Rock band Republica to headline TwyFest

Here's all you need to know about how you can get tickets for band day of the festival

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/rock-band-republica-headline-twyfest-12668920

Wokingham council bosses forced to defend borrowing as concerns are raised about debt

The leader of the Liberal Democrats raised concerns about "eye-wateringly high" levels of projected debt

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/wokingham-council-bosses-forced-defend-12660950

Reading Buses delayed around town and M3 breakdown blocks lane

The roads are getting busy around Berkshire on Tuesday, February 28

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-buses-delayed-around-town-12670270

ITV2's Love Island is back and looking for singles in Berkshire

Now is your chance to apply to be on the show

from getreading - TV http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/tv/itv2s-love-island-back-looking-10907155

15 of the best coffee shops in Reading to fulfil your caffeine fix

Attention latte lovers, espresso enthusiasts and just plain coffee addicts - get your cup of joe at one of these great places

from getreading - Food & Drink http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/15-independent-coffee-shops-reading-11324332

What do you need to build a unique shed?

This is the story of how to build a unique shed out of salvage, imagination and hard work.

Garden maker Posy Gentles decided she wanted a new shed several years ago. Her current shed was halfway down the garden, blocking off the back area. And it was on its last legs.

You can see Posy’s shed halfway down her long, thin garden, on the left.

When I came back from Australia last year, I’d fallen in love with corrugated iron.

So had Posy – by coincidence and completely independently. We both wanted corrugated iron sheds.

I fell in love with this corrugated iron studio shed, where a friend creates dyes using the plants from her garden…

But it was not to be. In Australia, according to my brother-in-law, ‘you’re not considered a man until you can work with corrugated iron.’

In the UK, you get a puzzled look and a discouragingly high estimate when you ask about having a corrugated iron shed built.

Well, we wanted to build a unique shed – but not at that price.

Although that may all be about to change…we’ll get to that later on.

The first thing you need is a really good foundation

As the new shed was to be at the end of the garden, rather than at the side, new foundations had to be made. Posy knew she wanted a really good base. ‘The old shed didn’t have very good foundations, which is why it started to rot. And rats lived under it.’

Various friends helped her dig a really deep hole, ‘in return for hearty lunches’. Then she paid a professional to make a flat, stable concrete base. For more about why the base of your shed matters, see here.

Build a unique shed with salvage…

Posy collected old bricks. She bought some and was given others as leftovers from friends’ projects. Her house is yellow Victorian brick so she more or less matched the shed up.

Another friend taught Posy brick-laying. It was during one of the hot spells last summer, so she mainly laid the bricks at 6am.

The shed only needed three walls, because the fourth wall was the back wall of the garden. The brick layer is about six bricks high. It creates a sturdy base to protect the wood from rot.

Posy admits that the brick-laying isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough for a garden shed.

Ian teaches Posy brick-laying. You can see the old garden shed behind them.

A professional dismantled the old shed…

The next stage was beyond an amateur. Posy engaged builder-carpenter Dave Souter to knock down the old shed. He re-used the boards to make the new shed.

Many of the planks were rotten, but there were just enough to make the new shed. It helped to have the brick layer, and also that the garden wall was the back wall.

Put the salvaged window into the frame, and the frame on the bricks, then the wooden planks get added later.

Another friend gave Posy some old windows, and Dave built the shed around them. He also sourced vintage scaffolding boards to make a door.

The windows were a gift from a friend, and Dave salvaged the old shed to make the new one. You can see that the doors are made of old scaffolding boards.

At last we come to the corrugated iron

Posy sourced some curved corrugated iron for the roof. She bought it new and it cost several hundred pounds. Dave Souter roofed the shed with it, and gave it some guttering round the back.

The completed shed with its corrugated iron roof, salvaged windows and scaffolding-board doors.

A view from inside – the corrugated iron roof, sitting on a small frame, then the back garden wall.

The side view shows the curve of the roof, and another salvaged window.

I can definitely say that corrugated iron has taken over from snowdrops as the most difficult thing to photograph. It’s so shiny that it disappears in the sunlight.

But I hope you get the idea. A detail of the roof, which creates a small covered storage area to the left of the shed.

So how long does it take to build a shed?

What with the ups and downs of life, it took nearly a year to build this shed. Posy took a break from it when money was short. And because friends helped, some things could only be done when they were free.

It’s a beautiful and unusual shed. It’s big enough to insulate, so perhaps Posy could make it more of a room one day (although sometimes sheds are more useful than more rooms!).

With all the stopping and starting, it’s difficult to calculate the cost, but Posy estimates that it was somewhere between £2,000 and £3,000.

But now we’ll all be getting sheds with tin roofs…

Posy’s shed was finished two weeks ago. And then I went to the Garden Press Event, where the Posh Shed Company launched The Tin Hat Shed.

There are two models: The Andersen and The Gardener. The Andersen has a curved corrugated iron roof, similar to Posy’s.

The ‘Tin Hat’ Andersen shed from the Posh Shed Company. It costs £1,300.

The Gardener shed with a corrugated iron roof from the Posh Shed company. It costs £2,865.

Both The Gardener and The Anderson are compact garden sheds. Posy’s floor area is about three times the size, so comparing costs isn’t that relevant.

