New lines today at John Lewis

Maglite Mini AA Cell Torch, Black £13.00
Mini Maglite torch with high-intensity adjustable light beam. Its tough machined aluminum construction makes it at home in the rain, wind and snow. Features freestanding candle mode – perfect for reading in your tent. Comes with case and spare bulb.

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Reduced products at Crocus

yarrow was £6.99 now £4.99
Position: full sunSoil: moist, well-drainedRate of Growth: fast-growingFlowering period: July to SeptemberFlowers: pinky-redOther features: fern-like leavesHardiness: fully hardyA German hybrid, which is named after, and has the same colour as the sandstone found beside the Wesser river. The pinky-red flowers emerge from bud and age to a light dusty rose or even cream. It is a shorter variety, that has a long flowering period, and this can be extended even further by removing the faded blooms. Like all the achilleas, the flowers are irresistible to butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects. Perfect for a cottage garden.Garden care: Achilleas do not like wet soil, especially in winter. Stake if necessary using bamboo canes or brushwood before the flowers appear. Cut down to the ground in late winter, but resist the urge to do this earlier, as the seed heads look lovely in the winter light. Pull out seedlings as they appear, as they rarely match the parent plant. Lift and divide large clumps in late autumn or early spring.

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New items today at Crocus

amaryllis £8.99
Position: bright but not in full sunSoil: good quality potting compostFlowering period: September to DecemberFlower colour: dark maroonOther features: knock-out flowersHardiness: frost tenderA stunning amaryllis with deep velvety, dark maroon flowers with darker centres. An easy-to-grow indoor plant that will produce at least two stems of large flowers and will come back year after year. It also makes a wonderful gift too.Bulb Size: 26/28 General care: Fill a pot with good quality potting compost, setting the bulb in the compost so that the top two thirds are exposed. Water the compost only when the surface is dry, watering too much just after potting can cause the bulb to rot. Keep the plant in a sunny spot, though not direct sun and rotate the plant so as to avoid the flower stalk leaning towards the light.Once flowering has finished cut off the flower stalk 5-10cm above the bulb – don't cut off the foliage. Water when the surface of the compost is dry and feed regularly with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Usually the best thing to do is keep watering it through the summer and in autumn stop watering and move to a dark, dim spot. This stimulates the drought season of the plant’s native South America. Allow it to dry out for a few months so that the foliage wilts and dies back. In November bring it back in to the light and start watering again. Old foliage should be removed though take care not to cut any new shoots off. In a few weeks a new flower shoot will appear and flower just in time for Christmas.

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New products added today at RawGarden

Rawgarden Darwin Garden Bench 1800mm – FSC 100% £239.99
Rawgarden Darwin Garden Bench 1800mm – SA-COC-002234

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It’s such a strange little phrase isn’t it: plug plants… don’t imagine a black sink plug growing in your garden though.
Jersey plants direct have some of the prettiest plants you could hope to have flowering in your garden this winter and they’re all available now and with each set of plants you get some free!
Bargain plug plants from Jersey Plants Direct
These offers are currently being advertised in the papers so hurry to buy yours before these very popular offers sell out. They offer outstanding value with some less than 7p a plant
Pansy Can Can 50 Plants +20 FREE
£9.99
Pansy Grande Fragrance 100 Plants +60 FREE
£9.99
Pansy Can Can 100 Plants +60 FREE
£9.99
Wallflower Fortune 100 Plants +60 FREE
£9.99
Wallflower Fortune 50 Plants +20 FREE
£9.99
Primrose Rosebud 50 Plants +20 FREE
£9.99

Loads of new lines today at Gardening Direct

Family Plot Collection £149.95
Designed for an area measuring 20x30ft, this collection contains 27 different varieties of vegetable that will be sent out at the right times of the year for planting. These varieties have been carefully selected to ensure that you will have fresh vegetables ready to harvest throughout the year. Collection includes: 6 Broad Bean Aquadulce, 12 Broccoli Marathon, 12 Broccoli Purple Sprouting, 12 Cabbage Celtic, 12 Cabbage Durham Early, 12 Cabbage Dutchy, 12 Cabbage Primo, 20 Carrot Paris Market Baron, 12 Cauliflower Madallion, 12 Cauliflower Igloo, 6 Courgette Collection, 6 Cucumber Green Fingers, 6 Cucumber Marketmore, 3 French Garlic Christo, 6 Leek Bandit, 20 Lettuce Little Gem, 20 Lettuce Mixed Baby Leaves, 20 Red Salad Bowl, 20 Lettuce Tom Thumb, 20 Pea Dwarf Sugar Snap, 10 Potato Carlingford, 6 Runner Bean Streamline, 20 Spinach Perpetual, 20 Spring Onion White Lisbon, 6 Squash Waltham Butternut, 6 Sweet Pepper Collection, 12 Tomato Collection.

