National Gardening Week: Pass The Secateurs!


National Gardening Week

It’s National Gardening Week, which is something I’m definitely enthusiastic about! I’m a recent convert to the world of compost secateurs, top-dressing and spending a fortune in Dobbies.

But I can’t emphasise enough how much I love it.

Friday night now means Monty Don, and Saturdays are spent weeding . . . and buying more plants!

Here at the “Friend” we’re lucky enough to have access to our wonderful Archives. And no matter how far back you go, our gardening advice has always been sound.

Learn the basics and have a little bit of patience, that’s our motto. Plus, expect to have a few failures along the way!

We have a wealth of gardening features here on our website, so even the novice gardener will have help at their fingertips.

If You Want Me I’ll Be In The Garden!

I’ve also found fellow gardeners to be the most helpful and supportive people around, and they can always help you with a green-fingered problem.

They’re very generous, too — with cuttings, bulbs and spare liquid seaweed (a must-have) handed over willingly.

I don’t even mind all the weeding; what else gives you such instant results? You normally have to have huge amounts of patience as you wait to for things to grow . . . or not grow, as the case may be!

So yes, I’m happiest when my hands are in soil and when I’m welling up at the thought of Jim McColl leaving The Beechgrove Garden.

If any of you can give me any tips on climbers that like shady areas, I’d be thrilled!

Tracey Steel

Having worked on a number of magazines over the years, Tracey has found her perfect place on The Friend as she’s obsessed with reading and never goes anywhere without a book! She reads all the PF stories with a mug of tea close by and usually a bit of strong cheese too!