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Scottish Sun
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
My £2 patio pot challenge will keep your kids entertained all day in half term
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. GO GREEN My £2 patio pot challenge will keep your kids entertained all day in half term WHEN David Beckham appeared at Chelsea Flower Show on Monday - it was to tease a project which aims to encourage young people to consider careers in horticulture . There's a huge education and skills gap in the sector - leading to a chronic shortage of workers, recent research revealed. Advertisement 3 Lee Connelly on the first day of his school tour in Derby 3 Lee in a classroom teaching kids about the benefits of gardening Credit: Supplied 3 Beckham appeared at Chelsea as part of a scheme getting youngsters into horticulture Credit: Getty Beckham joined forces with Alan Titchmarsh and the Kings Foundation with the ultimate aim of getting youngsters interested in nature. But one surefire way of starting from the ground up, is by incorporating gardening into the school curriculum. Lee Connelly - AKA Skinny Jean Gardener - has been campaigning for the government to make such a change for years. In fact, he spent the last week touring 30 schools either in person or remotely - reaching 10,000 primary school pupils - to teach them about the joys of horticulture. Advertisement Ahead of National Children's Gardening week he told Sun Gardening: 'It's a great way for children to learn, it's great for their physical and mental health, encourages them to eat more healthily through learning how to grow their own food - and being outside in their school playing field is a much better way for them to learn.' 'Really the school tour for us is a research mission to try and find out what schools want, so we can put it towards the Government to say, this is what schools need, this is what's going on right now, and this is what we can do. 'It doesn't matter how much money you throw at schools or how much money you spend on their school gardens, if there's no direction for the teachers to keep that going month on month then it's just going to be a waste of money. 'We're not talking about having gardening lessons, we're talking about incorporating it into current subjects like maths and english. Advertisement 'Gardening teaches kids patience - and if you choose plants that they care about and have to spend time looking after, it gives them a real sense of responsibility.' Elia Johnston, from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), said: "Getting gardening into every school is absolutely vital for the next generation. David Beckham meets with King Charles at Chelsea Flower Show 'It provides incredible benefits for children's physical and mental wellbeing, connects them with nature, and teaches invaluable life skills. 'Hands-on gardening brings the curriculum to life in a unique and engaging way. Advertisement Entertain your kids all day with Lee's simple £2 patio pot challenge It doesn't take much to get kids into gardening, says Lee.... "A perfect way of getting your own child happy in horticulture - is to spend some quality time with them creating a mini garden competition. "Choose a budget - anything from £2 to £10 for each of you and your child. "Go to your local garden centre and spend time browsing together. "Then choose a plant from that budget. Or maybe a tiny toy. "Use an old plant pot (you can often get these for free from local social media groups) "Fill it with soil "Create your garden using the plant and twigs, leaves, stones and your kids toys for example. "I made a Jurassic garden using a tiny dinosaur and some plants and using one of my daughter's old mini cars. "She made a fairy garden. "It's a whole day's activity that you can do together based around gardening". ' As National Children's Gardening Week begins, the HTA hopes that schools will embrace getting children's hands dirty – the benefits bloom long after the plants do." And Manuella Perteghella, Lib Dem MP for Stratford-on-Avon, who's been campaigning alongside Lee to get gardening on the school curriculum, added: "Gardening deserves a place in our national curriculum, not just as a hobby, but as a vital life skill that nurtures wellbeing, resilience, and a deep connection with the natural world. "When children learn to grow and care for plants, they also learn patience, responsibility and the value of nurturing something beyond themselves. "Across the country, we've seen the joy and pride it brings to young people, particularly when they can see the fruits of their efforts bloom. Advertisement "With the curriculum review currently underway, now is the time to recognise the value of gardening in schools." Win a Birdbox and Bench bundle worth £220 AND find out how to win £1k of gardening products. Win big with Robert Dyas Sit and watch the birds with your children - with a fabulous £143.99 Rowlinson Willington bench and a £76.99 Rowlinson Windrush Bird Table - both from Robert Dyas. To enter visit or write to Sun Rowlinson Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 14.06.25 T&Cs apply. PLUS Win £1000 of gardening products, by creating gardening memories with your children and sharing them with the National Children's Gardening Week website. All you have to do is post the picture on instagram tagging @nationalchildrensgardeningweek and @skinnyjeangardener or visit The winning family will receive a £1000 Gardening Bundle packed full of incredible prizes, including raised beds, gardening tools, plant feeds, a year's subscription to a gardening club, a £100 National Garden Gift Card and so much more to keep the gardening fun going all year round!
