Heinz Tomato Ketchup - Grow Your Own Campaign

Heinz are calling on families to try their hand at growing their own tomatoes, to be in with the chance of having their home grown tomato crop made into an exclusively personalised bottle of ketchup! The grand prize winner will be chosen at the end of August, when the winning tomato crop will be picked and transported to the Heinz Culinary and Innovation Centre to be made into Heinz Tomato Ketchup. A prize that money can't buy!

To enter, you just need to upload a photograph of your growing tomatoes to the Heinz UK Facebook page.

There are also lots of runner-up prizes including some great gardening gear. You can find out more about the Grow Your Own campaign at the Heinz UK's Facebook page.

You can also visit www.heinzgrowyourown.co.uk to apply for a free packet of Heinz tomato seeds to start growing your own tomatoes in your garden. There are a limited amount available.

Gardening is a lovely activity to enjoy with little ones and this campaign is a great excuse to get into the garden with the kids. Good luck with your tomato crop!

Win a self-watering Lechuza Cubico 22 planter, worth £39.99

Win a self-watering Lechuza Cubico 22 planter, worth £39.99, to plant with your little ones! 

We all know kids love the great outdoors in the summer months, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get green-fingered in winter too. Planting indoors with your children is not only educational but great fun for all of the family to get involved in too! 

We’re offering one lucky winner a stylish Lechuza CUBICO 22 All-in-One Set to get your little ones growing exciting plants or edibles and add some greenery to your home during the winter months. 

Lechuza planters (widely used by professional landscapers and the green fingered enthusiasts) are famed for their sub-irrigation system, which provides plants with the exact amount of water they need for optimum growth for up to 12 weeks.  

The CUBICO combines elegance with the most convenient use and care – perfect for introducing the little ones to gardening. 

To find out more, visit http://bit.ly/_Lechuza 

To enter the competition, fill out the Rafflecopter entry form. UK entrants only. The winner will be contacted to arrange delivery of the prize directly from Lechuza.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Growing Better Plants with Lechuza Self-Watering Planters

Lechuza is a great new concept in planters for growing your own plants and flowers in the home or outdoors. The self-watering planters come with their own built in sub-irrigation system to ensure the plants receive an optimal water supply at all times. This takes all the guesswork out of watering and allows the plants to achieve optimal growth. Each planter has a removable liner which holds the soil and plants. This allows for easy cultivation and means the plants can be moved between interchangeable models of planter. Lechuza planters are a great way to grow beautiful plants to add colour to your home or garden.

The Lechuza planters come in three finishes: hi gloss premium, matte and wicker-style cottage and in a variety of colours and designs. They are made in Germany using 100% recyclable plastic and are UV safe, frost proof and shatterproof. The sub-irrigation system is very clever and means that even the least green-fingered gardeners can grow beautiful plants and flowers. There is no need to water every day - in fact, once the plant is established, you only need to water every 12 weeks. You can't over water either, even in plants kept outdoors, a drainage system allows excess water to drain away without depleting the reservoir. A water level indicator allows you to keep a close eye on water levels.

We were sent a Lechuza Balconera 50 planter in Caribbean Blue so we could have a go at planting some flowers ourselves. Growing plants is such a lovely activity to do with the family. Children learn so much through getting their hands dirty, planting seedlings and nurturing flowers. And now, with the Lechuza planter, we don't even have to worry about forgetting to water our plants in the long term. It makes gardening a much lower maintenance activity and gives better results.

The colouful, balcony planter is such a fun and appealing design. Children will absolutely love growing plants in it and they will get good results thanks to the ingenious self-watering system. Achieving success helps build a child's confidence and encourages them to try new things, so knowing that the watering is taken care of, means there is a good chance of them growing a plant to be proud of and developing green fingers along the way.

The planter comes with a removable inner section that is easily removed using the retractable handles. The water level indicator pushes together and slots into position easily. A bag of substrate is included, which goes into the planter before the soil, to help control the water supply. For outdoor use, you remove the screw-in drainage plug, which is simple to do. It is all very straightforward to assemble ready for planting.

We were sent an amaryllis bulb for our planter. Personally, I would have preferred to plant one in a more upright, deeper pot for indoors, but it will be happy in the balcony planter and it is a good flower to grow for the season. To plant it up, I enlisted my little helpers and their green fingered grandad!