When you build a shed yourself, you can have exactly what you want. You undoubtedly can save some money, especially if you re-use materials or do work yourself.

But ordering a shed from a shed company is definitely quicker and less stressful.

You heard it here first – or perhaps second…

I think I can predict that we’ll be seeing more corrugated iron in gardens in the UK.  We all fell in love with vintage galvanised tin and aluminium, and the look is similar.

We all love vintage galvanised garden pots and tools.

This galvanised trough and ribbed vintage ‘dolly tub’ planter have a similar feel to a corrugated iron shed roof.

And I’m off to Australia again soon, so there’ll be more corrugated iron on this blog.

I do think corrugated iron is beautiful…can’t wait to see more like this in Australia.

You can see Posy’s new shed for yourself. She’s open for the NGS on the 3rd June, along with two other walled gardens in Faversham.

And on 25th June, she is open for Faversham Open Gardens. Faversham is a pretty, historic town, and around 30 gardens are open on the day. There are also 20+ market stalls in the Market Place, selling plants, vintage tools and other delightful things.

17 Norman Road is also open for the NGS in Faversham on 3rd June and for Faversham Open Gardens & Garden Market Day on 25th June.

Sarah Langton-Lockton’s vintage galvanised water butt. Her garden is also open for the NGS on 3rd and Faversham Open Gardens on 25th June.

Join us on the Middlesized Garden blog every Sunday morning. Just enter your email into the box on the top right, and we will whizz into your inbox as the sun comes up. Thank you!

The post What do you need to build a unique shed? appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/need-build-shed/

15 of the best coffee shops in Reading to fulfil your caffeine fix

Attention latte lovers, espresso enthusiasts and just plain coffee addicts - get your cup of joe at one of these great places

from getreading - Food & Drink http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/12-best-coffee-shops-reading-11324332

Error by paramedic contributed to Lilly-May Page-Bowden death, inquest rules

Using a defibrillator would have saved the five-year-old's life, but the wrong decision was made, an inquest ruled

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/error-paramedic-contributed-lilly-page-12653387

Storm Doris chaos sees Thames Valley Police receive 1,000 extra phone calls

Both police and the fire service dealt with fallen trees and road closures as the storm hit

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/storm-doris-chaos-sees-thames-12653170

Two adults and two children taken to hospital after A34 crash

Around seven miles of queues have built on the A34 back towards the M4 in Berkshire

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/two-adults-two-children-taken-12653276

The child car seats law is about to change and this is what you need to know

There are new laws coming into place this year regarding the use of booster seats, take a look at the changes

from getreading - Local News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/child-car-seats-law-change-11897293

These hidden Netflix codes can unlock the full list of films and TV shows available

Here's all you need to know about how you can watch even more of your favourite shows

from getreading - TV & Film http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/tv-film/hidden-netflix-codes-can-unlock-12641582

Heston Blumenthal restaurant Hinds Head in Bray set for major redesign this spring

Here's all you meed to know about the Michelin star restaurant's huge makeover

from getreading - Food & Drink http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/heston-blumenthal-restaurant-hinds-head-12642404

Whitley man who died in A33 crash in stolen car could have been saved by seatbelt, inquest hears

An inquest heard how Aaron White was over the alcohol limit, had taken drugs and had been pursued by another man he had stolen items from

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/whitley-man-who-died-a33-12646294

M4 lorry fire: One lane reopens but drivers urged use other routes

Highways England is removing burnt out vehicles and resurfacing a section of the carriageway

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/m4-lorry-fire-one-lane-12648197

M4 lorry fire causes long delays

Drivers are being warned of long delays after a lorry fire on the motorway this morning

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/m4-lorry-fire-causes-long-12645712

Chessington wants Berkshire toddlers to test new Gruffalo ride

Find out how your VIP - that's Very Important Preschoolers - can test out the new Gruffalo attractions at Chessington World of Adventures

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/chessington-wants-berkshire-toddlers-test-12640626

Tributes paid to Reading tennis legend and former teacher Ken Bowsher

Mr Bowsher dedicated 50 years of his life to developing tennis in Berkshire

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/tributes-paid-reading-tennis-legend-12635554

Storm Doris set to hit Reading with 60mph winds

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/storm-doris-set-hit-reading-12639460

How much will your council tax rise by this spring? Use our payments calculator to see

Councils in Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and West Berkshire are all planning to introduce a hike of around five per cent this April

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/how-much-your-council-tax-12636445

Bracknell musical written with The Hoosiers gets Arts Council England funding

ACE announced the team was successful in its application for development funding for AnimAlphabet

from getreading - Theatre http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/bracknell-musical-written-hoosiers-gets-12634620

Berkshire for Europe plans public debate to fight back against Brexit

Speakers from the Remain campaign will be coming to Reading to discuss the future of Britain and the European Union

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/berkshire-europe-plans-public-debate-12610119

When do the clocks go forward in 2017? All you need to know

Here's all you need to know about when the clocks change and where Daylight Saving Time comes from

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/clocks-go-forward-2017-you-12627040

Reading schools cutting amount of food thrown away as children look to clear their plates

The children have been taking part in the Love School Food, Hate Waste

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-schools-cutting-amount-food-12608375

Family of boy who died in Reading Topshop pay tribute, Uber driver fined and more news from the week

Here are the most read headlines from the last week

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/family-boy-who-died-reading-12625526

A week in the life of a garden blogger

What does a garden blogger do?