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scottish Sun
Turn garden into a holiday, our Sun Gardening editor explains how to create zones
Plus even more money-saving gardening tips FEEL THE VIBE Turn garden into a holiday, our Sun Gardening editor explains how to create zones Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NOWADAYS it's perfectly normal to consider your outside space as an extra room of your house. Not only does a fabulous garden add value to your property, it can improve your mental health and help you keep fit. 6 Our Sun Gardening Editor breaks down everything you need to know Credit: Olivia West 6 Zoe Claymore designed a garden at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show Credit: Alamy It is a place where you can relax, play, work out and party — all without leaving the boundaries of your property. And with a few clever additions — along with a bit of elbow grease and bargain buys — you can transform your outside space in time for summer, with minimum spend. We've got enough tips and tricks to make sure that every moment outside will feel like a little holiday . . . One way of making the most of your garden is by creating various zones, each bringing a different vibe. Something as simple as a line of large pots brimming with tall, structured flowers can partition an area off with minimal effort. And one of the best things about late May is that for the vast majority of the country the chance of any frost has generally passed. So you can go full steam ahead with planting. An easy and cheap way of filling your outside space with colourful blooms is by using summer bulbs. Zoe Claymore, who has designed a garden at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show, told me: 'You can plant bulbs now to fill gaps in your borders. "You don't need a large garden to plant them. Cheap and easy ways to transform your garden including painting fences black "If you rent or garden on a balcony you can simply pop them into a pot, and within a few months you will have gorgeous blooms. They are also a win for the sustainable gardener. "By buying bulbs you are saving money compared with potted perennials but also they have a comparatively low footprint on the planet — lower transport haulage because their weight and size is less, and there is no worry about what type of compost they are planted in or the plastic pot.' She added: 'My top three bulbs include dahlias — technically it's a tuber but still a summer classic; crocosmia — I've planted them in drifts in my own garden; and gladioli — fabulous cut flowers, and my allotment neighbour steals the show with them.' To keep costs down, go for a big bag of mixed summer bulbs as opposed to buying lots of different packets. You can usually find big bags of them in the entrance to most Lidl supermarkets. And it's easy to grab a bargain online. B&Q is currently offering a YouGarden bag of three hundred bulbs of seven mixed varieties for £14.99. When it comes to making a planting plan, it's important to remember that summer bulbs like lots and lots of sunshine. But if you're limited on space, they look great in containers, which you can move around the garden as and when you fancy. Use in a cluster to bring light and colour to a corner. Or try lines to zone off an area of your garden. You can repurpose all sorts of old items to create planters — think old buckets, saucepans, watering cans, even wellies and old tins with the labels off. All can be filled with soil and flowers. Just make sure they have drainage holes at the bottom. But if you don't have time to get creative, Home Bargains is selling 30cm Venetian square planters for £1.99. Fill a few of those with colourful blooms, put them in a line and you've got the perfect privacy fence. You can also zone off areas with Poundland's £2.50 metal flower climbing aids. Put one in a pot and grow sweet peas up it for a metre-high, fragrant barrier. So all it takes is a few choice items and a bit of imagination — and there's no limits to where your garden can take you. 8 TIPS FOR FAB DAYS OUT AT BARGAIN PRICES ENTERTAINING the kids over the May holiday costs parents £323 on average, according to credit reporting agency Equifax. But few of us have that kind of cash to spare. So here are eight easy ways to keep your costs down this half-term . . . HALF-PRICE AND CHEAP DEALS 1. ON Universal Credit? You're entitled to tickets to top attractions such as the Eden Project and the Tower of London from just £1. Search for a full list. 2. ENJOY a very mini mini-break with a Butlin's Day Pass. Valid at Skegness, Minehead and Bognor Regis, prices start at £19 for kids and £27 for adults, with under-twos free. See 3. EAT out for less. Farmhouse Inns is offering a half-term deal where up to two kids get a free small main plus a scoop of ice cream when you buy an adult main. See 4. TAKE advantage of National Rail's Days Out two for one deal with up to half-price entry at top attractions, hotels and theatres around the UK. See FREE ACTIVITIES 5. ORGANISE a clear-out for cash. Spend the first weekend of the holiday decluttering. Get the kids to sort out old toys, books, games and clothes. Sell what you can in a yard sale then list the rest on Vinted or Facebook. Use the cash you make for a day out at the end of the holiday. 