garden Party, 9 -10 June
Bring the family and join RHS Garden Wisley for their biggest party of the year, celebrating all that is British. Head to Seven Acres to watch Punch and Judy shows, join in the garden games or sit back and relax to toe tapping live music. There are even classic Ballroom Dancing lessons and demonstrations as well as being able to get your hair and make-up styled in the 1940's fashion. The rose garden and country garden will be looking their best in June.

Film Nights, 8-10 June - coming soon, check the website for prices and further information.

The RHS flagship property, RHS Garden Wisley is one of the finest gardens in the world. For more than 100 years it has been a showcase for horticultural excellence, world class plant collections and outstanding large scale gardening displays. With over 200 acres of land, for families, the sheer size of Wisley gives great scope for fun and discovery. There are family trails with ideas of the best spots to explore, things to look out for and fun activities in the garden.

There is even a dedicated RHS Garden Wisley I-Spy book to keep younger visitors on track. Would-be jungle explorers can venture into the Tropical Zone of the Glasshouse, whilst bird lovers can visit the bird hide, or see the ducks on the lake. The arboretum and pinetum are great for spotting pine cones, there is a fascinating ‘plants for bugs’ area and seasonal bug-collecting and insect- identification activities, whilst children of all ages will love the outdoor play area with its naturally created climbing and balancing equipment.

For more information please visit www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

Prices: RHS members plus one guest: free

Adult: 10.50, Child (5-16): £4.50, Children 4 and under: free; Family: (2 adults/2 children) £27.00

RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate
Located on the outskirts of Harrogate, Harlow Carr captures the essence of Yorkshire within a beautiful garden setting. The garden design replicates the natural spirit of the region, with features evoking the surrounding landscapes, including water features, dry stone walling, wooded areas and also some ornamental aspects redolent of Harrogate itself. For families, the garden offers a combination of wilderness and sense of adventure in a landscaped, self-contained setting, with a log maze, family trails, children’s play area and woodland dens.

For more information, please visit www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr

Prices: RHS members plus 1 family guest: free
Adult: £7.50; Child (5-16): £3.75; Children under 5: free; Family: (2 adults/2 children) £20.25 Normal garden admission applies.

RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex

Unseen Forces, sculpture exhibition by David Watkinson, opens 28 April
An exhibition by David Watkinson of large organic forms and kinetic sculpture. Taking inspiration from the natural world the exhibits depict seed heads, leaves and fruit amongst others and will be made from a variety of materials such as steel, aluminium and cold cast bronze. (running for six months)

With wide open skies and far reaching views, RHS Garden Hyde Hall is the perfect place for families to discover the great outdoors, with plenty to keep children occupied. Located just outside Chelmsford in Essex, it consists of an 8 acre, intensely cultivated hilltop area, with numerous features, including a colour themed herbaceous border, two ponds, a rose garden, farmhouse garden and woodland garden. This more formal area is surrounded by vast open countryside, with vast swathes of grasses and perennials on Clover Hill, and an estate beyond comprising of developing woodland, hedgerows, bee hives, meadows and pasture. It is a haven for wildlife with multitudes of songbirds and brown hares running across the meadows.

For more information, please visit www.rhs.org.uk/hydehall.

Prices: RHS members plus 1 family guest: free

Adult: £7.00; Child (5-16): £3.50; Children under 5: free; Family: (2 adults/2 children) £18.9

RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon
Peter Buckley Learning Centre Garden, opens Wednesday 9 May

The new Peter Buckley Learning Centre garden is set to open on Friday 9 May at, helping thousands more school children in the region learn about sustainability, the environment, wildlife and plants.

Quentin Blake Exhibition, 26 May - 27 August, every day
Quentin Blake is one of Britain’s best-loved and most successful illustrators and children’s authors. His first drawings were published in Punch when he was 16. He has illustrated over 300 books with writers such as Michael Rosen, Joan Aiken, and most famously of all, Roald Dahl. Quentin Blake writes and illustrates his own books as well and has also illustrated classic books for adults. For many years he taught at the Royal College of Art, where he was head of the Illustration Department from 1978 to 1986.

