Firewood is a great material used to heat up your home, however storing the wood out of sight and in a spot which will preserve the wood can sometimes be a little tricky.

Keeping a small amount indoors for daily use is recommended but please keep the bulk of your firewood outdoors as the logs will contain bugs and insects.

Storage
The key to great firewood is air circulation as this enables the wood to stay dry. The most ideal storage spot for your firewood is either a specialist wood store or an open ended shed that allows you to stack your logs up off of the floor on a dry surface.
The main function of a wood store or shed is to store your firewood whilst it is seasoned. Successful seasoning requires the wood to be cut, split and exposed to sun and wind so that the wood can dry out.

Location
Plan where you would like your wood store or shed to be located in your garden. Try to find a spot that gives you easy access to your firewood. On the coldest darkest days in winter you will want to get to that wood very quickly and not have to trample across a wet and muddy lawn.

Keep your log store at least 30 feet from your home where possible as firewood attracts insects and bugs. If space is an issue and you do have to keep your wood store nearer to your home that’s ok but please make sure you allow a gap between the store and your house wall so that your logs  can have air circulating around them, this will prevent the wood from rotting.

Protection
Cover the log store with a protective cover during severe weather conditions and remember to remove it when the weather improves so that the sun can dry the wood and remove any moisture that may have seeped through.

Stack the largest pieces of wood at the bottom of the pile in level rows and make sure weight is balanced evenly across the storage unit to prevent tipping or an avalanche.

Good Luck

Gardener Jack

Now that the lawn mower is safely stored away for winter you still have a few mild weekends ahead to spend time preparing your vegetable boxes before it gets too cold to potter outside. Putting in the hours now will allow you to produce brilliant home grown vegetables in the months to come.
Start by sowing modules of seeds in a cold frame or greenhouse which can be planted as mini plants in a month or so time.  A cold frame is a fantastic item that protects your plants and seedlings from cold weather and frost. If you do not have either a cold frame or green house you can sow your vegetable seeds instantly outside as long as you cover them with fleece or perforated polythene. Remember to protect your young plants from pesky bugs within the garden that will try to eat your vegetables before you can! Most slugs and snails will be hibernating at this time of year but some will still be around.

Top veggies to grow in the winter months:

• Broad Beans
  Autumn is a fantastic time to sow broad beans for one it prevents nutrients leaching through fallow soil which would cause the structure of your growing beans to deteriorate.  Numerous other benefits of sowing in the autumn instead of the spring include your crops being ready to eat a month early than spring crop and also they do not suffer from black fly.To ensure that your crops don’t suffer if they grow to tall in the winter and suffer from exposure to winds use canes or sticks and string to secure your plants. Super Aquadulce and Aquadulce Claudia are excellent varieties to plant now.

• Asparagus
  A common myth with Asparagus is that it is a hard crop to grow; this however is not the case as long as you keep your asparagus bed weed free. Asparagus can be planted out and grown during the autumn but do bear in mind it takes two years for this crop to be ready.

• Peas
  A great vegetable that is enjoyed so much more during the winter months! Start sowing the seeds towards the end of October. If you do sow your seeds directly into the ground plant them closely at about one inch apart. Plant in groups of three lines all 12 inches apart which will form thick rows.  To speed up germination put your pea seeds on to a wet kitchen towel and sow when the roots start to develop.
  Remember with this plant it’s not only the peas that you can enjoy….. pea shoots can be added into stir fry’s or salads and are absolutely delicious.

• Garlic
  Quite possibly the easiest autumn vegetable to grow! Firstly plant each individual clove 2.5 inches deep in light soil and a lot closer  to the surface if the soil is heavy (Regardless of your earths density the clove should always be at least one inch below the surface).

• Onions
  Be it red, white, yellow, spring onions or shallots, whichever your preference all can be grown at this time of the year. Electric is a good red set, Radar for yellow and Shakespeare for white. For Shallots try Jermor these can be planted now at the end of autumn or alternatively wait until December or January. Onions are a great crop to grow all year round as they store and preserve so well.

• Lettuce
  Really hardy varieties such as Meraviglia d’Inverno San Martino can be grown during late autumn. Sow your seeds under fleece or a perforated polythene sheet. Once established you will be able to pick leaves through the winter. Winter Gem is also a good variety that can be sown in a cold frame right through the winter until January.

• Spinach
  Riccio d’Asti and Merlo Nero are two varieties that can be sown until the end of October. One great advantage of sowing spinach in the autumn is that it reduces the chance of it bolting.

• Sugar snap peas
  Not commonly thought of for planting at this time of the year. Snow Pea Gigante Svizzero are a variety that will produce a small crop early next year if sown now.

• Spring Cabbage
  Plant each one 12 inches apart and earth up the soil around the stems after they have began to establish themselves in order to help protect them against the cold. In really cold or icy conditions fleece or cloches can help. Thin early plants for spring greens and then leave the rest to heart up.

Check out Jacks garden store for great greenhouses, vegetable boxes and cold frames to grow your winter veg!

Good luck

Gardener Jack

In summer your window boxes add an area of vibrant colours to the exterior of your house, however as winter draws closer and those flowers end for another season why not put your window boxes to some good use and grow winter salad to bring your veg patch to your own back door!

Not only does this put your box to some use but it also stops you having to battle the elements when harvesting your vegetable patch at the bottom of the garden. As the days begin to get colder and wetter, the idea of bagged salad from your local supermarket becomes increasingly attractive. Growing your own from a window box enables you to have your cake (or lettuce in this case) as it were and eat it too!