6. CHECK out your local council's clubs and activities. Most councils put on free or low-cost activities, from sports clubs to arts and crafts or theatre workshops. Visit your council website for up-to-date information. 7. SET up a toy swap shop. Invite friends round for a big playdate. Everyone should bring at least one item they'd like to swap, so each child gets a 'new' toy for half-term. Set rules on whether you keep the new toy or return it once the holiday is over. 8. GET into more than 200 leading attractions for free with a Blue Peter badge. Find out how to earn one at All ready for your day out? Find the full list at GROW ZONE 6 300 mixed bulbs, £14.99, B&Q Credit: YOU can dedicate an area solely for growing fruit and veg, which will also save you money on your supermarket spend. And because your soil will now be nice and warm, you can plant seeds straight into it instead of faffing around with transplanting seedlings. Vegetables including sweetcorn, carrots, courgettes, runner beans and beetroot are all good to get in the ground now. When you're digging out an area for growing, it's worth adding some compost to improve your soil quality. Most Lidl stores will have packets of seeds on a stand, at a very reasonable £1.49 per pack. Just make sure you read the instructions. And their compost is really reliable, too. It's always worth checking local social media sites for seed-swapping events as well. And you never know what you'll find on Facebook Marketplace, shop noticeboards or car boot sales. There's often people giving away plug plants after they've grown so many seedlings in their greenhouses that they've got nowhere to put them. Plug plants are established plants that are ready to transplant into larger pots or directly into your garden. Growers often have too many tomatoes and courgettes and are willing to part with them for practically pennies. Facebook and car boot sales are also great places to pick up second-hand garden equipment super cheap. Fruit trees are another perfect addition to any garden. Not only will they save you money on supermarket offerings, but once established you can use them to help with zoning. Dwarf varieties of apples, pears, cherries, plums and peaches are particularly well-suited to pots, as are fig trees and blueberries. And never underestimate how tall a banana tree can grow in your garden. It's highly unlikely you'll get any fruit, but they're the perfect way of bringing a touch of the tropical to your outside space. Online plant outlet Dobies is selling Musa Basjoo banana plants for £12.99. HOLIDAY ZONE 6 Curtain lights, B&M, £12 Credit: B&M IF you fancy splashing about like you're on holiday, why not grab a paddling pool for your outside space? Place it on top of an outdoor rug if your area is paved to prevent any chance of punctures. Argos is selling a 7ft long Bestway rectangular pool for £20. The British weather isn't always the most reliable, so a great way of creating a sheltered corner is with a canopy, overhead awning or parasol. To keep costs down try a shade sail. These three-cornered covers can be tied to existing structures in your garden or on to bamboo or sticks in the ground. B&Q has a 3m grey shade sail from GoodHome for £15. Another way of zoning your garden while also creating some serious holiday vibes is by stringing up solar lights. Use them to brighten up a shadowy area of the garden, to highlight a particular corner or simply to surround an eating area. Not only are they free to power, they really can whisk you away from the day to day. Lidl's Livarno range is great, but you can also get bargains from B&M, Poundland, B&Q and Homebase. I bought B&M's £12 solar-powered curtain lights three years ago – and they're still going strong. To create a French feel, plant vines to grow up a pergola or poles stuck in the ground. You can use wire strung between and on top of them to create a frame for the vines to grow up. Try