More and more people are deciding not to buy new garden planters when they can simply repurpose or upcycle an item they already have lying around and turn it into something beautiful. This is a great way to get your creative juices flowing and also reduce waste.

Old tyres are a trending item to get creative with and turn into colourful and creative garden planters. They have been shaped and painted into graceful swans, vibrant peacocks, and elegant teacups!

Some examples of other items being used are old wellies, a chest of drawers, hollowed out logs, old chairs, chandeliers, plastic soda bottles, old steel drums, bicycles, kettles, broken clay pots and even old jeans!

It is incredible what a little imagination and a fresh bit of paint can do. If you find it hard to think of some ideas on your own, check out what others are doing online. There are so many incredible ideas out there, please try something new (or not so new in this case) and get repurposing!

Have you ever received a lovely bunch of flowers that you would love to keep for longer? You may be wondering if you can plant cut flowers and if they will grow roots. The good news is that you can generally plant most cut flowers. With some TLC and the right nutrients, they should grow roots.

To start you will need to act whilst the bouquet is still fresh. You will need a piece of the stem that contains two or three sets of leaf nodes, remove any flowers or leaves on the bottom nodes.

Dip the bottom of the stem in hormone powder which you can purchase from most garden centres. You will now need to plant your stem into a soilless mix such as half sand and half moss. You cannot plant into regular soil.

Place into a plastic bag and inflate slightly by blowing into it and tying with an elastic band, this will keep it moist until it has roots. Place in a warm location but not in direct sunlight and patiently wait for your stem to grow roots.

2020 has been the year for nude and dusty colours so far and it isn’t looking like this trend will be disappearing any time soon. So, what type of flowers can you place in your home to match your homes neutral interior.

If you are looking for pale pinks or light purples such as lilac then dusty pink roses, soft pink gerberas, or lavender tulips are great choices for you. These colours will look amazing paired with white or creamy flowers.

If you are looking for peachy or rusty shades of orange then Narcissi Vanilla Peach, or Dianthus Peach Party flowers will be a great option for you and a lovely addition to your home’s interior.
White and creamy flowers are the perfect addition to any home and in keeping with pretty much any interior colour scheme, opt for cream or white roses or orchids.

Stinging nettles are a tall growing weed which many gardeners are not fond of. Their tiny hairs can give quite a nasty sting which can quite a while. Although they are a difficult weed to remove there are a few ways to do the job.

Dig them up – this is by far the most effective method of removing them for good but will require some effort. You should always try and cut them back before they have had a chance to flower and set seed. Wear a good strong pair of gloves and make sure all of your arms and legs are covered by clothing to avoid nasty stings, you will need to dig up the whole root to try and prevent them from returning.

if you have struggles digging them up or aren’t capable of doing so you can choose to use a weed killer. You will need a strong weed killer which contains glyphosate – but be careful not only will this weed killer destroy your nettles it will also kill any other plant it comes into contact with. Make sure you protect any surrounding plants with plastic sheets.

Some gardeners get so frustrated with slugs and snails that they decide to buy high strength products in attempt to deter them. These products can be harmful for your plants as well as other insects and animals. There are lots of natural ways that you can try to keep slugs and snails at bay.

• Remove them by hand – although time consuming this is an effective method, just pick them up and move them at least 20 feet away from your plants.

• Add a layer of gravel or bark to beds – its more difficult for slugs and snails to slide on these surfaces. They also struggle to get around on dry hard soil, so you could also water plants in the morning, meaning it should be dry by the evening.

• Copper tape – when snails touch copper, their slime reacts in a way that they receive an uncomfortable but not deadly electrical shock.

A delivery service is one of those things that could be the icing on the cake in terms of your floristry business, however it needs to be something that is incredibly well executed if it is going to work for you. If you choose to offer a delivery service, it needs to be good value for money and it needs to be something that is quick and convenient for your customers.

If you are going to offer delivery, you will need to make sure you have the right infrastructure in place. The logistics of the service will be the main thing you need to account for – the actual quality of the flowers and bouquets will, no doubt, be just the same, as you as an expert florist. Make sure you either have delivery drivers available within your business, or you partner with a delivery service that offers you a good service and decent value for money.

Nothing is quite so festive as beautiful Christmas flowers. Brightening up your home with flowers during the festive season is a surefire way to make you feel more in the Christmas spirit, and to make your home look lovely if you are entertaining. There are some plants and flowers that are especially associated with Christmas and that will give your home a lift – here are some of the top ones:

• Christmas cactus. This type of cactus will flower around Christmas time, creating beautiful pink blooms all over the plant. It will look festive sat in your windowsill.
• Poinsettia. Few things are a festive as a poinsettia, with its vibrant read petals bringing in all the colours most associated with Christmas.
• Conifers. Real-life Christmas trees, conifers can be bought and grown in pots, or they can be planted in the garden. Keep your Christmas tree all year round with a green leafy conifer.

Cut flowers look stunning in your home and during particular seasons like spring and summer, there will be many popular types of flower available. You will be able to buy beautiful cut flowers from florists, supermarkets, corner shops… or you can even cut them yourself from your own garden. Here are some tips for keeping them in good condition:

1. Keep them out of direct sunlight. This will help to stop the water going cloudy , which helps the health of the flowers and just generally improves the appearance – nobody wants murky water in their home!
2. Use plant food. If you buy flowers from a shop they will usually come with some feed which you add to the water. If you cut your own, buy some feed from a shop.
3. Remove lower leaves. Cut them off to prevent them going slimy in the water.
4. Refill water regularly. Make sure your flowers are in plenty of clear water at all times.

Letterbox flowers are a new concept that is basically exactly as they sound – flowers that can come through the letterbox. This takes away the need for you to schedule your flower delivery perfectly, selecting the ideal time for a courier to deliver your carefully selected bouquet. It’s a wonderful new way for people to send flowers as a surprise gift to someone, without the hassle.

So how are the flowers actually sent? Each flower is wrapped up individually in netting, giving it perfect protection whilst in transit. You can often choose individual flowers to be packaged up together, or you can choose a standard bouquet. The flowers will then have to be arranged by the person receiving them, giving them creative freedom with their bunch of flowers. Most of the reputable letterbox flower companies will use flowers that are still in bud, meaning they are just coming out once they arrive and the recipient can enjoy their flowers for as long as possible.

Hyacinths are spring flowering bulbs that should be planted by the end of September. They can also be planted earlier and made to flower earlier if they are grown indoors. They will flower in March or April, depending on the weather conditions.

Hyacinths need to be planted in full sun, preferably in soil that drains well. They should be planted about 10cm deep in the soil. They will flower best in a year or two after planting, so don’t expect them to be the most long-standing flowers you can grow. If you want to keep them for as long as possible, remove the dead flower heads as soon as they turn brown and let the leaves remain.

Hyacinths will also grow well in containers. Combine the soil for the pots with grit and sand, and ensure there is good drainage. If you want to grow them indoors, make sure they are placed in the window with plenty of sunshine.