Best Jam-Making Kits and Equipment | BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine

In 1752, Britain changed its calendar from the old “Julian” style to the Gregorian version that most of Europe was already using. People rioted, demanding back the 11 days of their lives that had gone “missing” in the switchover, but there would be far-reaching effects too. Any festivals set by the phases of the moon continued as ever, but set dates, such as Midsummer and Christmas, now fell on the “wrong” days. Plants didn’t know this, of course, but it muddled folklore, making some customs even stranger to modern eyes.

Just like seasoned gardeners rely on their trusty tools, kids embarking on the start of their gardening adventures need the right gear to protect themselves. A pair of kids’ gardening gloves is the perfect accessory for the job.

Encouraging your children to get into gardening is a great way to introduce them to the wonders of the natural world and kickstart a love for the outdoors. Especially in a world where entertainment for kids is often dominated by screens, getting children engaged with nature is a great way to keep them moving.

Japanese garden tools are known for their quality and precision and can be a reliable addition to your gardening toolkit. Japanese-style tools and brands often stand out when our experts review gardening products, and they are often scored highly for their performance.

Today we’re in Raleigh, North Carolina, visiting with John Matthews.

On the hunt for the ultimate garden centre or service in the UK? It's not just about jazzing up your garden – it's all about crafting your very own green paradise! 

Those stubborn cracks and gaps in your garden pathway, walls, or rocky outcrops look really bad with dirt and muck accumulating in them. What if we told you that these challenging spaces are actually opportunities for a unique garden aesthetic? Prepare to unlock a new dimension in gardening as we reveal the perfect Plants for Cracks and Crevices to turn these so-called ‘problem areas’ into miniature gardens brimming with charm and character!

Summer is a great time to replenish stocks of herbs in our kitchen shelves and pantries. Thanks to the cheerful warm and sunny weather, in that season many herbs achieves the strongest aroma as well as essential oils. Therefore, it is important to learn how to harvest herbs at an appropriate time and how to dry and store them collectively to keep as much of their flavor.

Homemade pesto is not only delicious, but easy to make. While you can always buy some at your local supermarket, using minimal ingredients to make your own is worth every minute of your time because it's delicious. Basil is a popular herb that can be grown indoors all year round, with sweet basil being one of the most common. If you're looking to take your recipe up a notch, here'show to grow basil at home as well as how to harvest it for cooking.

When it comes to caring for your plants there are some tools that are essential for saving you both time and effort. A plant mister is one of these. The simple sprayer can help you regulate the humidity of plants and create a microclimate that allows moisture-loving greenery to flourish.

If you look up garden ruins or follies in the dictionary, you will be told that they are ‘costly ornamental buildings with no practical purpose.’

When not in flower, it’s fair to say dahlia plants rarely command a second glance. In fact, to the uninitiated, they could be easily mistaken for potatoes, not that surprising when you consider that these two fast-growing, frost-tender tuberous species share a surprising amount of common ground regarding their geographical range in the wild and their fondness for a certain set of growing conditions that includes a rich, moist but free-draining soil in full sun or light shade. But the comparison ends there. Unlike potatoes, which are valued solely as a tasty food crop, dahlias are generally prized for the otherworldly beauty of their often large and vividly colourful flowers.