Bird feeders are super simple to create, and they offer an excellent food source for all our birds this winter. A lovely craft experience for you and any children within your family. Remember to take time after to look out and see what birds visit your feeder.

One bird feeder which you can make easily from your home is a recycled one. This involves using an old drink bottle which has been washed out. You will need to cut a few holes in this bottle which will be used by the birds to access the food. The two smaller holes at the top for some string so you can hang it. The all you will need to do is fill your bottle with plenty of birdseed or food and watch them come to have a fest.

You can also purchase sets which help you to create a wooden bird feeder. Following all the steps and then filling with birdseed or food.

Growing flowers from bulb is a wonderful journey to take as a gardener – from planting the bulbs, to watching them flourish year after year, the rewards involved are manifold. Flower bulbs UK need to be hardy and durable to survive in the varied UK weather conditions, but equally, you will want variety – there is no fun in growing a whole garden full of one particular flower type. The key is in finding a range of bulbs and flowers you can grow that will thrive in the UK climate, thanks to having a hardy enough temperament.

In the UK, it can be harder to find quality bulbs too, that will be ready to plant and will be high quality, ready to produce beautiful and hardy flowers and plants. There are many websites selling bulbs online which can make the process harder and muddy the water somewhat – how do you know if the website you are buying from will sell high quality bulbs? And how do you know if the bulbs will arrive well packed and undamaged? Finding a good gardening supplier is a great initial step to take and will make buying bulbs online much easier in the future.

If there is a particular type of flower that you know does well in your garden, then you might want to grow different varieties of it. This will allow you to have variety, thanks to the versatility of the flower species, and the different shapes and colours you can enjoy from the bulbs when they grow. Many flower species can fit the bill, including daffodils, lilies, roses and more. Tulips are also a beautiful and very popular option for this as they have so many different colours and varieties. Some of the most popular types of tulips include:

• Darwin hybrid tulips – a cross between May Flowering and Fosteriana Tulips, with beautiful results.
• Early double tulips – there are so many fascinating colours, and the flowers will produce neat and even growth for a very aesthetically pleasing flower.
• Early single tulip – these can be grown in exposed positions as well as indoors.
• Fosteriana tulip – these flowers have charm and beauty in abundance, flowering in March and April.
• Fringed tulip – a unique type of tulip with fringed flowers, rather than deeply cut flowers.
• Greigii tulips – these are distinctive, with mottled foliage and centres of contrasting colours that will open out in sunlight.
• Kaufmanniana tulips – waterlily tulips that flower in spring and, if left, will reproduce year after year.
• Lily flowered tulip – distinctive flowers that have pointed petals, rather than the usual, more rounded tulip flower.
• May flowering tulip – the quintessential tulip, available in a whole host of colours.
• Mid-season tulips – very good for growing in harsh weather.
• Multiflowered tulips – unusual flowers that look distinctly different, with several flowers per stem.
• Paeony flowered – with their close resemblance to peonies, these are often used as cut flowers.
• Parrot tulips – striking flowers that have crested petals, similar to fringed tulips.
• Species and viridiflora tulips – tulips that have a slight twist, with standard and yet distinctive appearances.

Winter time is not the perfect time for gardening. However, it is the perfect time to look after our garden wildlife. I am going to share with you some ways which you can look after wildlife in winter.

Shelter
One of the main ways you can help to look after and protect the wildlife is by offering them a shelter. Whether this be a bird house or an insect hotel. They will all be grateful for their added protection in the colder months.

Feeding
Remember to keep our wildlife feed. It does not take much, a handful of bird seed for the birds. Or leaving them out some freshwater to drink. This will help them to make it through the winter months.

Collect Leaves
Not one you will always think of but collect leaves and place these in a pile. Whether it be by the side of fences or under bushes. The mound of leaves can provide the perfect home for hedgehogs and insects of many kinds.

With regards to gardening, there is always a big debate between using seeds and bulbs. I’m going to give you some positives of them both today.

Seeds are an extremely good idea if you like to have a change of flowers every year. They allow you to change them as they do not regrow. You will be able to explore new flowers and designs every year. Seeds do however take a while to grow and will need a lot of care.

Bulbs are a good idea if you like a design and want to keep it. This is because they tend to flower yearly. You will be able to cut them and they should grow back the following year. This will also save you money as you do not need to buy new seeds or flowers every year.

Personally, I like to use a mixture of both. So we have flowers which come round yearly. As well as ones which we can change to see different styles.

Christmas Hyacinths are a beautiful addition,  These bulbs are best grown in a soil free compost.  They grow best in a cool shady spot in the garden.  Never allow the compost to dry out, so ensure they are regularly watered.  Once the shoot has started to grow and about 7cm in height you can replant into a lighter part of the garden where they should thrive.

Christmas Narcissi are a small daffodil which give a lovely splash of colour to any garden.  Plant mid October for a lovely display over Christmas and new year.  Daffodils are great bulbs to grow in almost any soil however they do prefer sunny positions and adding grit or sharp sand to assist drainage is advisable.

Adding Christmas bulbs to a flower pot on your patio area or by your front door is a great idea as these can be easily maintained without having to put on your wellies.

Growing flowers from bulb is popular with gardeners who want to see the complete lifecycle of a plan or flower. They can grow back year after year as well, giving you quality flowers that only get more beautiful with age.

If you have purchased bulbs, you need to know they are healthy and ready to plant if you want them to grow into strong and healthy flowers. The most important thing to do is to plant them at the right time of year. For example, daffodils grow in the spring, while begonias and freesias flower in the summer, so they will need to be planted at different times to accommodate this. Bulbs can be delicate too, so it’s important not to plant them when there is a chance of the ground freezing.

The bulbs themselves need to be high quality and shouldn’t show any signs of rotting, such as softness. Check them over visually before planting.