Himrod grape plants for £5.99 from Wilko. Chuck in a cheap bistro set and before you know it you've created a chic Provencal corner to escape to. The Range is selling a black Pisa Bistro set for £49.99. If you want a truly relaxing oasis, think about a garden fountain. The sound of running water can aid rest and relaxation and definitely brings some island vibes to your outside space. Hydria has a really classy chargeable fountain set that can be put in any pot, which means you can move it around the garden as you see fit. You get months of tinkling water, with no solar panels, cords or plumbing required. The Hydria Leaf Cascade is currently on sale for £132, which is 26 per cent off, with free delivery. CHILLOUT ZONE 6 Outdoor cushion, Dunelm, £3 Credit: Dunelm IF you are creating a chillout area in your garden, consider an outdoor rug. They've gone up in quality and down in price – and are the perfect way to bring an attractive soft texture to your outside space. Temu's extra-large reversible outdoor mat in black and white is a great buy at £12.63. Then chuck a few brightly coloured outdoor cushions on any garden furniture and it will brighten up that spot no end. Dunelm has got some swanky, silky-looking numbers for £3. FITNESS ZONE 6 Decathlon exercise mat, £3.99 Credit: Decathlon CREATING a simple workout space – with a yoga mat surrounded by pots of flowers to provide a relaxing corner to do your exercises in. When you're stretching on the floor and the flowers are at nose height, it's easy to imagine you are elsewhere. Decathlon is selling a Comfort Fitness mat for £3.99 Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
I'm a Peony Expert – my 10 essential tips will keep them flourishing for months
FLOWER POWER I'm a Peony Expert – my 10 essential tips will keep them flourishing for months FLAMBOYANT, frilly and utterly fantastic - Peonies are the secret weapon to filling your outside space with stunning colour right now. But how much do you know about the blowsy blooms? 3 Peonies come in all shapes and sizes - and there's a trick to make them flourish Were you aware they can live for 100 years? Or that they get better with age? Alec White from Primrose Hall Nursery in Bedfordshire loves them so much, he gave up his job as a lawyer 15 years ago to grow them full time. Since then he's won a Chelsea Gold Medal and holds the Plant Heritage National Collection for unusual Peony Varieties. He told Sun Gardening: 'One of the things I love most, is that they're so easy to grow. They've got a reputation for being funny as they don't like being picked up and moved. 'But actually they're tough as old boots. They've been around for 100,000 years, they're all over the Northern Hemisphere. 'They've really adapted to all sorts of conditions, whether it's mountainous, prairies, woodland, wherever- there's peonies for everything. 'And there's lots of different foliage, lots of different colours and types. 'They flower from April in the UK until the end of June, or July depending on where you are. 'And they're really not that fussy. 'If you're a beginner gardener, they're perfect, because you plant them and the more you leave them, the more they thrive. The Sun's Veronica Lorraine visits the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 'I call them an 'inheritance plant' because they can last for a hundred years - and every year you leave them - they flower more. 'It's is astonishing how they die down completely - then the next year, they quickly go from this little jewel sticking out the top of the soil in February, to a bit more by March and by April, they've shot up. 'That's down to the quality of the roots - that enables them to shoot up so suddenly." He added: "You just need to watch out for Peony Wilt. "You'll know this fungal airborne disease by the stem turning black and wilting - normally in the UK around July time. "There's nothing you can do apart from cut it out and dispose of it Any material infected material touches will die as well. 'Peonies don't generally flower until they're five years old. Because they're such a long lived plant, they've very slow, they're very steady and they're very measured. 