Jean Vernon

Making garden compost is easy. It is a process that goes on around us in nature, all we need to do is to harness the ingredients within our composter.

Not every garden boundary needs a fence or a trellis to delineate it. Sometimes you can use plants to create a soft screen between garden areas

Where would we be without worms? These soil dwelling creatures are responsible for soil health in our gardens. Without these wiggling creatures our soil would be compacted, starved of oxygen and probably waterlogged.

Don’t reach for the weedkiller when you see dandelions. Considered weeds by some, these spring flowers are a vital pollen source for bees.

There’s a real energy in the spring garden as our feathered friends start to nest.

Spring is a great time to install a house for your feathered friends. Jean Vernon has some top tips and advice on siting a nest box in your garden.

Is gardening organically worth the effort? Jean Vernon explores.

Mention moles to most gardeners and the conversation immediately turns to lawns. Lovely swaths of manicured lawn punctuated by vast and numerous mounds of freshly, finely tilled soil.

Herbs are the powerhouses of the garden, kitchen and medicine cabinet. But they have so many other roles too, Jean Vernon explains.

With spring in the air, the snowdrops are the stars of the show. Here are some great gardens where you can see snowdrops this February.

Garden birds are an essential addition to the healthy garden. You can help document the garden birds by preparing for the Big Garden Bird Watch.

It’s not just the funny bird antics that bring our gardens alive in winter; it’s the bird song that lifts the dullest day and the darkest hour.

If you are getting ready for the Big Garden Bird Watch you need to be able to identify some of your common garden birds.

Grow some plants in the garden that bear berries to help birds through the winter. Pyracantha, ivy, holly and cotoneaster are all good choices.

Happy Winter Solstice. Traditionally celebrated on the shortest day of the year, winter solstice falls a few days before Christmas.

We might associate the robin with the winter garden, but did you know that the little wren is one of our more common garden birds?

Decorate your home this festive season using foliage, stems and things from your garden says Jean Vernon.

Create some real drama in your garden with a seasonal planter. Just a handful of plants will establish colour and interest for weeks on end.

The garden is still rich in autumn fruit, seeds, nuts and berries and also insects, but competition is fierce. Here are 5 ways to help the birds over winter.

Make your garden work a bit harder and generate a few natural gifts for friends and family says Jean Vernon.

While they can be entertaining and fun to watch, most gardeners don’t feed the birds to fatten up the squirrels.

The Christmas tree is the centrepiece of most people’s Christmas festivities and a real Christmas tree not only looks great – but smells wonderful too.

If you love birds, look out for these magical movements of starlings as they swoop and swirl in magnificent murmurations.

It might sound daft but there’s a bit more to feeding the birds than putting out birdseed. Jean Vernon offers some timely advice.

Herbs are the true garden heroes. Herbs can be a gateway into gardening, or the bridge between houseplants and gardens. Jean Vernon explains.

Use up a few juicy, homegrown pears and make a scrumptious, sticky pear cake with this easy recipe from Jean Vernon.

As the seasons change the garden birds become more animated in our gardens. Jean Vernon suggests ways to attract more garden birds.