There are so many benefits to gardening. It can be a therapeutic hobby. It can help you relax and get your mind off of the stresses of daily life. It also can provide you with some healthy food, and it gives a beautiful landscape that is just perfect for spending time in.

Flowers for the home are trendy for gardeners, and they love to grow them. They can be grown in small pots and placed on windowsills or inside rooms to brighten things up, or they can be grown outside.

Some flowers require a little more TLC than others. If you are looking for a low maintenance plant, look at succulents and cacti as these need little care as they are very self-sufficient (apart from a drop of water once in a while).

There are flowers available that need more care. If you are looking at making this a hobby,  Bonsi trees are ideal as they require regular pruning to grow.

If you haven’t heard of companion planting before, it is a handy technique for protecting your vegetables from pests by repelling them, attracting pollinators to help your vegetable flourish and also improving the soil with valuable nutrients.

Five Excellent Plants for Improving Your Vegetable Patch

1. Borage – a pollinator attracting herb that has edible flowers and leaves (good for salads, or iced beverages) and is best used for tomatoes, strawberries and squash.

2. Marigolds- an excellent pest deterrent (above and below ground) which are also edible, typically used in salads and dressings.

3. Nasturtium- deters pests, are an edible garnish or salad addition with a peppery flavour and best when paired with cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, potatoes, and brassicas.

4. Calendula- has edible flower petals and attracts pollinators and “good” bugs like green lacewings and ladybugs. Its sticky sap can trap unwanted pests like white flies, thrips and aphids.

5. Lavender- an excellent culinary herb which repels deer and cabbage moths but very attractive to pollinators.

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.

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.

Peonies look beautiful in borders or along low hedgerows. They are the ultimate summer flowers – delicate and pretty, they will complement anything else that you want to grow in your garden. Even after the blooms disappear, the green leaves will continue to look fresh and vibrant throughout the summer months.

You should plant peonies away from strong winds and harsh weather as they could get damaged. They will thrive in well-drained soil that is rich and fertile. If this doesn’t sound like your soil, add organic matter to make it more suitable.

Once your peonies have been planted, keep the soil well-watered and wait for the flowers to grow. The plants should be quite tough and won’t need huge amounts of looking after. They shouldn’t be too susceptible to diseases. If you only see ants on the plant, this is a good sign and the ants can actually be useful for your garden.

When you are buying items for your garden, it is so important that you get them from a reputable supplier. This will help to make sure that they stand the test of time and you don’t end up spending a lot of money just to be disappointed in your purchase.

This is especially important if you are buying items like turf, bulbs, flowers, trees or shrubs. It’s essential that these have been grown well so that they are healthy and ready to be planted. If you’re not careful, you could end up buying products that are mouldy or that don’t grow well in your garden. If is often hard to complain about these things, as it’s difficult to prove that they have been planted correctly and looked after in the right way.

Some of the best places to look are online, in garden centres and in depots belonging to local suppliers. You will be able to speak to them and see how well they know their products, as well as checking reviews to get an idea of quality.

It’s one thing to have beautiful flowers. It’s another to present them well and make them look stunning. This is a skill in itself, but you don’t need to be a trained florist to make sure your flowers look beautiful. Here are some things you should think about to get the most out of your flowers:

• What will they be used for? Are they purely to decorate a room, are they for an event or are they a gift? Think about the setting and how the types of flowers will fit in. For example, if you are choosing flowers for a bright room, maybe choose something like white roses or white lilies to make sure they don’t clash.
• How will you arrange them? If this isn’t a skill you have perfected, try watching an online tutorial. This can be a great way to pick up some tips and learn more about how to arrange flowers in no time at all. It might take a little while to get it right, but keep practising.
• How will your present the flowers? Some people prefer to simply be presented with a bouquet containing traditional flowers like freesias, peonies and sweetheart roses, whilst others prefer something more elaborate with ribbons, lace and other intricate additions.
• What will the flowers be in? Make sure if you are giving somebody flowers that you have got an appropriate vase for them, or if they won’t be going into a vase, know how you are going to tie and present the bouquet. If they are going to be used in a centrepiece or similar, consider the size of the flowers you are using.

Flowers will look beautiful in many different types of bouquet and presentation. Play around with some ideas and be as creative as you like – it would be difficult to go too far and ruin the natural beauty of flowers.

Many people now choose to order flowers online, which has its clear benefits. It’s quick, simple and means that you don’t have to take the time out to visit a florist in person. However, it can have its limitations and you should always be cautious. Here are some tips to follow if you decide that you want to order flowers online:

• Check reviews of the florist. Do they have a good customer service record? Do they charge reasonable prices? Have people been happy with the flowers they have received?
• Find out as much about the florist as you can. If you are able to, look at photos of their work. This should be quite simple if they have produced wedding bouquets – there will often be photographs on people’s blogs that are easily searchable.
• Look at the florists’ website. Look out for photographs of work they have done, as this shows that they are willing to go to lots of effort and are proud of what they do. If they have just used stock photographs, you won’t be able to get any real idea of their abilities.
• Be completely clear about what you want. If you love roses but hate peonies, make sure they know this. Tell them about your favourite flowers and colours, and if you can, perhaps even show them some photographs of bouquets and flower arrangements that you like.
• Tell the florist what the flowers are for. They will be able to choose flowers that are appropriate for the situation. For example, tulips and roses are often associated with love, whereas lilies are often used for funeral services.

Follow these tips to make sure you get beautiful flowers from online florists. You will be the recipient of a beautiful bouquet in no time at all.

Many people want to learn how to arrange flowers. It’s a popular hobby to take up, and it’s easy to see why – you will gain a great sense of satisfaction from creating something so beautiful. Flower arranging is even a part of many prestigious events, such as the Royal Horticultural Society shows:

We love getting stuck into the flower arranging at #RHSLondon Shades of Autumn with @HelenCranmerFD pic.twitter.com/8XNQpsYXmw

— The RHS (@The_RHS) October 28, 2016

If flower arranging is something that you would like to try your hand at, read on. We have put together some tips, covering the basics so that you can hit the ground running with your new hobby.

• This may sound obvious, but ensure that you have plenty of different vases to display your flowers in. It would be such a shame to create a beautiful bunch of flowers only to have nowhere to display them. Before you begin learning to arrange flowers, invest in a selection of vases, including vases of different colours as well as varying shapes and sizes.
• Work with what is seasonal. Don’t go out of your way to source flowers that aren’t widely available at a particular time of year. Even if you do manage to find any, they probably won’t be of as high a quality.
• Look at as many flower arrangements as you can. This is a rather pleasant part of the learning process – you get to peruse lots of lovely flowers and can enjoy displaying them in your home.
• Attend a class. This is perhaps the best way for you to learn, as you’ll be able to observe the experts and get your information directly from them. You will learn lots of new techniques and will be able to get feedback directly on your designs.

A dear friend asked to put together some ideas for her wedding next September. The theme will have white and pink flowers and decorations as she loves anything that is pink! (like most of us!)

Romantic Pink

Powerful Red

Fresh Blue