'They may look delicate and fragile, and each plant may only flower for a few weeks each year, but they are incredibly robust and long-lived and require very little care and maintenance.' Alec's Top Peony Tips If you want to feed them, then maybe just do it once a year - a couple of teaspoons of growmore - no more - otherwise you'll tire them out. Water them - even in the summer. They're really drought tolerant and will take a lot of punishment - but if they don't get looked after two or three years on the trot, they will start to suffer. They don't like to sit in water, they have quite a fat tuberous root - and if they're in water over the winter they'll rot. Buy a well established plant - some take 7-8 years before they flower reliably. Full sun or part shade, as long as it's not heavy shade. Any soil will do - they're not fussed - as long as it doesn't get waterlogged over the winter. They mustn't have wet feet over winter. The biggest thing with planting peonies is depth. The top of the peony doesn't want to be more than inch or two under the surface. If you're a novice and you're not quite sure, I'd say keep it on the surface. If they're any deeper - they will never flower. Don't mulch them - the more you bury them, the more you stop the flowering. Give them space for airflow. 3 Peony Festiva Maxima 3 Peony Clair de Lune Alec's Favourites EARLY Clair de Lune - pale lemon, single, birds and bees love it, doesn't mind a bit of shade. Foliage has a slight blue hue, really big flowers, beautifully scented. Flowers Mid to Late April. MID SEASON Catherina Fontijn - Herbacious, double, big flowers, blush pink, very delicate, very highly scented. LATE Paul M. Wild - nice strong red, flowers towards the end of June. Shirley Temple is a bit more subtle with slightly smaller flowers, double, white, with a raspberry fringe on them. Open pink but turn white and beautifully scented. Win a £200 Wildlife Community Voucher The Wildlife Community is an online community and shop dedicated to connecting people with nature Win a £200 Voucher to Spend on Wildlife & Gardening Products! Fancy giving your garden a wildlife-friendly makeover? Enter our giveaway for a chance to win a £200 voucher to spend on The Wildlife Community website! Or use the code SUNTWC10 on the Wildlife Communuty Website to get 10 per cent off all products. Explore a fantastic range of eco-friendly wildlife and gardening products, including beautifully handcrafted bird feeders and nest boxes, pollinator-friendly bee hotels, fair trade planters, sustainably sourced hedgehog house and Plastic Free Gardening seed trays. To enter, visit or write to Sun Wildlife Community Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 24.05.25 T&Cs apply.
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Irish Sun
I'm a Peony Expert – my 10 essential tips will keep them flourishing for months
FLAMBOYANT, frilly and utterly fantastic - Peonies are the secret weapon to filling your outside space with stunning colour right now. But how much do you know about the blowsy blooms? 3 Peonies come in all shapes and sizes - and there's a trick to make them flourish Were you aware they can live for 100 years? Or that they get better with age? Alec White from Since then he's won a Chelsea Gold Medal and holds the Plant Heritage National Collection for unusual Peony Varieties. He told Sun Gardening: 'One of the things I love most, is that they're so easy to grow. They've got a reputation for being funny as they don't like being picked up and moved. Read More Gardening 'But actually they're tough as old boots. They've been around for 100,000 years, they're all over the Northern Hemisphere. 'They've really adapted to all sorts of conditions, whether it's mountainous, prairies, woodland, wherever- there's peonies for everything. 'And there's lots of different foliage, lots of different colours and types. 'They Most read in Fabulous 'And they're really not that fussy. 'If you're a beginner gardener, they're perfect, because you plant them and the more you leave them, the more they thrive. The Sun's Veronica Lorraine visits the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 'I call them an 'inheritance plant' because they can last for a hundred years - and every year you leave them - they flower more. 'It's is astonishing how they die down completely - then the next year, they quickly go from this little jewel sticking out the top of the soil in February, to a bit more by March and by April, they've shot up. 'That's down to the quality of the roots - that enables them to shoot up so suddenly." He added: "You just need to watch out for Peony Wilt. "You'll know this fungal airborne disease by the stem turning black and wilting - normally in the UK around July time. "There's nothing you can do apart from cut it out and dispose of it Any material infected material touches will die as well. 'Peonies don't generally flower until they're five years old. Because they're such a long lived plant, they've very slow, they're very steady and they're very measured. 