News & Updates

Gardening tips, ideas and inspiration for home gardeners.

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20-year research project reveals devastating loss of British & Irish flora
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

20-year research project reveals devastating loss of British & Irish flora

Thousands of botanists from the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI)1 have spent the last twenty years collecting data on changes in the British and Irish flora. The results have now been published in Plant Atlas 2020 and four main trends have emerged since the 1950s:

53% of our native plants2 such as Heather and Harebell have declined in Britain due to human impacts such as agricultural intensification and climate change

non-native plants now outnumber native plants in the wild – this startling discovery has huge implications for the insects and other species that depend on our native plants

many non-native species are benign but some such as New Zealand Pigmyweed and Sitka Spruce have become invasive, disrupting ecosystem function and outcompeting native species

many montane plants have declined due to climate change whereas some southern species such as Bee Orchid have benefited and spread further north

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The Bonnie Gardener on YouTube
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

The Bonnie Gardener on YouTube

At the start of lockdown I didn’t know if I’d be allowed to work, so I took time off while I waited for the government to announce what would and wouldn’t be permitted.

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Book review: The Secret Lives of Garden Bees, by Jean Vernon
Nicola Todd-Macnaughton Nicola Todd-Macnaughton

Book review: The Secret Lives of Garden Bees, by Jean Vernon

Nobody loves bees more than gardeners. These valuable creatures pollinate so many of our flower and food crops, and it is devastating to read press articles about their marked decline and the role that humans play in that by using pesticides, insecticides and destroying natural landscapes such as hedgerows and wild flower meadows.

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Rose lip balm recipe
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Rose lip balm recipe

“To raise the spirits and cheer the heart”. According to Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, that is what rose was traditionally used for in the context of herbs for health.

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Square foot gardening and conserving Scotland
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Square foot gardening and conserving Scotland

At the start of the year I was contacted by a company called Highland Titles – they aim to manage, improve and conserve areas of Scotland through land management, strategic partnerships and education at their nature reserves.

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Haramaki – the key to staying warm while gardening
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Haramaki – the key to staying warm while gardening

Anyone who knows me is well aware of how badly I feel the cold. Winter is obviously the worst season but even a cold and wet day in late Spring or early Summer is enough to make my fingers and toes turn white and a bit numb!

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Infographic – grow your own herbs
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Infographic – grow your own herbs

Fresh herbs are a great way to add flavour to meals and they are easy to grow from seed at home. Now is the time to sow seeds of lots of culinary herbs including basil, rosemary and thyme.

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Edible Gardening Guide for Beginners
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Edible Gardening Guide for Beginners

Gardening is a fantastic past time and spending time outdoors is a great way to keep mind, body and soul in great shape. Planting from scratch is incredibly rewarding and you’ll be treated to a riot of colour in your garden come summer.

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Scotland’s gardens open to the public
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Scotland’s gardens open to the public

Plantaholics, wildlife lovers and grow-your-own newbies are in for a treat this year as over 450 gardens open to the public for Scotland’s Gardens Scheme to help raise money for charity.

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Caring for wild birds in Winter – infographic
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Caring for wild birds in Winter – infographic

Winter can be a hard time for wild birds, particularly when the ground is frozen. Food is often in short supply and they need to eat plenty to keep up their reserves to stay warm.

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Guide to companion planting
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Guide to companion planting

Companion planting is a subject which has always interested me since I first started gardening in an allotment. Whether you plant onions with carrots to prevent carrot fly or nasturtiums with courgettes to encourage pollination, it makes far more sense to plant in a natural way than to use chemicals and other unnatural deterrents to ensure your crops thrive.

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Staying warm for Winter
The Bonnie Gardener The Bonnie Gardener

Staying warm for Winter

When it gets to late Autumn in Scotland the cold temperatures dip and start to bother me, but never enough to put me off gardening.

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Neonics and how they’re killing our bees
Paul J Paul J

Neonics and how they’re killing our bees

Any gardener worth their salt knows the importance of bees, and there’s something heartening about seeing them buzzing around the garden helping flowers and plants pollinate far and wide.

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