It’s the ideal time to get outdoors and start planting your annually-blooming flowers. We’re talking Sunflowers, Poppies, Pansies, Bizzie Lizzies, Marigolds, Zinnias and Begonias! They’ll brighten up your garden and, even if it’s not the hottest day ever, make it seem a little less gloomy than it is.

Today is a lovely day here at the G2U HQ; sun is out… sort of… not a cloud in sight! Unless you look out the window… No! It’s quite a nice day, enough to get outside anyway. We might even plant our Stripy Giant Sunflowers today that we gave away for FREE a few weeks ago. Have any of you sown yours yet? How are you getting on?

One thing a lot of people forget is that Gardening is not just a hobby, not just something you do if there’s nothing on the telly. It doesn’t just make your garden look a little bit nicer and a little bit brighter. It is fantastic for the environment too! Plants are part of a huge ecosystem which includes bugs, birds, more plants and even us humans. Without plants we could literally not survive, so get outside and save the world! Okay, it’s not quite that dramatic, but studies do suggest that marine greenery produces up to 70% or the worlds oxygen, the rest created by land plants.

So how can you help?

Well, just by planting a few species of flower in your garden, whatever they might be, you can help keep things healthy. Not only that, but you’ll also have found yourself a new hobby each year, and each evening when you’re outside watering and weeding. Gardening is relaxing, it’s good for the soul.

So! If you don’t want to get into your garden and sort out that Winter’s mess now… when will you?!

See you outside!

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We guess not. That means hundreds of plants withering in the heat, reduced to crispy brown remnants of their former glory. So what can you do to keep your plants going? We’ve put together some useful tips for you to keep that garden blooming, even without constant watering.

• First of all, try to collect rainwater as often as possible to prevent the need to tap into precious tap water.

  You can buy simple Water Butts which either attach to your guttering or have a funnel in the top. You can pick these up from most outdoor retailers, garden centres and some councils supply them for free. Check with your to find out.

• Rainwater is better for your garden!

  Drinking water/tap water has been treated and all its chemicals and garden-friendly nutrients removed for general consumption by humans, so using the natural version falling from the sky might help your garden to flourish and grow more lavishly than it would have before.

• Don’t overwater!

  Avid gardener’s will already know this, but too much water can damage plants. They can drown in the same way as any other living thing, so only water them when they look like they need it. Again, rainwater will replenish your plants for longer, meaning less regular watering.

Follow these tips and your garden should be as good as new, albeit without as much water as you might like.

Just remember: stick to the hosepipe ban and who knows; we might not have one next time year!

The question is.. who can grow the tallest sunflower?

1ST PRIZE!
£100 to spend at Gardens2you

3 Runners Up!
£50 each to spend at Gardens2you

Firstly grow the special seeds from gardens2you.co.uk
When you think your sunflower is tall enough – Take a photo and measure it from soil to the highest point!
and upload it to our wall at www.facebook.com/gardens2you 9 don’t forget to include the height in your post!

or email it to us at
competitions@gardens2you.co.uk your name, age, phone number and sunflower height.

The rules
In order to qualify you must include:

the whole sunflower in your photo
the person who grew it holding the sign sign that was sent with the seeds
Your sunflower must be grown in 2012 using the special gardens2you seeds only.

You can be any age to enter the competition but you have to be a resident within the UK
Failure to comply with any of the rules may result in your entry being disqualified.
By entering this competition you agree for your photo and name to be used on gardens2you’s facebook page and gardens2you.co.uk

Closing date for entries is 20th September 2012 (23:59:59 gmt)
Winner Announced on 27th September via Facebook.com/gardens2you & Gardens2you.co.uk

www.gardens2you.co.uk offers a unique range of ornaments & accessories for your garden delivered direct to your door.

Made from coloured resin this nosey man would look great hidden amongst plants & pots around the garden. He is also frost & weather resistant which makes him perfect to use outside!

Sure to bring a smile to your face everytime you see him!

From Sting In The Tail a UK based company, these gardening gift sets are perfect for garden lovers gifts. Each includes high quality items in great looking packaging so we know your going to love them!

One of our favourites at the moment is the Allotment Gift Kit, perfect for all the allotment lovers out there as growing your own is very popular at the moment this will make a great gift idea.

Great Gift Idea This Allotment Gift Set Is Perfect For Growing Your Own Lovers!

Check out our full range of Gardeners Gift Ideas in store for some helpful ideas for thouse hard to buy for people!