Or, indeed, what does any blogger do?

And, most importantly, does blogging make money? If so, how?

The world wakes up in February, after the hungover sleep of January. In the garden, the first snowdrops and hellebores are up.

And in the blogosphere, companies start reaching out to bloggers.

When I started the Middlesized Garden blog, I promised to be honest about the ups and downs. I said I would reveal what goes on behind the scenes.

So I thought a diary of this week would be one of the best ways of showing you how the business of blogging works.

Sunday – snowdrops day + editing

The Middlesized Garden comes out first thing on Sunday morning. So when I wake up, I check it on a mobile phone or tablet in order to spot any mistakes.

Then I publicise the new post. I use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and (sort of) Google+. It saves time to use Hootsuite to schedule tweets.

If you only tweet your post once, most people will miss it. You have a better chance of getting it seen if you tweet it around a dozen times, on different days and different times.

So rather than manually tweeting it every time, I use Hootsuite to schedule tweets about posts.

Last Sunday I went to Copton Ash’s snowdrop open day. Copton Ash’s owner, Tim Ingram, talked to me about growing snowdrops.

I turned this into a video for The Middlesized Garden YouTube channel. This, too, has to go on Twitter, Facebook Instagram etc.

I use a Sony Xperia X phone to video. The EE shop recommended Sony phones for the best photo and video because Sony are also camera manufacturers.

Note: there are some Amazon affiliate links in this post, which means you can click through to buy. If you do, I may get a small fee. More about that later in this post.

Here’s the video:

Monday – book review, emails and catching up.

I received a review copy of Good Soil from the publishers, Frances Lincoln.

As soon as I opened it, I was hooked. Would it be very shallow of me to say that I am only likely to read about something as worthy as soil if it’s written about in a very beautiful book?

Good Soil – manure, compost and nourishment for your garden, by Tina Raman has the design and photography you’d expect in a book on Californian smoothies or Danish hygge.

It has beautiful photographs, accompanied by really solid information. You will find interesting tips boxes and excellent advice.

For example, there’s a box on which wild flowers and weeds do best on which soils. And did you know that cow manure is the best manure for fertiliser?

A spread from Good Soil – a serious book that’s also a pleasure to look at.

As the intro says: ‘We hobby gardeners often go all out on the plants and decorations, completely forgetting how important it is to build up a good nutrient-rich soil.’  Well, no more.

Apparently, this book is already a best-seller in Scandinavia and Germany.

Note: bloggers are supposed to state clearly when something has been sent free for review.  Like most bloggers, I only review books and products I really like. There is absolutely no point in saying you think something is good if you don’t. That’s why I, along with most other blogs, can’t guarantee a review when a product is sent for free.

Now for the emails

I deal with around 100 emails a day, often from people wanting to ‘guest post’ on The Middlesized Garden. Some are charming, and say lovely things about the blog.

Others are misspelt and vague.

And some offer money. People and companies want to ‘guest post’ because it gives them links to a reputable site. When search engines see these links, this raises a company in the search engine rankings.

So Google have made it clear. If you are paid to link to a company, you should firstly state that it is ‘sponsored’ or ‘collaborative’.

Secondly, you should make the link ‘no-follow’. This means people can click through to the company from your blog, but there’s a piece of code in the link. Google then knows not to recognise it as a ranking signal.

So that is one way bloggers make money. Charging for guest posts on their site.

But  many companies do insist on a ‘follow link’. And a few don’t even want the words ‘sponsored’ or ‘collaborative’ on the post. Some bloggers agree to that.

Why ‘disclosure’ matters

If you don’t follow the rules, then both the blog and the company that paid for a ‘follow’ link could be marked down massively by Google. You may disappear from sight. It’s not worth the risk.

It’s also illegal to mislead readers. There’s more about ‘disclosure’ here:

And I believe it’s important to be honest. If you have been paid to write something, that’s fine, in my view. It’s just wrong if you pretend you haven’t been paid.

The Middlesized Garden only does a few sponsored posts. We only do them if I feel sure that the product is good, and that the sponsor is happy to stick to the rules.

I also read about a dozen other blogs a day. Some are gardening, homes and lifestyle blogs.

That’s why I know that a few bloggers are accepting money for paid posts, and not disclosing they’ve been paid. The same companies approached me.

Interestingly, however, some companies are increasingly emphatic that the guidelines must be followed. Wayfair works with a number of bloggers and insists that all links ‘must be no-follow’ and that posts must be marked ‘sponsored.’

Tuesday – Pippa Greenwood for tea and Gardeners Question Time

On Tuesday, BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time recorded at the Alexander Centre, Faversham.

By coincidence, I handle the social media for the Alexander Centre. Blogging or handling the social media for other companies is another way bloggers earn a living.

Pippa Greenwood and I had been communicating on Twitter about her plug-plant veg growing sets, so I suggested she pop in for tea beforehand to talk about it.

Gardening author, plant pathologist and BBC Radio 4 panellist Pippa Greenwood in the Middlesized Garden. She’s talking about her new veg growing sets.

