Our week that was: Fizz, flowers and a haircut!

This week is the first time this year when it has felt like summer has finally arrived. We’ve been out in T-shirts and the sky is still bright on our evening dog walks.

Drink

With the onset of long, warm, sunny days, we’ve started eating our evening meals al fresco. Outdoor This week, we discovered a delicious pink fizz; Castillo De Sierra Rosado Cava from Morrisons. It’s really dry with hints of strawberry and cherry… and best of all, it’s really affordable at just £5.99 per bottle. In fact, we like it so much, we’ve just returned to buy six more bottles – and we saved 25% for buying it in bulk, making it £4.49 each!

_{clockwise from top left: Welsh poppies, lilac, rose Korresia, red campion}

Flowers

Again, because of the warm weather (and preceding weeks of rainfall) our garden is suddenly blooming this week. The first of our roses, Korresia, is coming into flower.

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A post shared by RICHARD ✂️ WELSH CURL SPECIALIST (@cyrl_cymru)

Hair

For over 30 years, I didn’t go to the hairdresser… without having my hair cut. When we moved to Wales, I noticed that there’s a curly hair specialist in Aberystwyth town centre. After the end of lockdown, I contacted Richard – aka Cyrl Cymru – to make an appointment. He told me that his book was full and that he wouldn’t be taking any new clients for the rest of the year… that was more than 6 months away!

Anyway, he eventually contacted me to see if I was still interested in having my hair cut… I was! I’ve now been to him 3 times in the last 5 months, the condition of my hair gets better and better with each visit.

How to keep your garden clean and organised for a better growing experience

Transform your garden into a refreshing outdoor oasis with these simple tips for keeping it clean and organised. Discover how to maintain the perfect balance of lush greenery and relaxing ambiance that will invigorate your senses and soothe your soul. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned gardener, ensuring a well-maintained garden is crucial for optimal growth and aesthetic appeal. Follow these expert tips to keep your garden clean, organised and looking beautiful all year long. You could also purchase compost accelerator, which is made up of beneficial bacteria and nutrients to speed up decomposition.

Clean up debris

Transform your garden into a thriving outdoor haven by keeping it clean and free of debris. Leaves, branches and twigs may seem harmless, but they can attract harmful pests and diseases to your beloved plants. By regularly cleaning and removing dead or decaying plants, weeds and overgrown foliage, you can ensure a healthy and welcoming space for your garden to flourish. Don’t let clutter hold back your garden’s full potential – clean it up and let it thrive!

Install oil tanks

Declutter your garden while keeping it in top condition with oil tanks. These convenient storage units allow you to safely store fertilisers and chemicals away from your main outdoor areas. Protect your plants from soil erosion and insect pests while keeping everything you need for a thriving garden in one organised place. Trust oil tanks to simplify your gardening routine and beautify your outdoor space. Be sure to install oil tank containers to keep your garden healthy!

Watering system

Having an effective watering system is essential for keeping your garden clean and organised. Installing water butts and a proper irrigation system will ensure that all the plants get the required amount of water on a regular basis without having to water them every day manually. Moreover, it can help save water consumption by allowing you to adjust water pressure levels accordingly depending on your needs and requirements at any given time.

Mulching

Mulching is one of the most important aspects of keeping your garden clean and organised. It helps prevent weed growth by inhibiting light from reaching their roots while creating a protective layer around plant roots that keeps moisture in the soil during hot summer days. Furthermore, mulch acts as a natural fertiliser for plants by breaking down over time, providing vital nutrients that help keep them healthy and strong all year round.

Pruning & trimming

Regularly pruning and trimming plants helps keep them healthy while ensuring they do not grow too tall or wild out of control over time. Pruning allows you to shape trees into more aesthetically pleasing forms while removing dead branches or diseased sections before they spread throughout the entire tree trunk or stem, quickly causing serious damage over time if left unchecked properly in due time! Additionally, regular trimming helps promote good air circulation throughout the canopy, which prevents mould growth while increasing photosynthesis efficiency leading to higher yields!

Composting

Composting is another effective way of keeping your garden clean and organised whilst providing vital nutrients for plants at the same time! Compost helps improve soil structure making it easier for roots to penetrate deeper into subsoil layers allowing for better nutrient absorption over time! Additionally, compost attracts beneficial microorganisms such as earthworms whose activities aerate soils leading to improved drainage during wetter periods, thus helping reduce instances of plant diseases due to excessively wet conditions often experienced during rainy seasons!