He has won many awards and prizes, was appointed the first Children’s Laureate in 1999, and was made a CBE in 2005. In the past ten years he has produced pictures specifically for a number of hospitals both in England and France. This summer, Rosemoor is giving you the chance to come and delight in the art of the man who brought some of your favourite book characters to life from Mister Magnolia to the BFG and Matilda. There will be five groups of pictures on display including the Green Ship and You’re Only Young Twice as well as other Quentin Blake themed items.

Rosemoor’s garden team is recreating Quentin Blake’s Green Ship in the garden. Why not come along and explore! Normal Garden entry.11am-4pm

Nestled in the Torridge Valley in north Devon, just south of the north Devon coast and west of Exmoor National Park, RHS Garden Rosemoor is spread across 65 acres. Within a dramatic backdrop of steep wooded valley sides, it consists of sculptured gardens intercepted by cool restful areas of parkland, meadows and trees. It is a wonderful place for children to explore, with its winding paths and different areas to discover.

The Brash is the family picnic and play area, a natural hideaway in the woods for children (and adults) of all ages to enjoy. With log stepping stones, dens that are perfect for hide and seek, giant bugs to spot and bird feeding there’s plenty to keep everyone busy. For more information, please visit www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoor.

Prices: RHS members plus one guest: free
Adult: £7.50, Child (5 -16): £3.75, Children under 5: free; Family: (2 adults/2 children): £20.25

RHS Gifts:
RHS shows - treat your father to a day out he will remember for a long time with tickets to an RHS show. Choose from Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in July and the relaxed RHS Flower Show Tatton Park in Cheshire, also in July. www.rhs.org.uk

RHS Gift Membership - give your Dad a gift he'll thank you for every single day this Fathers' Day – RHS Gift Membership. You’ll be giving him a year of free days out a glorious gardens; The Garden magazine monthly (worth £51 alone), and personalised one-to-one gardening advice from our experts. So nothing need get in the way of indulging his passion for gardening. Plus, you can choose to wrap it up yourself or we’ll send it for you with a personalised message, so he’ll have something to open on the day - all for just £51.

Summer In The Garden With The Chelsea Gardener

The Chelsea Gardener handpicks the best garden furniture and accessories for summer 2012. Sourcing far and wide, the company continues to look for interesting and unique designs while offering value for money. With a hint of patriotism, the new collection promises to enhance your outside space making it your holiday destination this year.

Atmospheric lighting ideas sit alongside decorative ornaments and work well for all styles of outdoor spaces. Hanging lanterns are ideal for balconies and trees while ornaments are perfect for bringing pots, planters and terraces to life with a touch of humour.

An oasis of green in the middle of Chelsea, The Chelsea Gardener has the enviable reputation of being the destination for inspiring and innovative ideas, helping people to make the most of their outdoor space. They provide the best outdoor furniture, garden essentials, gifts and decorations, plants and pots. They also offer a full landscaping service and source high quality and unique products according to a client's requirements.

Open 7 days a week, The Chelsea Gardener is located at: 125 Sydney Street, London SW3 6NR

Shop online www.chelseagardener.com

That's Green: Blue Skies Provide The Latest In Eco Water Systems...

That's Green: Blue Skies Provide The Latest In Eco Water Systems...: Leading garden irrigation company Blue Skies are advising home owners to invest in the eco Dripline Irrigation Systems which are exempt from...

Grow You Own made easy with the new Edible Border from Gardenonaroll™

Due to the huge and continuing interest in Grow Your Own, Gardenonaroll has launched a new Edible Border kit – a mix of soft fruit, aromatic plants and herbs with spaces left for annual veg when the season is right.

The company exhibited at The Edible Garden Show 16 – 18 March at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire (www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk) where customers were able to see the border growing and place orders at a special price.

Vegetable seeds are included in the kit as well as a bio-degradable paper plan, all the plants, a book, trowel, pegs and fertilizer.

Also available is an ingenious slot-together, timber raised bed – the perfect way to grow your Edible Border. It comes in widths of 60cm and 90 cm with extensions that take it from 2.4m to whatever length required; the height is also adjustable.