She started Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood to help people who want to grow their own veg but either don’t feel confident or are too busy to grow from seed.

Pippa is a trained botanist and plant pathologist, formerly of Wisley and Gardeners World. She’s a regular panellist on Gardeners Question Time, gives talks and is the author of many gardening books.

Grow Your Own With Pippa Greenwood is a range of garden-ready plug vegetable plants. You choose the ones you want. They’ll be sent to you when they’re ready to plant, along with precise growing instructions.

She also sends you a regular newsletter and advice on products that she recommends. And you can buy Gift Vouchers. That’s a really nice present for anyone thinking of growing their own for the first time.

‘Although I am really pleased to find that people are coming back year-after-year,’ she says.

‘And every year is different, so if you’ve just started growing veg, you may get disheartened when you get a bad year. If you’ve got access to good advice, then you either find out how to deal with bad weather or unexpected pests. Or at least you realise that it wasn’t your fault, and it is worth trying again.’

10% discount on Grow-Your-Own With Pippa Greenwood

There’s a 10% discount for readers of the Middlesized Garden. Order from www.pippagreenwood.com.

Use the discount code 12462-VNZJ7 when checking out. Valid until 15th May.

And there’s more about Pippa and her vegetable plug plants here:

We did the video interview in the back garden. I don’t have a tripod for my phone, so we propped it up on a table, step-ladder and two copies of Nigel Slater’s Tender.

My makeshift ‘tripod’. The cost of blogging equipment adds up quickly, so a proper tripod will have to wait. I managed to do a quick ‘poo-pick’ of the garden before she arrived, but we sat amid piles of pruned branches.

We then went to the Alexander Centre, where I interviewed the BBCGQT producer, Dan. He told me that Gardeners Question Time will record anywhere from a big city centre to a small village hall.

‘We try to vary where we go, week by week,’ he said. He revealed that the programme has never been to the Orkneys, so if there is an Orkney Horticultural Society reading this – invite BBCGQT now! Dan says he’d love to go.

Warming up for Gardeners Question Time at the Alexander Centre in Faversham.

If you go to Gardeners Question Time, there’s a pile of forms. You can write your gardening question on the form. If you’re chosen, you will be moved to a reserved seat at the front. If you fancy this, Dan advises you to choose a question that hasn’t been answered on the programme recently.

I use a Zoom Handy Recorder for interviews. The microphone on a mobile phone is never as good as the camera. A proper recorder or microphone makes the sound much better.

Wednesday – People’s Friend and photo/film editing

Twenty years ago, my journalistic work came mainly through magazines I’d worked for in the past. Now it’s more likely to come through editors reading the blog.

People’s Friend magazine has asked me to do fortnightly gardening pages for a couple of months. I’ve been gathering info for this during the week, and put it together on Wednesday.

A blog keeps your name out there, and anyone wanting to use your services will have a good idea of what you do. It’s a calling card, plus portfolio.

Whether you’re a writer or a specialist in cheese-making, cake baking or crochet, a blog can help you be better known in your field.

Beware of the time sink…

But – and it’s a big but – blogging takes time. If, for example, your work is very local, you’d be better off spending that time networking rather than blogging.

If you’re a florist who wants more weddings, then it’s probably better to spend the time at wedding fairs or at local events. If you’re a florist who wants a book deal, then blogging is an effective way forward.

I’ve seen several book review bloggers go on to get book deals, and then become novelists in their own right. The book review blogs got them known in the publishing industry. Their writing talent got them the deals.

Photography, video and editing takes time

I probably spend an hour or two each day taking photographs, editing them, then sharing them on social media or creating videos.

This includes making YouTube thumbnails and Pinterest images, using Canva. I’m not a trained designer – far from it – but images are vital both for the blog and social media.

A YouTube ‘thumbnail’ (cover photo). I made it with Canva and one of my photos.

Having worked with some brilliant ‘proper’ photographers, I know the difference between their work and mine. I have a lot to learn.

But some bloggers’ photography is good enough to sell. One friend has signed up to the Getty Images photo agency. Most months he only gets about £20. Occasionally, however, someone buys a chunk of his photos for a book or catalogue. Several hundred pounds (or more) come in.

If you blog in a visual industry, such as gardens, homes, art etc, then syndicating your photos is another option. Garden bloggers Harriet Rycroft and Andrew O’Brien – you should give it a go, if you don’t already!

Thursday – the Garden Press Event

I went up to London to The Garden Press Event in the Barbican.

This is where garden companies introduce their new products to the media.

The first person I saw was Charles Dowding. When I explained that the Middlesized Garden was for people whose gardens were larger than courtyard but smaller than an acre, he said ‘Like mine.’

‘No dig’ guru Charles Dowding and Steph Haggerty at The Garden Press Event.

I was impressed to find out that Charles has achieved so much in the world of veg with just quarter of an acre of veg growing space. The total area of the plot is only three-quarters of an acre.

‘Some of that is house,’ he says. ‘And I keep the rest fairly wild.’ Charles has written several books.  The most recent is Charles Dowding’s Vegetable Garden Diary from www.charlesdowding.co.uk.

The book starts on February 14th, because that’s when Charles starts planting seeds. And it gives you week by week ‘no dig’ veg planting and harvesting advice.