Once planted, you conventionally water the bulb for 3 weeks to help establish the growth of the roots. After the growing in phase you fill the reservoir via the shaft until the water level indicator reads max. The plant will then get its water through the irrigation system allowing it to achieve optimum growth.

I hope the milder weather continues, giving our amaryllis the best chance to grow into a beautiful flower. The Balconera planter is perfect for balconies but can also be used on a windowsill for growing herbs. You can get brackets to mount the planter on railings or walls to create a lovely colourful display. The Balconera comes in a range of colours to suit your style. They cost £29.99 and come complete with the plant liner, substrate and sub-irrigation system.

Find out more and see the whole range at www.lechuza.co.uk.

Aldi Outdoor Living Specialbuys - get your garden ready for summer!

The recent sunny weather has inspired me to want to get my garden summer ready. We love hosting garden parties, especially as Freddy has a birthday in July and we celebrate our anniversary in May.

Aldi are helping me get my garden ready for outdoor living with its range of incredible Specialbuys that can be bought in store from tomorrow.  With a range of brilliant items starting at just £1.49, gardens will benefit from everything from outdoor furniture, barbecue equipment, outdoor dining accessories, decorative baskets, planters and even a fabulous gazebo.

A gazebo is the centrepiece of any garden party providing shelter or shade to party guests. Having an outdoor 'room' allows you to decorate it to suit your party theme, and put out food without worrying about it blowing away or being attacked by every passing insect! It is a great investment and if looked after will last for years. Aldi gives a 3 year warranty on its gazebo so you can buy in confidence.

Aldi's pop-up gazebo is easy to assemble with a foldable height-adjustable frame, powder-coated aluminium legs and polyester cover. It has an air vent in the roof and comes in its own carry bag. It is 3 x 3 x 2.6m making it a good size for families. It is just £59.99, which is a great price.  You can buy an optional set of side panels for £12.99, which has one zip up panel and a panel with a built in window to allow you to have a fully enclosed gazebo, rather than an open one.

To make your garden look pretty, Aldi will be selling a variety of plant pots. There are some cute animal shaped planters, some decorative free standing ones, faux stone pots, terracotta pots and wooden troughs available. I love the rattan effect planters, which come in cubical or conical designs. They come with an inner planter and prices start at just £9.99 for the cube and £17.99 for the tall version. You just simply add plants!

You can get a cast iron plant pot caddy so you can move heavy planters (up to 100kg) with ease. The decorative, wheeled caddy means it is easy to move pots to a convenient location during garden parties or barbecues. At just £7.99 they are a great solution to heavy lifting.

For green fingered gardeners, Aldi have a range of obelisks, arches (£9.99) and willow trellises (from £4.99) that can be used to landscape your garden, encouraging climbing plants to grow up them to create a beautiful display. Hanging baskets and brackets are available for gardeners to create colourful, floral displays, perfect for smaller gardens.  Aldi will also have some plants in store to help get the gardening started, this includes herbs, Cordyline and alpines.

This six piece furniture set is just £54.99 and includes table, four chairs and a parasol. Perfect for some alfresco dining this summer.

You can grab an outdoor living bargain instore at Aldi from April 30th. Take a look at Aldi Specialbuys online and remember they are only available for a limited time.

Outdoor Living – in store 30.04.15

Pop Up Gazebo -£59.99

6 Piece Furniture Set -£54.99

Bistro Set -£34.99

Early Fun Swing -£29.00

Reclining Sun Lounger -£25.00

Rattan Effect Planter -£17.99

Decorative Flower Planter -£14.99

Gazebo Side Panels - £12.99

Wooden Planter/Trough -£10.99

Rattan Effect Cubed Planter - £9.99

Garden Arch -£9.99

Garden Obelisk - £9.99

Garden Screening - £8.99

Cast Iron Plant Pot Caddy - £7.99

Sandhurst Planter, 38cm - £6.99

Rattan Effect Animal Planters - £5.99

Italian Terracotta Pot - £4.99

Willow Trellis - £4.99

Farmyard Animals - £3.99

Food Storage Containers - £2.99

12" Traditional Hanging Basket - £2.49

Fairy Pot Stick - £1.99

Hanging Basket Bracket - £1.99

Terracotta Plant Pot Feet - £1.79

Hanging Basket Coco Liners - £1.49

Aldi sent me a selection of their Specialbuys to try out this summer.