Not only is your own produce cheaper it is also 100% tastier and surprisingly easy to grow.

Because this time of year is wet once you have sown the lettuce seeds, the good old British weather does all of the work for you – watering your crops on a regular basis so all you need to do is harvest.

How to sow
Ensure that your window box has good drainage.
Once every six weeks sow a handful of seeds into your box.
Cover the box with cling film to enclose the moisture and ensure that your box is placed on a sunny window sill.

When to harvest
Allow each plant to reach about 4 inches before you start to cut.
Begin at one end of the box as by the time you have reached the other end new fresh leaves will have grown at your starting point. This should allow you to gain five or six good cuttings from the same stock.

What you can grow
Cress
Mustard leaves – Red frills, Red giant, Golden streaks
Chicory
Zuccherina di Trieste
Mixed salad leaves
Parsley
Bay
Rosemary

Check out our range of garden planters and raised vegetable planters in my store.

Good luck,

Gardener Jack

What is a Rain Chain?

A rain chain is an alternative to a traditional metal or plastic gutter downpipe. Originally from Japan rain chains are used in many gardens across the UK as an extremely decorative water feature that transports rainwater or other water from the guttering to the ground, into a basin a rain barrel for storage or even a drain!

Rain chains are essentially a chain of beautiful metal cups chained together with a hole in each bottom which form a pathway for water to flow. There are several different styles of rain chain currently available ranging from descending funnels or cups, descending flowers or the simplest type of chain which is the link chain which is a series of linked metal loops available in a whole variety of patterns.  Each type replaces most forms of guttering and allow you to watch what was once boring rainwater rhythmically dance and flow through each individual part of the rain chain from your rooftop to the ground. The sound that comes from this product is incredibly relaxing (even slightly hypnotic!)

They are usually made of thick copper, brass, aluminium or iron based materials and are very easy to install adding a touch of elegance to any garden.

A rain chain does not simply need to be used in replacement of guttering, why not create an original focal point by using a rain chain as the fountain entry to a stunning water feature like your pond or even a rain garden. This item will not only look good but will also help to move the water in your pond without the aid of a pump.

Installing

Rain chains are very easy to install, they come with hooks that fit into the gutter. The hook is shaped like an upside down letter V. You must hook this into the hole of the downspout. You need not fret over seals or leakages as rain chains are a cascading water feature.

If you are looking to purchase a rain chain do bear in mind that they are generally sold by the length so make sure you have your required measurements ready.

Gardener Jack

Wormeries are a box system that contain composting worms who devour your kitchen waste and newspapers, creating fantastic food for your indoor and outdoor plants.

Wormeries are an extremely easy, convenient and environmentally friendly way of recycling your kitchen waste and reducing the amount of rubbish you send to land fill. They also provide you with free compost!!

How does a wormery work?

A Wormery is divided into chambers, Tiger worms live in one of these chambers. Each day you simply deposit your kitchen waste into the bin and let the worms do the rest. The worms will feed on your waste and convert it into concentrated liquid feed and bi-rich organic compost. Tiger Worms are the most efficient type of worm, they spend their entire lives in dark, moist habitats. In your wormery they eat all of the waste produce you put into the wormery and convert this into liquid feed for your plants. Tiger worms are native to the UK and can often be found at the bottom of your garden in an old compost heap as this is their natural habitat.

What can I put into my Wormery?

• All organic food waste from your kitchen and garden.
• All fruit, vegetables, flowers and leaves.
• Teabags, Coffee grounds
• Egg shells
• Waste paper – newspaper, tissue, kitchen towels, card, cardboard.
• Twigs, grass cuttings

What to AVOID putting in your wormery

• All animal produce – meat, fish, dairy produce, fat, egg yolk and white
• Bread, Cake, Biscuits and pastry
• Any cooked food
• Faeces
• Plastics

What will my Wormery produce?

A rich, strong nutrient liquid feed which you will be able to dilute with water and then use as plant food for all of your garden flowers, shrubs, vegetables, lawn and also on the plants inside your home.

Your worms will be producing an organic compost out of your waste products!

Will a Wormery smell?

Thankfully, no. The worms consume your waste goods pretty pronto therefore eliminating any nasty whiffs. Make sure you buy a unit with a sealed lid – this also helps.

Where should my wormery be kept?

Ideally outdoors in the summer in a shady spot, then when winter arrives your wormery is best moved into your shed. The former is the ideal setting for your wormery, however, if you are unable to house your worms outdoors or in a shed do not worry. Your tiger worms are pretty sturdy little souls and if housing somewhere else is more convenient as long as you keep the wormery out of direct sunlight or freezing conditions you should be fine. Most people tend to keep their wormeries outside near to their back door, in the shed or garage or alternatively indoors in the kitchen or utility room.

When will I start seeing results?

The Wormery is an extremely quick and efficient production centre. Within 8 weeks you will see results and start receiving liquid plant feed.

A handful of waste will on average take 6-8 weeks to turn into compost. Some however like to wait until the whole wormery is nearly full before emptying the compost. If this is the case and you are planning to add food everyday it will take between 9-12 months for a bin full of organic compost.

Wormeries can be purchased online in our store, they range in size enabling you to purchase the one most suitable for the amount of waste your family has on a daily basis.

Happy Composting,

Gardener Jack