'They may look delicate and fragile, and each plant may only flower for a few weeks each year, but they are incredibly robust and long-lived and require very little care and maintenance.' Alec's Top Peony Tips If you want to feed them, then maybe just do it once a year - a couple of teaspoons of growmore - no more - otherwise you'll tire them out. Water them - even in the summer. They're really drought tolerant and will take a lot of punishment - but if they don't get looked after two or three years on the trot, they will start to suffer. They don't like to sit in water, they have quite a fat tuberous root - and if they're in water over the winter they'll rot. Buy a well established plant - some take 7-8 years before they flower reliably. Full sun or part shade, as long as it's not heavy shade. Any soil will do - they're not fussed - as long as it doesn't get waterlogged over the winter. They mustn't have wet feet over winter. The biggest thing with planting peonies is depth. The top of the peony doesn't want to be more than inch or two under the surface. If you're a novice and you're not quite sure, I'd say keep it on the surface. If they're any deeper - they will never flower. Don't mulch them - the more you bury them, the more you stop the flowering. Give them space for airflow. 3 Peony Festiva Maxima 3 Peony Clair de Lune Alec's Favourites EARLY MID SEASON LATE Win a £200 Wildlife Community Voucher The Wildlife Community is an online community and shop dedicated to connecting people with nature Win a £200 Voucher to Spend on Wildlife & Gardening Products! Fancy giving your garden a wildlife-friendly makeover? Enter our giveaway for a chance to win a £200 voucher to spend on The Or use the code SUNTWC10 on the Wildlife Communuty Website to get 10 per cent off all products. Explore a fantastic range of eco-friendly wildlife and gardening products, including beautifully handcrafted bird feeders and nest boxes, pollinator-friendly bee hotels, fair trade planters, sustainably sourced hedgehog house and Plastic Free Gardening seed trays. To enter, visit or write to Sun Wildlife Community Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 24.05.25 T&Cs apply.
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Win a £200 Wildlife Community Voucher
Fancy giving your garden a wildlife-friendly makeover? Enter our Sun Gardening giveaway for a chance to win a £200 voucher to spend on The Wildlife Community website! 1 Explore a fantastic range of eco-friendly wildlife and gardening products, including beautifully handcrafted bird feeders and nest boxes, pollinator-friendly bee hotels, fair trade planters, sustainably sourced hedgehog house and Plastic Free Gardening seed trays. They've even give Sun Gardening some top tips to make the most of nature right now. Plus use the code code SUNTWC10 on the Wildlife Communuty Website to get 10 per cent off all products. Embrace ' No Mow May ' Let your lawn grow this month to allow wildflowers like dandelions and daisies to flourish. These provide vital nectar for bees and butterflies. Even a small patch left unmown helps. Add a Wildlife Pond A small pond, even using an old bowl or container, creates a home for frogs, dragonflies, and birds. Include a shallow edge or ramp to help wildlife access the water safely. Plant Native Wildflowers Include UK native plants like knapweed, foxglove, and bellflower to attract pollinators. They're well-suited to local conditions and support a wide variety of insects. Avoid Chemicals Ditch pesticides and herbicides. These can harm insects and disrupt your garden's ecosystem. Use organic methods to keep it a safe haven for wildlife. Create Shelter with Dead Wood Leave piles of logs or twigs in a quiet corner. These provide cover and breeding ground for insects, amphibians, and small mammals. Install Wildlife Homes Put up bird boxes, bat boxes, and bug hotels. These offer vital nesting and shelter opportunities, increasing biodiversity in your garden. Grow a Variety of Trees and Shrubs Plant native trees and shrubs like hawthorn or rowan. They offer food and shelter for birds, insects, and other wildlife year-round. Leave Seed Heads and Stems Don't tidy up too much! Seed heads and hollow stems offer food and winter shelter for birds and insects. Create Hedgehog Highways Cut a small 13cm x 13cm hole at the bottom of your garden fence to let hedgehogs roam freely. Connectivity between gardens is key to their survival. Provide Fresh Water Place shallow bowls of clean water in your garden for birds, bees, and mammals to drink and bathe in. Refresh daily to keep it safe. To enter, fill in the form below.