Windowsill Tea Cup Planter In Yellow Only £5.99

Check out these great new Tea Cup planters that have just arrived in store, ideal for windowsill herbs! They come in four colours, yellow, blue, cream & green and come complete with their own saucers.

Perfect for windowsills these planters would make a great gift idea!

We stock a great & unique collection of garden Planters & baskets in store so check our full range out for inspirational ideas.

When we started the garden we bought to many different plants for it, but this certainly helped sort out what was going to survive. You see the problem with being all the way on the fourth floor is that it’s very windy and this quickly dries out plants in pots, it’s hard enough sometimes keep pots watered in a normal garden but with the extra height this adds a new dimension to it. You will find even in Winter that the pots can easily dry out and this is what damages the plants and quickly.

Use a more soil like compost in your pots is a very good start, general multipurpose compost just dries out to quickly. Use saucers under the pots as this helps to hold water better and ideally don’t use terracotta pots, these soak up as much water as the compost!

What plants work then? Well we tried growing tomato plants and they turned into monsters, it was like Little Shop of Horrors and it happened over night! We grew them up against a wall and the loved it as it was nice and warm. Great you would think, but you would be wrong as I seemed to spend every waking hour watering them and then the fruit didn’t quite form properly because they were still to dry! Avoid any veg plant unless you have lots and lots of time!

The best plants have to be box plants, they are tough look great all year and don’t need quite as much care and watering. Also ferns have been doing well, ones that like dry conditions such as Dryopteris types, as long as you have a shady spot. Grasses to having been thriving well, but you do need to keep watering them well.

Now my favorite plants for roof gardens have to be Sempervivums or house leeks, great, tough plants that will cope with any amount of neglect you can throw at them…they also produce babies to so you will have a never ending supply!

Other top plants have to be anything with silver leaves such as Lavenders, if a plant has a silver leaf it is more than likely used to growing in hot, dry conditions so they will tolerate being dry from time to time.

There is one plant I have to say no to and that is Bamboo, it seems to show up in lots of roof gardens that I have seen, however it is mostly dead! This is due to Bamboo needing lots and lots of water as they become pot bound very quickly so avoid!

Our Top Pick Gnome, We Love This Guy For His Cheeky Good Looks!

Our gnome collection of garden ornaments has always been popular with our customers so we have some fantastic new designs just arrived in store! We have been very busy moving to a bigger warehouse & office space and taking on more staff to make sure we offer you the best range and also the best service possible.

We love garden Gnomes as ornaments, they add a touch of fun to the garden! Did you know they are banned for sale and display at RHS shows such as The Chelsea Flower Show!!! We can’t believe this, but then it is their loss and our gain!

Check out some of our new gnomes that have just arrived!

New In This Gardening Gnome On A Stick Is Only £3.99!

Good Enough To Eat These Gnomes Will Look Great In Your Garden!Our Top Pick Gnome, We Love This Gnome For His Cheeky Looks!

Our favourite range has to be the ‘Bean’ range with such fun & popular cards as ‘Happy Birthday Old Bean’ and ‘I’ve Bean Drinking’. These cards are great for garden lovers but they have so many different designs you are sure to find something to suit the occasion!

We are also stocking a great range of magnets, pads and aprons all ideal gifts and can be found in our Gardeners Gifts section of the site.

We have ‘Bean’ enjoying these cards for a while so we hope you like them to!

It has a heart shaped centre made in metal with a bronze colouring to it, in the centre of the heart there is a red coloured glass tea light holder and then to add to the look of the holder there is some red detailing in the chain.

When we exhibit at shows this is always one of our best sellers but it won’t be available for much longer so if you want it snap it up now!

Hanging heart shaped tea light holder with red holder only £7.99

Modern Gnome For The Garden Only £5.99

You have to have a gnome in your garden…honest! We don’t think any garden is complete without a garden Gnomeor two hanging around in the borders or on the patio.

It has a bad reputation but garden gnomes have come along a long way since sitting holding a fishing rod….we have some stylish designs from German designers in store now from only £4.99!

Also with the festive season on the way they make a great gift idea for garden lovers!

We have had a great response to these rocking birds when we have exhibited at events around the country & finally we have enough stock available to list these on the website!

We have a cockerel & crow design available & they balance on a stake which you can drive into the ground. The pendulum will then move the bird in the wind giving the illusion that it is pecking!

We think they are great & also brilliant value for money at only £19.99 each!

Top Tip: ideal to put in your veggie or fruit patch to scare away unwanted birdy visitors!

A metal rocking cockerel ornament for the garden

A metal rocking crow ornament for the garden