Gardening equipment is now easier to use

I’ll review other products I saw at the Garden Press Event in a few weeks. But the headline message is that tools are getting lighter, brighter and easier to use.

Wilkinson Sword has some super-lightweight tools. Burgon & Ball has luminous-bright tools that can even be seen in the dark.

Burgon & Ball’s luminescent tools- no more losing tools in the compost heap!

And Cobra have a lithium-ion lawn-mower which means you can mow  a middle-sized lawn with a battery-powered mower. It’ll do 40-50 minutes before you need to recharge it.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I must also reveal that Cobra had some delicious cup cakes on their stand. I’m not sure where Google stands on cake bribery.

The Garden Press Event is also an opportunity to catch up with people you normally only ‘see’ on Twitter or Instagram. Mr Plant Geek, Michael Perry and I had a quick catch-up, and I also met a fellow garden blogger, The Chatty Gardener.

Friday – coaching, writing and catching up

Coaching writers or bloggers is another strand of work that comes via the blog.

People get in touch because they’re thinking of starting a blog.

Sometimes people want a ‘blog clinic.’ Their blogs may already be successful, with a good following. But they have a sneaking feeling that they may be missing a trick or two.

Or they just want another eye on their work. When there’s only you, it’s easy to overlook something.

They’re not necessarily garden bloggers. Coachees have included Emma Varnam, who has a very successful and beautiful crochet blog. Rachael Hale’s lovely Home & History Magpie focuses on historic homes.

Whether you’re a primary school teacher or a pianist, you can publicise your coaching and teaching via a blog.

But the ‘local’ issue crops up again. If you want to coach eleven year olds to pass exams, you’d be better off spending the time getting involved with local schools.

However, I can coach or teach by Skype, so I’m not limited to local activity. Many bloggers also run excellent online courses (for example, Jen Stanbrook’s Pinterest tips courses.)

I’m trying to pluck up courage to start one myself.

Saturday – writing and photographing the next post

There hasn’t been alot of time for writing (or gardening!) this week. So at 9.30am, I went to a friend’s house to photograph next week’s post.

You can read about that next week, so now is probably a good time to mention affiliate sales.

What are affiliate sales?

If you are, for example, an Amazon Affiliate, then you can sell products via Amazon from your blog. You sign up, then you get special links to insert in your posts.

If someone clicks on the link and buys within 24 hours (without visiting another site), you would get a small percentage. Typically, this is 3%, but it ranges from 1%-10%.

It doesn’t affect the price the buyer pays.

The affiliate fee on books is 7%, so if you click through to buy the Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants after my review, I would probably earn 94 pence. That’s only if you buy while clicking through my link. If you leave the site, but then return to buy the book, I wouldn’t earn anything.

However, if you buy other things, having clicked through via my site, I’d also get a small percentage on those.

As you can imagine, it takes a while for pence to add up. To date, in February, I have earned £33 via Amazon Affiliates.

Only recommend products you personally rate

And it is important to recommend products in your blog that you would recommend to a friend. People won’t be impressed if you just stuff your site full of links.

I only recommend either products I’ve tried myself, or those which have an exceptionally high number of positive reviews. It can take a while to hunt the latter down.

Often the products I recommend are ones I’ve bought, such as the Zoom Handy Recorder or Sony Xperia X phone that I mentioned earlier.

What about advertising?

You need hundreds of thousands of page views a month to make money from internet advertising.  Fashion, beauty, travel, food, parenting and personal finance blogs can get that many, but a garden blogger is operating in a smaller industry.

I also find that internet advertising interrupts my reading. And if I don’t like it, then you probably don’t like it either. So, as a garden blogger, I don’t personally think it’s worth taking advertising.

So that’s been my week. What about yours?

If you’d like help with blogging or writing, do get in touch. And to get a post from the Middlesized Garden every Sunday morning, enter your email address in the box on the top right.

Thank you!

The post A week in the life of a garden blogger appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/week-life-garden-blogger/

Take a look at the bus which is being transformed into Reading's first mobile homeless shelter

Reformed career criminal Michael Long came up with the idea while serving a four year prison sentence for his part in a car heist

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/take-look-bus-being-transformed-12615161

Organ donor appeal as 78 people in Berkshire wait for transplants

In around 40 per cent of cases organs are not taken from potential donors because their families do not give consent

from getreading - Health http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/health/organ-donor-appeal-78-people-12595301

See photos of Reading's Olympia Ballroom throughout the ages

From crazy to cool, how much do you know about one of Reading's oldest venues?

from getreading - Berkshire History http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/berkshire-history/see-photos-readings-olympia-ballroom-9470947

See snowdrops in Finchampstead this weekend as private garden opens its doors to the public

The owner will be opening the garden for the public to see around 6,000 snowdrops

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/see-snowdrops-finchampstead-weekend-private-12606541

Topshop recalls units, stripper shortage and Reading's refugees and homeless: Today's top stories

The most read stories on Wednesday, February 15

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/topshop-recalls-units-stripper-shortage-12611514

Reading Traffic: Drivers could hit aftermath of A329M crash and Tilehurst Road water works causing delays

Your traffic and travel on Wednesday, February 15

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-traffic-drivers-could-hit-12610505