Grow Your Own - Eat Your Own!

I've been attempting to Grow My Own fresh garden produce this year after being challenged by Ice and The Organic Gardening Catalogue who kindly supplied some seeds to help get my project going.  I have got to the point where I have been able to reap what I sow and this week I was ready to see some of my produce go from pot to plate!

I was ridiculously excited when I dug down into the soil surrounding my potato plants.  As my hand plunged into the warm soil my fingers touched the first potato I have ever grown.  I actually squealed!  I pulled out potato after wonderful potato.  Their pale skin was flawless.  They were perfect little potatoes.  Grown by me in my own little garden.

It was lovely seeing an end result and we had a really good crop.  I couldn't think of anything to do with them that would be better than simply boiling them in their skins.  They were lovely and the children were happy to eat our home grown produce with their dinner.

My salad continues to grow.  Picking the leaves when they are young makes for tender, fresh and tasty accompaniments to my meals.  The assorted lettuces and the rocket add colour, texture and flavour to meals and sandwiches.  The variety of colours and shapes adds interest.  I even found a couple of radishes that had survived the caterpillars!

I never anticipated how good it would feel to grow my own produce.  To pick it and eat it!  I am definitely converted to growing my own!  Although we didn't get huge amounts of produce, we all enjoyed eating what we grew.  It added variety to our diet and the kids got to try some new things.

I have proved that you can do it even though you don't have a big garden.  You can use pots and troughs and grow bags effectively in a small space.  Recruiting the kids to help sow the seeds and pick the crops really helps them to learn about gardening, nature, where their food comes from and gives them an appreciation of the environment.  It has been a really enjoyable challenge and I will definitely be giving it a go again next year!

My 'Grow Your Own' Progress

We were away for a few days and I was so worried about leaving my plants that I am growing as part of the Ice Grow Your Own Challenge!  That was a completely new experience for me...showing concern for my little potted garden.  I needn't have worried, as although we were basking in glorious French sunshine all week long, Shropshire had quite a lot of rain.  I had moved all my pots into a more sheltered area of my garden away from direct sunlight before we left, and thanks to nature's watering, they flourished. 

My plants have all grown massively.  I have a little jungle growing! The children have pots of flowers and sunflowers which are really coming into their own. It's amazing to see Bumble Bees buzzing around, knowing we are helping them and encouraging them into our garden. The potato plants survived really well and I think it may soon be time to check under the soil to see if we have any spuds to dig out!

Just take a look at my Rocket!  It has gone from being tiny seedlings to 'ready to eat' salad!  It is my first crop ready for consumption and that makes me very excited!  I picked a few leaves to nibble on and I loved the peppery, fresh flavour.  Sowing seeds on a two weekly cycle means there is always a new row growing after you have picked some, keeping the supply of salad going through the summer.

I was a bit sad to see some of my plants had been ravaged by some hungry caterpillars.  The butterflies that the children had been admiring last week, had laid eggs onto my radishes and they had hatched and eaten most of the foliage away.  So I don't think that will be a very successful crop.  I am a bit squeamish when it comes to bugs, so I can't bring myself to remove the interlopers from my plants.  I will take solace out of the fact that I have helped feed the next generation of beautiful butterflies that my children will enjoy watching fluttering around the garden!  Sharing the gardening love with Mother Nature's hungry creatures!!

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will have some more home grown produce to enjoy...especially if the rain continues to keep everything well watered for me. I am continuing to take delight out of this challenge and am enjoying sharing the gardening experience with my children!

My 'Grow Your Own' Update!

It's been a couple of weeks since we planted our seeds for our 'Grow Your Own' challenge with Ice and The Organic Gardening Catalogue.  Although the weather has been akin to the Sahara Desert recently, we have tenderly watered our crops and waited patiently to see some evidence of our seeds germinating and exploding into life.  Suddenly over the last couple of days things have started to happen. Tiny leaves have burst through the soil and my troughs and pots are holding the promise of future crops.  We are a little excited to see our own salad leaves and rocket growing. I am already planning what meal they will join as a tasty and healthy side salad.  We are wondering if the beetroots and radishes will form under the soil.  I am enjoying this 'grow your own' project!  It is teaching the children where their food comes from, and is a small step towards living more sustainably.