Keeping your garden clean and organised is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and vibrant space. By following these steps, such as cleaning up debris, installing oil tanks, setting up watering systems, mulching plants regularly, pruning and trimming trees properly and composting to provide vital nutrients for the soil; you can easily ensure that your garden remains neat and tidy year-round while providing plenty of opportunities for growth! With just a few simple steps you can keep your outdoor oasis looking its best while enjoying it at its fullest potential.

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Modernise your garden – 6 simple ways to revamp your outdoor space

Your garden may need an update with its outdated look and layout; why not modernise it? Just a few minor adjustments can transform it into an inviting outdoor space you can be proud to show off! In this post, we share six effective strategies to modernise your garden and refresh it for yourself.

Add statement pieces

One way to modernise your garden is by adding stand-out pieces of art. Statement sculptures, show-stopping water features or geometric planters can make your outdoor space look contemporary, while unconventional art installations add individuality to the garden. Statuary and outdoor art can often be found locally or online – make sure the pieces complement your plot’s overall appearance and atmosphere!

Are you tired of ageing garden furniture?

Is the current garden furniture you own outdated, dilapidated or in need of repair? Then it may be time to invest in new, more contemporary pieces. For example, sleek metal chairs, teak tables or black bamboo benches would look fabulous when added to modern garden décor; try combining indoor furniture with outdoor pieces for sophisticated spaces or lay outdoor rugs to add elegance to the seating arrangement.

Experiment with outdoor lighting

Lighting in your garden, courtyard or patio space can make a noticeable difference when the sun goes down, especially in visual appeal and ambience. So why not experiment with external lighting by adding strings of festoon lights, solar-powered lamps or chandeliers as gorgeous decorations that subtly glow off ambient outdoor lighting for instant mood enhancement and modern beauty in your space?

Add contemporary plants

Introducing greenery into your garden landscape can make all the difference when it comes to modernising it. Select plants with architectural characteristics, such as lush ferns, bamboo and cacti for a distinctive yet contemporary aesthetic in your garden landscape. Climbing and hanging plants add more than greenery – they also help create an intimate setting. Make sure you select plants suitable for outdoor conditions and those which will thrive within their respective growing zone.

Rearrange garden layout

Arranging the landscape of your garden can be an effective and straightforward way to modernise and declutter its appearance. For example, consider straight lines and gravel around planting beds or walkways to make it appear cleaner and simpler; creating a minimalist garden will increase its serenity; for something different, try adding curves – they add movement while remaining graceful!

Inject your own personal touch

Give it an individualistic flair by adding touches of your own with art pieces of your own, customising furniture pieces or designing planters tailored explicitly for your plants. These details all contribute to making your garden unique! Need additional ideas? Visit https://www.moderngardenrooms.com/ for unique and stylish garden rooms designed to fit in perfectly with modern home gardens.

Modernising a garden offers numerous ways. Small changes, like adding statement planters or contemporary furniture, can instantly give your outdoor space an updated aesthetic. Experimentation and personalising elements will make it your ideal haven in no time! With these six tips, you can turn any old garden into a chic contemporary space in no time.

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Price Points: Bulb planters

I’ve been itching to get out into the garden and get the soil between my fingers. It feels as though winter has gone on forever this year!

April and May are the recommended months for planting summer and autumn-flowering bulbs; blooms such as agapanthus, alliums, anemones, begonias, cannas, crocosmia, dahlias, eucomis, freesias, gladioli, lilies, nerines and peonies.

I planted a number of daffodils and narcissi at the front of the cottage when we first moved in, but I want to plant lots more. The earth in most of the garden is well drained and easy to work. At the front of the house it is much harder and more compacted – making holes to plant bulbs is a laborious job. A bulb planter would make the task somewhat easier. A long handled one would be my favoured option – less stress on the back. Check out the bulb planters we’ve short-listed.

Bulb planter: £5.05, B&Q
Kent and Stowe stainless steel long handled bulb planter: £32.99, Crocus
Sneeboer timber bulb planter: £119.95, Harrod Horticultural

shop bulb planters

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