Free family fun in Berkshire this half-term

See our list of budget ideas for things to get up to in and around Berkshire this half-term

from getreading - Music & Nightlife http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/half-term-family-fun-reading-10863977

Red kites "commute" into Reading for food handouts

Up to 300 birds a day are flying into the town to take advantage of the meat handouts left in gardens

from getreading - Local News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/red-kites-commute-reading-food-8981827

Mental health centre in Reading saved in eleventh hour after NHS u-turn

Reading Your Way was expected to close in April

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/mental-health-centre-reading-saved-12586099

A404 body, locked up in Berkshire and neighbours flee fire among this week's most read stories

We take a look at the most read stories on getreading over the last seven days            

from getreading - Local News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/a404-body-locked-up-berkshire-12593714

Are we too vain in Reading? Figures show huge increase in beauty shops

The number of businesses offering hair and beauty therapy services have grown at a much faster rate than the rest of the UK

from getreading - Business http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/business/vain-reading-figures-show-huge-12590564

How to create an irresistibly romantic garden….

What is a romantic garden?

Everyone will have their own definition. So with Valentine’s Day looming up, I’ve picked out ten ‘romantic garden’ ideas.

Just a little bit wild…

A romantic garden always has something hidden away. You can’t quite see everything.

This is a corner of a garden called Tara Tieve near Melbourne in Australia. Parts of the garden are smartly cared-for. But this little shady area shows how important it is to have secret spots where nature appears to be gently and beautifully taking over.

A close-up of a Victorian ‘heart’ gate at Tieve Tara, Melbourne, Australia.

Soft, exuberant planting and old-fashioned plants

Soft, subtle colours and billowy blooms make a romantic garden planting. Garden maker Posy Gentles describes the colour palette in her own garden as ‘being like old lady’s knickers’.

Romantic soft peach and hints of pink in Posy Gentles’ ‘old ladies knickers’ colour scheme.

As today’s ‘old ladies’ are probably wearing thongs, younger readers may like a clearer definition of ‘old lady’s knickers.’ Posy means the baggy (sometimes knitted) underwear in over-washed soft peaches, pinks and off-whites that hung on washing lines in the 1960s and 70s.

My French garden chair again – I think hydrangeas are romantic plants because they’re in soft colours, and are blowsy and slightly old-fashioned.

Romantic garden gates

Garden gates have always been romantic. Perhaps it’s because they stand between the public road and the intimacy of a private home or garden.

A Victorian garden gate in Norwich, England.

This 1960s gate in Faversham is painted in a soft, romantic blue and looks wonderful against a mass of erigeron.

Victorian ‘heart’ gate at Tieve Tara, near Melbourne, Australia.

To buy antique or vintage garden gates, either search a local reclamation yard. Or Google ‘vintage gate’. You will get hundreds of results, many for sale through architectural salvage yards, eBay or other online auctions.

You can also find vintage designs in newly made galvanised garden gates here.

Note: There are some affiliate links in this post, which means you can click through to buy. If you do, I may get a small fee.

For the romance of discovery – the garden path

A romantic path is just a little bit over-grown. Where does it lead? We have to follow it to find out. This is at Doddington Place Gardens in Kent.

 

Another delightful path leads the eye on – at Pheasant Farm, open for the NGS on 14th May and 11th June.

A grass path is romantic too. This one is at Littlebredy Walled Garden in Dorset.

Romantic garden furniture

You don’t have to have hearts and flowers to make your garden furniture romantic.

Although I do love my French wrought iron heart chairs, bought from a depot vente in the South of France for £20 each in the early 1990s. We brought four of them back to England on top of the car, which presumably cost us a fortune in petrol.

Snow is definitely romantic. And it looks more romantic on wrought iron furniture….

New wrought-iron garden furniture, such as this set from Charles Bentley, is widely available.

There’s more about garden furniture here.

There’s lots of second-hand metal garden furniture around too. Check your local junk shops regularly. Faversham (Kent), is just around an hour and a half from London. It has a vintage and antique fair on the first Sunday of every month. There’s always vintage garden furniture in the mix somewhere.

Faversham’s Antiques & Vintage Market is on the first Sunday of every month.

Whether you buy new or second-hand, your furniture will look a bit more special if you paint it. We painted our French garden chairs in a soft grey, very similar to this Winter Grey Chalk Paint.

When choosing a colour, bear in mind that colours look paler outside than they do inside. Our grey garden chairs look white outside. But the grey-white is less harsh that an a pure ‘white’ white.

A close-up of the French garden chair. It looks ‘white’ but is actually a pale to mid-grey tone.

Somewhere to sit and talk

Julie Quinn’s London cottage garden – abundant planting and a strongly defined use of colour. See more about this garden on Julie’s blog London Cottage Garden.

A slightly curved bench, like this one at Clinton Lodge, Sussex, makes it easier for two people to chat. Clinton Lodge opens for the NGS.

Romantic lanterns and lighting

If you don’t have electricity in your garden, then solar lighting is now both effective and inexpensive. I’ve had two strings of Blingstring Solar Fairy Lights in the garden for more than six months. Both are still working.

We strung these round a pergola in August. In the summer, they last almost all night. In the winter when nights are longer and there is less solar light, they go off around 2am.