Before They Grew

Beetroot Seedlings

Radish Seedlings

Salad Seedlings

Meanwhile in my little potted garden, we have had a crop of strawberries.  Delicious red strawberries fresh from the garden, what could be better?  We have had a little competition from the slugs, but mostly our small crop has been perfect.  Placing the straw on the soil has proved a good way to keep the majority of slugs off.  I must have picked the equivalent of a couple of punnets over the last few weeks from two plants.  Not bad for the first year of growing our grown.  Lots of runners have formed so next year there will be more plants and hopefully more fruit!  We are planning to train them to grow along the edge of our garden as it is well sheltered and out of the way of Freddy's garden toys.

Strawberry Plant

Homegrown Strawberries

My potato plant has grown massively but is struggling to not end up wilting under the midday sun.  Keeping it well watered is helping, I just hope it has got the energy to form potatoes.  I so want the children to taste freshly picked spuds that they have grown themselves!

The Ice campaign promotes sustainable living and growing your own is one way of doing this.  In the long term I can see it also being a way to save money when weighed up against the cost of buying organic produce. Even someone with a small garden, or even a well lit balcony can create a potted garden using pots, troughs and grow bags.  I know with my small garden project I will never be able to be self sufficient, but just to get a few lovely baskets of fresh, chemical free garden produce is a wonderful prospect!

Ice 'Grow Your Own' Challenge

Ice is challenging bloggers to take a step towards a greener summer in their Grow Your Own Competition.  Ice runs a customer reward programme partnered with a range of retailers who are doing their best for the environment, making a one-stop shop for customers where points can be earned and redeemed.  One of their partners is The Organic Gardening Catalogue.  Together they promote sustainable living and keeping things organic, encouraging more people to grow their own fruit and veg in the garden.

I have taken up this challenge to grow and use some home grown produce that I have lovingly nurtured with my own green fingers...well that's the plan!

Armed with a selection of seasonal organic seeds supplied by Ice, the plan is to sow them and grow my own salad leafs and vegetables.

Unfortunately I am not blessed with a big, sunny garden.  In fact my outdoor space is rather small, shady and monopolised by my outdoor loving children and their play paraphernalia.  However, that doesn't mean I can't grow my own produce.  Using pots, tubs and troughs, I can plant up a variety of seeds successfully.  This year I have already started on my mission to be greener and save cash by subsidising our diet with homegrown produce.  I have potatoes growing in a tub, rhubarb in a pot and strawberries that have broken free from their planter and taken root in my lawn!

Gardening is an activity that I enjoy doing with the children as it helps them to learn about nature and teaches them about where their food comes from.  As we are a family of vegetarians, I think that growing our own and trying to live more sustainably is something that complements our lifestyle perfectly and sets a great example to my kids - the next generation.

Now all I need to do is wait for my seedlings to grow and reap the rewards of growing my own!  I am looking forward to some freshly picked baby leaf salad very soon!

Find out more about the free to join reward programme for ethical shoppers at myice.com

Gardening with Grandad #KidsGrowWild

This Father's Day, we invited my parents around for a celebratory lunch with the family.  During their visit, we shamelessly took advantage of my dad's horticultural talents and sent him into the garden with grandson Freddy to plant up some seeds using our gardening starter set received as part of the Brit Mums #KidsGrowWild campaign in conjunction with moneysupermarket.com.  It was a delight to see 4 year old Freddy and 80 year old Grandad cultivating their green fingers and having some outdoor fun together.  

With the addition of a bag of compost and a few pots, they were ready to get planting the Pansies, the mixed flowers and the Sunflowers, hoping for a pretty display of colour that will attract the bees into our garden over the summer months.
Freddy loved the feel of the soil and enjoyed scooping it into the pots with his hands, the trowel and while wearing his gardening gloves.  He explored the colours, textures and smell of the soil as he worked. It is such a wonderful, multi-sensory activity.