This combination of a raised bed and a Gardenonaroll™ border kit is ideal for anyone with limited space or who finds it difficult bending down to garden. It is also likely to be a best-seller to schools.

Antony Henn and the team at Gardenonaroll™ offer various other themed borders, one to suit every aspect or taste.

FACTFILE:
The Gardenonaroll concept was devised by award-winning garden designer and broadcaster Antony Henn, to help the novice or time-poor gardener to achieve the perfect border – in just one weekend.

He wanted to save them money and time and enable the beginner to get a professionally designed planting scheme without the cost of hiring a professional.

Since then the concept has developed and the company now sells over ten different types of borders, with more styles planned.

Antony has been shortlisted from over 200 entries for the 2012 Ideal Home Inventor of the Year Competition, having been invited to participate by the organisers. The presentation will take place on 20 March 2012 and Antony is a strong favourite to win.

Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/gardenonaroll
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-on-a-Roll/1551555445498...

Leading garden designer, Andrew fisher Tomlin, shows how to beat the hosepipe ban

International garden designer Andrew Fisher Tomlin has reacted to the news of a hosepipe ban from April 5th with some positive ideas for ensuring our plants and gardens get through the drought and continue to thrive.

Fisher Tomlin said “Our company designs and builds gardens in many parts of the world where rainfall is sporadic and we can’t rely from year to year how much rain will come. So we’ve become experts in waterwise planting design not just on hot islands but back here with our garden designs in the UK.”

Andrew’s top tips are:

1. Water correctly – get the water to the plant at the base near to the roots rather than just spraying over the foliage.
2. Water at the right time – evening and very early morning before the sun is up are ideal.
3. Recycle washing up water, a bowl of warm water for a tree can work wonders.
4. Store water - get a water butt to store excess water when it does rain.
5. Plant the right plants – those with silver and pale grey narrow foliage like Lavender, Rosemary and Perovskia are excellent, as are conifers and grasses.
6. Plant in a waterwise way – close together to get a good root system going.
7. Mulch with bark mulch to conserve water in the ground.

A few simple measures can make sure your garden looks as good as last year with less watering.

Badger Goes To Hampton Court with special Dorset Garden

Badger Ales is raising a glass to some very welcome news - the Dorset-based, family owned brewery is taking its ales to one of the most important events in the British calendar - RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (3 - 11 July 2012).

The Badger Beer Garden will be the first ever garden in the show's 23 year history to celebrate brewing and beer. Gold medal winning designers, Flemons Warland Design, have already been getting into the mood by visiting the Brewery in Blandford, Dorset for a drop of delicious research and inspiration.

Taking visitors on a gentle stroll through the Dorset countryside, the garden's design is inspired by the landscape surrounding the Brewery and uses beer bottles in a truly unique way which is sure to capture the lenses of the media! There will, of course, be warm hospitality available on the garden with Badger ales to sample throughout the day.

Badger Ales will be working closely with three key Dorset partners - The Gardens Group of garden centres, Kingston Maurward College, whose staff and students will help with building the garden, and the Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust.

Commenting, Brand Manager Anna Corbett said, "We are delighted to have been chosen to create a show garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The garden has captured the real essence of Badger Ales, which we hope will give visitors their own taste of the countryside to take home. We hope to meet thousands of fans of Badger at the show and can promise a few surprises to everyone who pops by to see us!"

Evergreens UK announces opening of new eBay shop

Evergreens UK is pleased to announce the opening of its new eBay shop. Evergreens UK are a long established company and owner of the LazyLawn brand of fake grass. It has been established for over 25 years and has the largest range and volume of landscaping surfaces in the UK at its central distribution warehouse in the east Midlands. The LazyLawn brand of artificial grass is renowned for its realism and vibrancy.

Through its partnership with eBay, Evergreens UK for the first time is able to offer its products for purchase online starting in March 2012. This move has been made to satisfy demands of customers both trade and DIY specialists who wish to self-install LazyLawn artificial grass. Exciting news for DIY astro turf installers is the news that for the first time Evergreens UK remnant stock is available for purchase at discount prices.