They were sent to me for review, so I have both the warm white and the blue light. I rather like the contrast of the two together, but it’s always worth checking you get the one you wanted.

Use glass jars or glasses for nightlights in gardens.

Cushions and rugs

Faded, vintage cushions and rugs make a garden look romantic.

Hugo and Anna Campbell make the most of a small space – comfortable cushions for seating and storage under the bench.

Vintage cushions in Posy Gentles’ garden. Photo by Caroline Garland.

And roses are romantic

This 1970s rose in a neighbour’s garden is called ‘Lover’s Meeting’. She says she chose it because her house is on a corner and she likes to think of lovers arranging to meet there. It seems to flower for nine months of the year.

Climbing and rambling roses are romantic. These are on a wall at Goodnestone Park Gardens.

Romantic pots

I think romantic pots are bursting with colour. This is lavender, purple petunias and Panicum ‘Shenandoah.’

This pot, surprisingly, is at Edgeware Road tube station. It’s an ordinary concrete planter, painted a pale pink. Looks great, I think! Very romantic for a railway station – although, in themselves, stations are quite romantic places.

And, of course, a romantic shed

There are so many romantic sheds out there – but I think that if I have to pick one, then this one by garden designer and topiarist Charlotte Molesworth must be the one. It was converted from an old swimming pool changing room, using found wood and Charlotte’s creative talents.

Let me know about romantic gardens you’ve been to, either in the comments below or on the Middlesized Garden Facebook Page.

And to get Middlesized Garden inspiration and tips into your inbox every morning, just sign up in the box top right. Thank you!

The post How to create an irresistibly romantic garden…. appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-create-an-irresistibly-romantic-garden/

11 venues Reading doesn't have, but could they make the town better?

An ice rink, zoo and a concert hall for huge acts are just some of the suggestions for additions to the town

from getreading - Arts & Culture http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/11-venues-reading-doesnt-have-12586434

Reading traffic: Drivers caught up in queues on M4

Your traffic and travel round-up for Friday, February 10

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/reading-traffic-drivers-caught-up-12589004

Progress Theatre team take the plunge to raise funds after car park flood

Volunteers are being sponsored to sky dive as part of the theatre's fundraising initiative

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/progress-theatre-team-take-plunge-12581278

Treat the family in Berkshire for under £25

Take a look at some of the fun activities and days out you can have in and around Berkshire for under £25

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/treat-family-berkshire-under-25-11632637

Nightclub attack, snow showers and three more stories you may have missed

Take a look at the most-read stories on getreading from Thursday, February 9

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/nightclub-attack-snow-showers-three-12583704

29 fun things to do in Berkshire this half term

Take a look at our list of things you can get up to with the kids all year round in the Berkshire area and beyond

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/29-fun-things-up-kids-10729704

Thames Valley Police roll out spit guards after more than 300 front line officers assaulted

Between April 2015 and April 2016, around 25 per cent of assaults on police officers involved spitting

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/thames-valley-police-roll-out-12572229

Government invest £35 million in Berkshire roads and railways which could create 12,000 jobs

Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership successfully bid for £35 million of local growth funding

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/government-invest-35-million-berkshire-12565383

Berkshire traffic: delays on A329M and in Reading

Your traffic and travel round-up for Wednesday, February 8

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/berkshire-traffic-delays-a329m-reading-12576992

What's on the menu at The Pot Kiln? See what one of the UK's top pubs serves up

Here's all you need to know about what you could be tucking into at the nationally recognised country pub and game restaurant

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/whats-menu-pot-kiln-see-12572202

Woman injured after being hit by car in Whitley Wood

A temporary road closure was put in place while the patient was treated at the scene

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/woman-injured-after-being-hit-12572969

Half term events in Berkshire: What's happening in Reading, Bracknell and Wokingham?

Take a look at our round up of events happening during the week

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/half-term-events-berkshire-whats-12568904

Results of A404 human remains post mortem released by police

Further tests are needed to find the cause of death

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/results-a404-human-remains-post-12568332

IKEA shoppers caught in car park chaos, coke dealer stripped of profits and three more stories you may have missed

See all the stories you may have missed on getreading from Monday, February 6

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/ikea-shoppers-caught-car-park-12566189

See which Berkshire restaurants landed a spot in Sunday Times Top 100

Eleven restaurants in the South East were included in The Sunday Times list

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/see-berkshire-restaurants-landed-spot-12561554

Milk rounds and grand designs: 10 great jobs in Reading you can apply for now

Looking for a job? Here are 10 brilliant opportunities to consider

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/milk-rounds-grand-designs-10-12558424

M4 closed between Reading and Theale overnight this week

The westbound carriageway will be closed for nine nights, from Monday to Friday only

from getreading - Reading & Berkshire News http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/m4-closed-between-reading-theale-12558651

Justin Fletcher to appear in SIXTH Reading pantomime this Christmas

Find out which fairy tale will be told at The Hexagon this Christmas after Justin Fletcher revealed he would appear in his SIXTH Reading show

from getreading - What's On News http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/justin-fletcher-appear-sixth-reading-12547825

Reading and Berkshire half term dates: When do the school's break up?

Here's all you need to know about when the kids break up from school  for February half-term

from getreading - Family & Kids http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/reading-berkshire-half-term-dates-12550741

Effective medicinal plants to grow in your garden

Until 100 years ago, we used medicinal plants to treat most illnesses.

And, according to a new book, The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants, they still do in Africa, Asia and South America.

Even the chemical industry makes many drugs developed from plants. People made ‘aspirin’ from the leaves of the willow tree 2,400 years ago. The National Cancer Institute discovered that Pacific yew bark could create the anti-cancer drug, Taxol.

There are many more examples.

So could you use your own garden plants as medicines?

Perhaps you could brew a concoction of Hydrangea arborescens root for your aching joints? Also in this corner of my garden are hellebores (may stimulate the immune system, but can be dangerous). Foxgloves are already well known in pharmaceutical research, so aren’t included in the Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants.

(Note: There are some affiliate links in this post, which means you can click on them to buy. If you do, I may get a small fee. It doesn’t affect the price you pay.)

The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants

The book is published by Frances Lincoln under the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew label. They sent me a copy for review. I found it fascinating.

Firstly, the authors. It’s written by a trio of highly qualified and experienced authors. Jason Irving is a qualified herbalist and forager (so cool!).

Dr Melanie-Jayne Howes is a registered pharmacist, Chartered Chemist and phytochemist at Kew. She’s a member of many other scientific organisations.

Professor Monique Simmonds is Deputy Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

So this book isn’t just another ‘make your own remedies at home on the kitchen table’. It’s a serious scientific A-Z of healing plants, with some DIY recipes.

Do medicinal plants work?

We all have some experience of medicinal plants, even if it’s only to soothe a nettle sting by applying a dock leaf.

My mother always kept a pot-grown aloe vera in the kitchen. If she burnt herself she broke off a leaf and applied the gel-like sap to the burn. It worked better than anything she’d ever bought at the pharmacy.

And when my son was eight, he developed a large wart on his wrist. A botanist friend recommended that we rub the wart with the white, milky sap of petty spurge, or milkweed.

The wart disappeared after one application. Now milkweed is being researched as a cure for skin cancer.

Angelica archangelica – according to tradition, it can be used to reduce fevers, flatulence and many other uses. According to The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants, there haven’t yet been many medical studies, but it seems to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Which plants heal?

There are over 35,000 plants used for healing worldwide. The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants lists 277 of them.

One criteria for inclusion was that there had to be some medical research as well as traditional usage.

Some plants in the book will be familiar to anyone who uses Bach’s Flower Remedies or other flower essences. Or if you visit a herbalist or homeopath. That includes horse chestnut and black cohosh.

Some plants in the book are already well-known for their health-giving properties. For example, turmeric and echinacea.

Echinacea purpurea has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. Seen here with Verbena bonariensis. Verbena officianalis is traditionally used for headaches, stress, fevers and anxiety.

But there are also some surprising garden plants listed, such as Acanthus mollis (Bear’s breeches) and Alchemilla. Both are also considered to have anti-inflammatory properties.

And everyone has heard of Bach’s Rescue Remedy. But how many people realise it has clematis in it? The Gardener’s Companion says that Clematis armandii has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.

The recipes

There 24 home recipes in the book.

These include calendula (marigold) lip balm and passionflower sleep tea. You can combine passionflower with hops and valerian to make a knockout sleeping potion.

Valerian root is used for calming and in ‘sleep teas.’ It was considered to be the best treatment for epilepsy before modern drugs were developed, says The Gardeners Companion.

The Gardener’s Companion also says that passionflower is now used by herbalists to treat Parkinson’s disease and shingles.

The verdict

I think this book is well worth reading and buying. It’s clear that we need much more research into medicinal plants.  It would be too easy to lose the knowledge that has been acquired over the centuries.

The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants is also tapping into the zeitgeist of today.

For example, The College of Medicine  in London is running a Plant Medicine Conference on the 8th June. There will be an international line-up of clinicians, researchers, pharmacists and physicians. They’ll discuss remedies based on medicinal plants. These include culinary spices, herbal medicines and plant food ingredients.

You might also enjoy…

Grow Your Own Drugs by ethnobotanist James Wong introduced a new generation of gardeners to the medicinal plants in their own gardens. It has lots of recipes for turning your plants into healing lotions, potions, lozenges and tinctures.

It also lists a Top 100 plants to grow or buy. He also shows how some plants have the same pharmaceutical properties as over-the-counter drugs.

Visit the Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanic garden. It was started in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries.

They used it to train apprentices in the identification and use of medicinal plants. One of its main aims is still to demonstrate the medicinal properties of plants.

Or read about using your garden plants to create stunning natural dyes.

In the 1970s, my parents used to keep stocks of tinned tuna fish and baked beans in case an atom bomb destroyed the world. I’m not entirely clear why my parents, along with the tinned food, expected to survive such an attack. But perhaps people just felt better if they had a strategy for survival.

So, in today’s uncertain world, you might feel reassured to imagine picking the medicines you need from your garden. Add the Gardeners Companion to Medicinal Plants to your survival supplies.

The post Effective medicinal plants to grow in your garden appeared first on The Middle-Sized Garden.

from The Middle-Sized Garden http://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/effective-medicinal-plants-to-grow-in-your-garden/