Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Written in United Kingdom

Can my garden provide natural food for the birds?

As the seasons change and the leaves fall the skeleton of our gardens comes alive with the sound and movement of garden birds. And it’s beautiful. Spend some time in the garden and really tune in to the birds. You might be amazed at what you find. Some birds arrive from far distant shores to […]

Written in United Kingdom

Boxing clever

Cardboard is one waste problem that’s actually a solution, with a host of labour-saving, cost-cutting, earth-friendly uses in your garden and greenhouse. Brown, bulky, boring and super-abundant: if there’s one thing we’ve not been short of during these tough and trying pandemic months, it’s cardboard. Booming local deliveries, click-and-collect services, and online buying generally have […]

Written in United Kingdom

Free seeds in every fruit

Often the most rewarding greenhouse will be one you’ve filled with plants you’ve grown from seed. It’s that personal connection, you’ve known them at each stage, rather like your own children. And if you have children little will give them such an appreciation of nature as growing plants from seeds in fruits they’ve eaten. There […]

Written in United Kingdom

Blooms with benefits

Sun’s up: as summer fades, these solar-powered stalwarts reach their zenith.   Sunflowers are my September saviours. As autumn starts to win the tug of love with summer, I’m drawn to these tall, slightly improbable-looking, reach-for-the-sky flowers every bit as much as the clouds of bees, drone flies, hoverflies and pristine red admiral imagos. These tough, […]