Over 200 high quality synthetic grass products will be made available for clearance, including both current and discontinued lines of stock. From remnants to grass tiles and decking the new Evergreens eBay shop will offer considerable range of sizes and stock. All items are new in condition and meet Evergreens UK highest standards of quality.

Evergreens head of marketing said: "We are really looking forward to working with eBay and offering online sales of our product range to the public and trade alike. Our unique brand of artificial turf has set new standards within the industry. eBay offers us a direct marketing route to the public and for the first time our range will be available for online purchase."

The LazyLawn brand is widely recognised for its high quality products and installations and LazyLawn has a UK wide network of artificial lawn project specialists who can quote on installation. Its products have been transforming gardens, play areas and corporate events for a generation. For trade customers and DIY enthusiasts Evergreens UK can offer advice, including full information on the advantages of artificial turf, and products with an unrivalled next day delivery service. The new Evergreens eBay Shop is located at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Evergreens-Lazy-Lawn-UK.

15,000 Schools Sign Up to RHS Campaign that's backed by Alan Titchmarsh

15,000 schools have signed up to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening, backed by the nation's favourite gardener, Alan Titchmarsh, meaning the charity is helping nearly half of all UK schools to garden, engaging some 3,000,000 3 million children.

Set up only four-and-a-half years ago to encourage and support schools to use gardening as a teaching resource, the campaign has gone from strength to strength and Berryhill Primary School, in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, has become the 15,000th school to register.

Through new initiatives like RHS Young School Gardener of the Year, which is being launched during the first National Gardening Week (16-22 April), the RHS will continue to shout about the importance of gardening in school in the hope of signing up, by the campaign's fifth birthday this September, more than half of all schools in the UK.

Alan Titchmarsh said: "We know the impact gardening at school has on children's development and wellbeing. As well as learning about the environment, it teaches them important life skills and makes them happy and healthy. Luckily for me, I stumbled on the magical world of gardening when I was young - watching how plants grew and getting my hands dirty brought fun and learning together - so it is my heartfelt belief that gardening at school brings many benefits every child should get the chance to enjoy. I know the RHS won't rest until all the schools in the UK are gardening!"

As demonstrated by RHS research, gardening boosts a child's development, teaches life skills and makes them healthier and happier. The most recent RHS report explores how gardening helps children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Sue Biggs, Director General, for the RHS, added: "We were the first organisation to recognise the huge importance of gardening in schools and the wonderful impact it has on children, and the RHS has led the way in encouraging children to get gardening ever since. I am both proud and delighted twe have reached this milestone figure and would like to encourage all schools to register now and help us create future generations of skilled individuals who appreciate the importance gardening has on the environment."

Berryhill Primary School will be presented with a plaque and a tree to celebrate this important milestone.

Head Teacher of Berryhill Primary School, Mrs Carrie Nicol, responded by saying: "We're delighted to be part of the Campaign for School Gardening and what a bonus that we're the 15,000th school to sign up! We have a Peace Garden at the front of our school for use all year round and are currently building an Eco Green House from plastic bottles, and we would like to make a small area for growing vegetables that we can eventually sell to our local community.

"We would also like to have more plants growing all year round to keep it looking smart. We can't wait to start developing these projects further and finding out how we can use the garden as an outdoor classroom, with the help from the RHS."

The RHS Campaign for School Gardening, which is also backed by Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins, has been running since 2007 and is free to join. Schools that register receive access to training courses and a whole host of online resources, including lesson plans, case studies and gardening advice. Each school is also sent a free starter pack; comprising of seeds, soil pH testing kits, posters and more.


FACTFILE:
The RHS has actively involved 15,000 schools across the UK in growing and gardening through its Campaign for School Gardening, which is supported by Waitrose. Children are taught about plants and gardening and their environment. Through gardening they learn about healthy fruit and vegetables, wildlife and important life skills such as teamwork, social skills and co-operation.

Huge benefits are to be had from using an outdoor classroom where children can learn in a fun, engaging way. Information, lesson plans and advice for schools is provided online and is backed up by support from the RHS education team and Campaign for School Gardening Regional Advisors. Schools work their way up from Level 1 to 5 and have the chance of winning the Alan Titchmarsh Award, between Levels 3 and 4. www.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening