Tag Archives: butterflies

4 Benefits Of Growing Elderberry Trees

If you think of the elderberry as just a weed tree, think again. Apart from it’s health effects on the human body, elderberry can be useful in the garden too. So here are 4 benefits of growing elderberry trees. What is a Elderberry Tree? Members of the Adoxaceae family of plants, there are several different varieties of the sambucus tree. The most common is sambucus nigra European or black elderberry. It can grow up to 30 feet ( 9 metres) in height with white flowers turning to clusters of black berries. Some grow more as shrubs than trees but they… → Read More

Companion Planting Nettles

Most gardeners spend a considerable amount of time trying to eradicate nettles along with other weeds. It’s true that left to get out of control a small patch of nettles will eventually take over the plot. However companion planting nettles can be of great benefit to the organic grower. Companion Planting Nettles Nettles spread so rapidly due to their quick growing root system but if kept under control, they can be a worthwhile addition to the vegetable patch. Why Grow Nettles ? Many beneficial insects are attracted to a patch of stinging nettles including :- Ladybirds Bees Butterflies (Particularly the Red… → Read More

How To Attract Pollinators To Your Garden

As the EU decides to ban the use of neonicotinoids in all member states by the end of this year it is our job as gardeners to increase the depleting numbers of pollinators. So how to attract pollinators to your garden and why to attract pollinators to your garden? What Are Neonicotinoids? Neonicotinoids are a group of pesticides that have been used in the commercial farming industry since the early 1990s. Ironically they were developed as a “safer” solution to the problems caused by large scale, monocrop farming. They are a systematic pesticide and are absorbed by the whole of… → Read More

Gardeners friends

Whilst weeding the onion beds the other morning I noticed I was being shadowed by a robin, it’s a marvellous feeling to me, to be at one with nature. The robin knew that I was no threat to him and even if I was he wasn’t that close, but as I was turning the soil with a fork he was following on pecking any grubs that I exposed. That’s just fine by me as I grow organically so any help I can get to keep the pest population down is always welcome. Any way it got me thinking about othergardeners… → Read More