2017, the year of living greener, hacking and sharing skills!

It looks like the trend for greener living is one that's not going away anytime soon nor is the philosophy of sharing knowledge and finding eco friendly solutions to improve life in general!

101 Organic Gardening Hacks by Shawna Coronado is published by Cool Springs Press

Looking through this book at a first glance you'd think it was a straight forward gardener's encyclopedia but it's far from that!
What we do find is a book with a different way of doing things -actually you'll find it has 101!- of improving your green spaces through using simple everyday gardening skills to rejuvenating your garden with amazing recycling based projects or hacks.

This new title by Cool Springs Press, 101 Organic Gardening Hacks by Shawna Coronado is all about sharing her tips, tricks and showing you how to find practical solutions for the home garden. From practical time savers, clever up-cycling projects using everyday items to help you achieve an environmentally friendly, organic green space.
Divided into categories for easy reference the 101 hacks are accompanied by clear photographs and easy to follow instructions.

Having just recently moved into a house with a garden I found the prospect of using this book in my own little space extremely exciting! I can't wait to get my hands dirty come Spring time!
And also because I'm usually on a tight budget recycling and using found objects is something I also find really attractive and interesting.
I know I'll finally get the perfect garden with the help of this title by reproducing quite a few projects as well as put into practise some of the planting and growing advice.
We've inherited someone else's gardening choices and as much as I do love the Japanese style of our tiny garden I also feel that due to years of neglect that it could do with some attention and a good old re jig!
It's also super shady so any vegetable growing has been limited. Last year's tomato crop yielded 4 tiny little berries... though the quince tree is thriving and happy -we got 8 kilos of plump fruit in early Autumn- so it's never going to be a bountiful vegetable field!
Coming to the conclusion that it won't be like Tom and Barbara's small holding in The Good Life was tough to accept! My planting will have to work around its natural geographical placement so it will be more of an ornamental garden with a few choice veg... And that's OK!
I will however have lots of nifty tricks to make my space an insect friendly, chemical free paradise using what I've learned... from weeding the environmentally friendly way (OH yes it can be done!) to harvesting seeds!

101 Organic gardening Hacks is for those who love experimenting and creating a space which not only looks great but also gives untold amounts of joy and by following an eco-friendly regime you'll be  giving back to mother nature too!
Thanks to Shawna Coronado and her quirky and creative ideas and her absolute love of gardening, this book will undoubtedly help both novices and the seasoned gardeners who are after a bit of inspiration.
There are lots of projects from simple decorating techniques to useful hacks like creating your very own irrigation system with a drip line kit!

I particularly love the outdoor chandelier and the pallet furniture but also the useful tips like how to keep your garden pest free with zero pesticides! There is so much to take away from this book so if you're looking to become the new Monty Don or just after a animal friendly, eco friendly garden then I'd totally recommend this new title.
Though I won't be creating the gardens of Babylon I have faith that my little patch of urban greenery will become my very own private garden of Eden! Minus the snakes... no, really, no snakes even though I love them but hedgehogs, birds and insects will be most welcome!

To order 101 Organic Gardening Hacks at the discounted price of £9.99 including p&p* (RRP: £12.99), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk  and quote the offer code QPG466.

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas. 

The Crafted Garden... a handy book for today's creative gardener!

There seems to be a craze for green fingered pursuits and plant potting at the moment and we can honestly say, hand on heart, that we've absolutely fallen for it too!
From Cacti potted in geometric concrete pots, macrame holders, terrariums to fresh flower crown wearing... The green stuff has us in a spin wanting to get our fingers into the damp earth and making again!
It's a natural romance and we're falling for this book head over heels!

"Stylish projects inspired by nature"

The Crafted Garden, published by Frances Lincoln offers us a lovely mix of projects and handy tips which will get you growing and making fun & crafty plant based objects ... which you can make for your home or even make as a gift for a friend!

Terrariums can be amazing and easy to look after... and it's a great way to recycle your jars!

There are over 50 projects and some great tips in this book which the author Louise Curley has included to ease and guide you into finding your inner crafty gardener.

Transforming foraged hedgerow jewels and garden finds into beautiful things is something of an art and Louise is happy to share with us her skills through some great step by step tutorials!
 

Easy step by step tutorial will help you create simple, beautiful objects for the home...

And it won't cost you a fortune! Most projects are easily achieved from bits and pieces from your very own garden and craft stash. 

Some things you might want/need to purchase but there's a really good section with suppliers details.

Personally I find there are quite a few on line groups which can be a great resource too so even if you're on a tight budget it shouldn't stop you. 

Lots of people use these social media pages and sites to post materials, items they no longer need or want so are happy to share, give away or sell for a small donation.
Try Face Book, local Free Cycle or S.O.S. (Sell or swap) groups. I've managed to find lots of gardening stuff from seedlings to ceramic pots!

Another thing I like about this book is that it's divided into season's so you can just get out there without having to endlessly plan... I'm quite looking forward to Autumn now, not that I wasn't before... but... because it was a bit of a "meh" summer I wasn't quite ready for it yet! But I am now!!!

Yes, Autumn can be chilly but it also gives us beautiful leaves!!!

Actually getting my hands working alongside with nature will help me feel connected to the seasons again, which lets face it can be a trifle difficult because as the old saying goes "In London you can get the 4 seasons in a day!" so it can get a bit much sometimes!

Not just for eating, these beautiful gourds are also lovely decorations!

A squash vase... simple, beautiful and perfect for an autumnal party!

So whether you're a green fingered god/goddess or a completely useless "Death Fingered Cactus Killer" this awesome book will get you inspired and back in touch with nature again.
*And FYI Death Fingered Cactus Killer you too will be amazed at how easy it is with the aid of this book to grow things... so don't give up!*

It certainly looks like I'll be keeping my copy close as you never know... today we could be in Autumn and tomorrow thrown back into Spring!

Out on the 3rd of September The Crafted Garden by Louise Curley is available to our readers at the discounted price of £13.99 including p&p* (RRP: £16.99)
telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG355. 

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas. 

Something for the weekend!

For so many city dwellers outside space comes at a premium and lots of them are like me... without a garden!
Being surrounded by grey, brick and mortar structures can take a lot out of a gal so finding softness and comfort is something I tend to look for inside the home through the use of soft furnishings and home wares but also in living things like plants.

©http://blog.uncovet.com

BUT because of the very small issue of not having a garden - plus my window boxes have been transformed into Kitty lawns- I've been looking at alternatives. Planting has come a long way since the days of hanging baskets and people are getting more and more creative by
using large glass cloches, glass bowls or pretty ceramic bowls to create mini masterpieces.
This is something which I find pleasing and absolutely inspiring!

©http://blog.uncovet.com

Think outside the window box and plant something that will give you lots of joy but will also feed the senses. Use plants and flowers which don't just look good but smell and feel good too.
Don't tell me you've never passed a "money tree" plant without giving the leaves a gentle squeeze? It's pure pleasure and in a way it connects me with nature. It's true! However small the gesture may seem it really does!
I love the idea of having small indoor gardens in a container... a bit like dioramas. I was obsessed with these as a child and had boxes under my bed filled with scenarios usually of forests and nature landscapes... and taking a cue from that memory... I absolutely adore the little colourful cacti pictured below, nestled together, all bunched up in a herd like they've found a turquoise oasis in the hot desert. It's such a simple idea but absolutely beautiful too! Hum, I think I may just have to make my own desert diorama...

©http://blog.uncovet.com

Say It With Hair Flowers - springtime gardening with hair accessories

For as along as I can remember I have always worn something in my hair. In the good old 80’s my big hair was tied up with spotty neckerchiefs and bows. The bows got a little more subtle and finally transformed into flowers, mostly hibiscus these days with a nod to my rockabilly heritage. I feel undressed without a hair flower, as do these ladies ...

Carmen Miranda :: Billie Holiday :: Paloma Faith

Hair flowers lend a touch of the exotic, a freshness that oozes glamour. Or simply craziness in the wilderness.

From the Northern greyness that was my Liverpool home as a kid, I sought out the fun records from mum & dad’s vinyl collection. This was one of my favourites – gatefold sleeve, a book in an album with pictures of sunny beaches and flowers.

In the foreground Tiki Table Runner by JeanieB

To my 10 yr old brain South Pacific had fun songs and a warm sunny aesthetic, I would be become an advocate of high waisted pants and hair flowers for ever more.

Something happens when you reach your 30’s – the gardening gene kicks in. Believe me I was sceptical too, but low and behold mid 30's it suddenly became important to grow things in the garden and not just use it as an extended playpen for the kiddies. 

I wanted to grow the exotic lilies that I have always loved, those that spoke of tropic isles and escapism and I wanted to smell their scent. A bit tricky in East London without a hothouse, but you can grow these lovlies outdoors ... 

They're for sale in most garden centres and will keep coming back year after year.

My gardening impulse ebbs and flows – I’m really just as happy with plastic flowers, which let’s face it last all year round. I mean is it spring yet? It’s hard to tell with the wind blowing a gale and the odd hail shower. 

A couple of weeks ago the sun forced its way through the clouds and I grabbed the opportunity to get some flowers in the ground quick. Bedding plants are the ones you can plant out each year and watch bloom over summer, they add a splash of colour and are cheap and cheerful in tubs or borders – just fend the slugs off and keep well watered.

Last year my garden was getting the better of me so I hunted around the web for help and came across Lisa Land Girl, a woman who gardens and blogs about it. Lisa came over to help me clear some foliage that was threatening to engulf the shed. 

I was delighted to see Lisa arrive on a bike with basket bedecked with flowers with Lisa herself in Rosie the Riveter garb. You can read her gardening adventures and drool over flowers and muck at Lisa's Growbag blog here.

If wearing fresh flowers in your hair leaves you looking wilted and prone to greenfly, then there are plenty of wonderful crafters making flower clips for the discerning rockabilly gal.

Have a look at Rosie Alia’s collection of hair accessories for Vintage Sweethearts.

She has quite an authentic looking crop.

Rosie Alia Designs via Etsy

RosieAliaDesigns' Etsy Shop Announcement

"I take my inspiration from the wonderful hair flowers so often seen in photographs and films atop the heads of beautifully coiffed ladies of the past...because every girl deserves to feel like a starlet!
I can also make custom pieces to order so if you just can't find that perfect piece, please don't hesitate to get in touch."

Meanwhile through the wind and the rain, since planting out in my garden, one single petunia has flowered. Behold I have green fingers!