Once the pots were full, they were ready to plant the seeds. Grandad told Freddy all about the different seeds and how they will grow.  Freddy was taking in all the facts about flowers and what colour, shape and size they will be.  Freddy really wants the pansies to be light blue...we shall find out when they grow!

We had potted up some sunflower seeds into a small pot the week before, and they were now little seedlings ready to be planted in the big pots.  Grandad showed Freddy how to gently prick out the seedlings. He told him all about the roots and showed him how to make a hole in the soil with his thumb to gently plant the seedling in.  freddy was amazed to hear that sunflowers can grow even taller than Grandad!

Once all the seeds and seedlings were planted up in their pots, Freddy watered them using rain water we had collected in a bucket in the garden.  Freddy loves watering plants and his new watering can was a big hit.

He finished up by using the plant labels so he could remember what was planted in each pot!  

Freddy was so attached to his new gardening gloves he wore them for the rest of the afternoon! 

It was so lovely to see Freddy spend some quality time with his Grandad doing something together out of doors.  My dad loves gardening and if can pass on some of his enthusiasm and knowledge to his grandchildren it is time well spent!  They had a wonderful time pottering about, happy in each other's company.

After doing the gardening with Grandad, we all sat down to watch Dr Suess's The Lorax which is all about the importance of plants and growing seeds.  Freddy's favourite song is "Let It Grow!" which seemed very appropriate!

 “This post is an entry for BritMums’ #KidsGrowWild Challenge”

'Grow Your Own' with Poundland

If you like the idea of growing your own produce or getting out in the garden, but don't want to spend a fortune, then Poundland has the ideal range for you.  They stock a variety of seeds, pots, fertiliser, garden ornaments, bulbs, gloves, tools, solar lights, hanging baskets and compost all at just £1 each giving every green fingered gardener a selection of great items at bargain prices.

We were sent an assortment of the items to try out and were particularly excited about the idea of growing our own potatoes using the canvas potato planter, the Organic Potato Fertilser, the potting soil and the Maris Piper seed potatoes.  We don't have any room for a vegetable plot in our garden so growing things in tubs and planters works really well for us.  I really hope hope we get a good crop of spuds later this year so the children can get to eat the produce they have planted up themselves.  We also planted up Rocket, Herbs and Strawberries, as well as Sunflowers and Dahlias.  Fingers crossed for a bumper harvest!!

Kizzy and Freddy enjoyed helping their dad in the garden during the glorious Bank Holiday weekend.  Gardening with kids is a great outdoor activity where they can learn about science and nature and get their hands dirty!

I was really impressed with some of the sets of seeds such as the Nice and Spicy Collection that included four types of chilli, pepper, coriander, basil. mustard greens and oriental spicy leaf seeds.  Excellent value at just £1 and an amazing collection of spicy ingredients to use in the kitchen.  The 10 litres of potting soil comes in a small pack which becomes reconstituted to its original volume by the addition of water.  This makes it easy to buy in store and carry home.  The herb seed discs make it very easy to grow your own herbs such as Parsley, Basil and Chives in pots. 

Check out the gardening range in store at your local Poundland and you could be growing your own for just a few quid!!

Gardening With Children

Our garden is not great for growing things.  It is very shaded and the soil is terrible (basically George Wimpey put some turf on top of builder's rubble and called it a lawn!)  However, just because I'm never going to have a productive cottage garden, it doesn't mean we can't enjoy growing things with the children.  Using pots of compost makes the process much easier to manage and also creates an attractive display.  The simple process of having fun with dirt and water is enough to get little ones eagerly involved.  Whether or not anything grows is secondary, but we keep our fingers crossed that the children will get to grow something that they can be proud of.

This weekend, blessed with some glorious sunshine, we embarked on a bit of gardening with three year old Freddy and ten year old big sister Kizzy.  We were lucky to have been sent two lots of fab gardening products to try out and Freddy was in his element with his new shiny watering cans, tools and seeds!  Both brands are perfect for little gardeners, encouraging them to get outside in the garden and explore their environment in a positive way, learning new skills and discovering nature in a hands on way.