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I did look at growing this on my allotment this year but found time had slipped away and I missed out on ordering any. It’s not too early to order for next year though and there are three main varieties that thompson and morgan sell in the UK
Sweet Potato varieties at thompson and morgan
Sweet Potato T65 – Demand has increased year on year over the past 3 years as gardeners find that growing a successful crop of sweet potatoes is rewarding and satisfying. Although considered a tropical plant it performs well in our climate, outdoors ideally through black plastic or in large containers under glass.
Beauregard Improved – Introduced from a virus free clone last season and was phenomenally popular as this is similar to the tubers on supermarket shelves. Tubers tend to be smaller than T65 but have that distinctive salmon orange flesh with a sweeter more pronounced flavour.
Georgia Jet – This was a limited trial offer in 2007, again from virus free clones, to make a vigorous, healthy plant. Flesh is more deep orange colour of excellent flavour. Early maturing and good cropper, reliable all over the UK.

Sweet potatoes can be cooked just like potatoes can – they are delicious baked and can be roast too. They make a fantastic risotto and can be used as a vegetable too. I like to roast them and then spoon out the delicious soft insides onto the plates. They are very easy to cook and as they can be quite expensive in the supermarket it is a good project to grow them. A mild sweet taste almosty a cross between a carrot and a potato with a fantastic colour.

New products added today at Garden Buildings Direct

Log Cabin Billyoh Frontier ‘Seattle’ 12′ x 12′ £1799.95
This Log Cabin is one of our own Log Cabin range. This Log Cabin made in the UK. The Billyoh Frontier ‘Seattle’ Log Cabin high quality, double door and top opening windows. The BillyOh Frontier ‘Seattle’ Log Cabin sturdy Tongue and Groove interlocking boards. Substantial 28mm Walls. Full fixing kit, felt and comprehensive assembly instructions are included.

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We have a problem in our garden when we feed the birds. Word has got round amongst the birds that there’s a lot of nice food put out so lots of pigeons have started turning up. At the peak there were 24 hungry pigeons looking for a meal. That many is just unhygenic and too much so we’ve stopped feeding the birds spare bread now and it’s having to go either in the bin or if you put it out later in the day only the magpies stop by for a snack.
I tried putting the food on the bird table as this is quite low and they can’t get on it, but one discovered a way and then threw all the bread off.
I’ve just seen this bird feeder though that looks like the perfect anti-pigeon feeder!
Bread & Apple Feeder Duo (Wildlife Products)



This feeder fits a slice of bread and allows little birds to feed but will not allow the bigger birds to have any!

Fantastic – and it’s got an apple feeder too which will allow birds to peck away at apples you put out for them too without the slugs and pigeons having a go at it too!

There are two types of artichoke – globe and jerusalem. They are both available online at Thompson and morgan.
Artichokes – globe and jerusalem
A globe artichoke grows it’s edible part above ground and the jerusalem grows underground.
They are both impressive plants though with different features.
Jerusalem artichokes are notoriously easy. If you can’t grow these then you should give up gardening.
They grow into tall plants with tubers forming underground. The biggest challenge to a gardener is to dig them all up at the end of the season. Although most gardeners leave a few in for next year’s crop as there’s bound to be some missed whether you like it or not, so growing them in the same spot saves effort!

They are a nutty flavoured potato but harder to peel. Boiled and mashed they make for an interesting substitute and can be fried too and added to dishes as you could do potatoes.
Globe Artichokes are pretty plants with the globe edible bit appearionh like a jurrassic flower with giant chunky petals. If you don’t pick them they turn into thistle type flowers which also look quite nice.


This is the globe artichoke.
It is a magificent plant that you could easily grow in an ornamental or cottage garden without it looking at all out of place.
It’s a delicious treat to eat and you will find full preparation instructions easily for it, although it’s not complicated as you basically cut out the middle “choke” bit and eat the leaves but not the point!


This is the tuber artichoke. There are three varieties of this. An original which is roundest and easiest to peel, Chinese and Fuseau.
Whichever you grow you will enjoy the experience as they are both interesting plants to grow and eat.
Perhaps planting the tuber artichokes in a dull bit of your garden and watching them fill it with growth would be fun and of course with the easy gardening bonus of a crop with virtually no effort apart from planting them.