Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Planting a hedge is a great way of creating a boundary, whether it be around the edge of your land, or, between you and your neighbour, or even as a decorative division between different parts of your garden. Box hedges, as shown below, are very easy to plant and maintain, and can be trimmed to stay small for a more a decorative option, or allowed to grow much higher in order to create a larger boundary feature. read more »

Growing lettuce is a great idea for any vegetable garden, and with some good planning you can provide lettuce for your family all summer and into autumn. There are plenty of options in terms of choice – some of my favourites include ‘cut and come again’ varieties that you harvest after just four weeks. You can simply pull single leaves from each lettuce as required, or cut a plant 3cm above the base and let it sprout again. The lettuce just keeps on growing! read more »

Growing fruit often comes second place to growing vegetables, in many gardens, why? – well I think a lot of people feel that growing fruit may be tricky, or that crops can often be disappointing in relation to the outlay and effort put into cultivation. In response to this, I would say that in recent years, suppliers have done a lot to produce what are effectively “easy grow” options, and never before has so much advice been available, whether in books or free online. read more »

Growing peas is yet another great option for your garden. You do need to be a little careful about the time of year you sow, but in general, peas are very straightforward to plant and look after. A good idea, in small gardens, is to sow peas in ground that can afterwards be used for salad, leeks, or cabbage. Also be aware that peas need plenty of water to thrive. read more »

Planting hanging baskets does require a bit of ‘technique’ as producing a great display will not only be reliant on choosing the right plants, but also how you arrange them in the basket. Hanging baskets come in many different sizes, and even the smaller options are surprisingly heavy. Therefore, be aware that after the planting has been done, they must be hung from a very well fixed bracket. The sequence below, shows a straightforward, and very effective technique for planting hanging baskets. read more »