Seedlets

Seedlets sell an impressive, quality range of gardening gear that is age appropriate, to encourage children to grow their own with the help of sunshine, rain and bugs.  Chris Collins, Blue Peter's resident gardener is the name behind the brand and he features on the website giving children ideas for projects and offering top tips on gardening.  The project ideas are for begginners, intermediate and experts, so children can find their level and really get involved in the gardening process supported by mum or dad.  Seedlets really bring the whole gardening experience to children from an early age, teaching them about science and nature in the process.

The products themselves are grouped into three stages.  The Beginner's Stage includes some lovely colourful, plastic tools, watering can, a broom, gloves, tool bag and a magnifying glass, as well as some easy to grow seeds and an insect hotel to encourage bugs into your garden.  The range is well designed and perfect for tiny tots.  Stage 2 looks more grown up with wooden handled metal tools and a gorgeous metal watering can.  A sieve and a propagator help to hone gardening skills and a thermometer and rain gauge help little gardeners to explore the other factors affecting plants in the garden.  The Advanced stage 3  products introduce some more grown-up type tools such as a spade and rake and also includes vegetable seeds and a snazzy tool belt.

Stage 1 and 2 Hand Tools

The Seedlets products are available from the Handpicked Collection and are really reasonably priced from just £2.99 -£10.99

www.myseedlets.com

Wilko's

Wilkinson's have a great range of products to encourage kids to have fun growing things in the garden or on the windowsill.  They are stocking some Johnson's Little Gardeners products that include growing kits that the children will love.  Kids can grow their own pizza toppings, their own spooky pumpkin or sweet strawberries.  The grass haircut kit comes with stickers to decorate the pot to make your own grass haired monster!  The packaging features cartoon children that are very appealing, making these products really kid-friendly.  They make gardening a fun activity.  Priced between £1 and £5 they are a great way to get kids growing.

Find out more at the Wilko's Kids Growing section of the website.

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Using their lovely selection of tools, pots and growing kits, Kizzy and Freddy had a great time planting up a selection of pots.  They talked about what plants needed to grow and what would happen to the seeds over time.  It was a lovely activity for them to do together and they felt quite inspired to do more.  Both brands had packaging that came complete with hints, tips and gardening facts making them educational as well as fun. We are now planning on getting some grow bags to grow some home produce.  The children like the idea of growing strawberries and I'd love a potted herb garden!  With my two eager green fingered helpers, we will be growing our own in no time!

Great Garden Moments

I've never been much of a gardener, although this is not from want of trying.  My lack of green fingers is an affliction that has marred my ability to transform my little green patch of earth into a colourful sea of vibrant blooms or provide a kitchen garden bursting with an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Consequently my garden is little more than a square of lawn...dotted with dandelions and daisies.  But it is much loved!

Our only produce is the tubs of herbs and pots of vegetables planted by me and my children, and a thriving strawberry plant given to me for Mother's Day two years ago.  When new leaves or flowers appear in our graden they are met with wonder as we marvel at nature's ability to bring beauty to the world. We never take our green space for granted.   My garden may not be amazingly landscaped or like an allotment, but it is however a haven to my children who play in it tirelessly.  It is an outdoor space that is full of fun and laughter. This is why it is so precious to me.

Abandoned toys are strewn across the patio.  Scooters, bikes and balls each represent a memory of my children at play.  The sagging springs of our trampoline show the joy of a million bounces. Each  mark on the swingset and slide represent the wear and tear caused by an imaginary adventure involving pirates,castles and monsters.  My patio table and chairs may not be pristine, but their weathered appearance bears testament to the amount of evenings we have sat outside together as a family.  I can almost smell the coals of much enjoyed barbecues and hear the peels of laughter as we have giggled at the antics of one of the children.

The divots in the lawn that become waterlogged in the rain are exciting muddy puddles to be jumped in with welly clad feet.  Spiders' webs and creepy crawlies are the subjects of many a safari expedition.  Pots of mud  have replaced many of my attempts at seed planting.  The over watered compost, stirred with a stick may not be hospitable to seedlings, but in the mind of my kids they are cauldrons of thrilling ingredients ready to weave their magic spells.  Makeshift boats sail in my water butt.  Chalk drawn masterpieces adorn my creosoted fence panels.

My Great Garden Memories

This is why I love my garden.  These are my great garden memories which will endure long after any flower beds would have drooped and died.  My children are the brightest blooms in my garden and my family's laughter is the most perfect harvest we can reap!