Discover Your Garden Personality to Create Your Perfect Outdoor Space

Here in the UK it’s traditional to take a couple of weeks off work over the summer and head off to somewhere with better weather – or at least somewhere that you can get away from it all for a little while. It’s one of the ironies of life that this takes you away from the garden at a time when it really could use your help. If you have a gardening neighbour then you can rely on them to take care of your garden while you’re away, but if you don’t and don’t want to come home to dead plants, weeds and giant marrows then there are a few things you can do to prepare your garden for your absence.

Header image: TheOldBarnDoor/Shutterstock.com

Emma White, University of Surrey and Sarah Golding, University of Surrey

Magnitude.io are preparing for their next space plant mission to the International Space Station (ExoLab-8), and are recruiting a real-life teacher to join the mission in virtual form. That teacher’s Bitmoji will serve as the @astro_moji mission specialist. So if you’re a Teacher, Educator, Librarian or Docent anywhere in the world, head over to the website for more details.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting to sprout green thumbs, we’re sure an idyllic green, well-kept, spacious garden is your common goal. Thankfully, this is easily achievable if you dedicate time to the hobby to enhance your gardening skills and create a stunning outdoor oasis in which you’re proud to spend time.

Your backyard is a place where you can go and unwind from daily stressors. There's nothing better than coming home from a long day at the office and spending some time reading or relaxing with a favorite beverage while taking advantage of the last few hours of sunlight.

We’ll soon be trading in lazy summer days for long nights of studying. So, it’s important to make sure you have a space to ease you into back-to-school season. There are lots to consider when setting up the perfect study area: you want a space that’s organized, helps you focus, and feels comfortable (and stylish) enough to sit around for hours.

Birds make a great addition to your garden, they’re great to look at and they’re useful as well. For instance, they will eat slugs, snails, aphids, insects and other well-known troublemakers.

The growing season might be in full swing, but there are still ways to upgrade your garden game. From keeping out unwanted pests (or pets) to building your own customized trellising and irrigation—it’s time to make your beds work smarter, not harder. We’ve got five ways to customize your planters this summer that will not only make things look fantastic, but will take your growing capabilities to the next level. Whether you choose to tackle them all or just add one to your list of weekend to-dos, I promise it will be a noticeable refresh with rewarding results. 

Sometimes as gardeners, we place all the emphasis on plants. However, a few well positioned ornaments and focal points can heighten the interest and drama within a garden.

Autumn may seem a strange time to start a gardening business but it is the time to focus on what you want to do. Get all your ducks (or seedlings) in a row and ensure you have the detail sorted and with that I include enough cash to see you through and chosen customer groups. How to Start Your Own Gardening Business An Insider Guide to Setting Yourself Up as a Professional Gardener is a useful tutorial if you want to set up a gardening business. I recommend you consider your aspirations and limitations carefully and either set up a ‘Life Style business’ or consider becoming a qualified, professional career gardener.

As gardeners mature they enter a purple patch in their life and potentially in the garden. Some of the best plants with purple or coppery coloured leaves take several years to mature like the notional gardener. Amongst the favourites must be the copper beech and the many Acers with reddish leaves.