April has been a kind month for the garden. The gorgeous spring bulbs have given a cascade of colour and continue to flower.

The trees are now in full blossom giving a spectacular display of lovely pink across the whole garden.

Work wise it has been quiet with an occasional tidy up and preparation of a plan for the rest of spring and summer.

So we decided to focus on plant benefits and start with the humble dandelion.

This poor flower has been a gardeners’ enemy for years but actually is very beneficial to gardens and wildlife.

There are three main benefits.

Food for pollinators:-

Each plant has 100 flowers which are an excellent food for pollinators such as bees , moths and butterflies. Without pollinators Europe would have 80% less wildflowers .

Benefits to your grass:-

They have far reaching roots which not only aerate the grass but also transport important minerals such as calcium from deep soil to other plants. They help reduce erosion and fertilise grass.

Food for humans:-

These are one of the most nutritious vegetables even more Vitamin A than spinach. Added to a salad or added to a shake or juice they are a good addition for health. Obviously they need to be well washed and not used if weedkillers / fertilisers have been used in the garden.

So just a few facts about such a humble much persecuted flower. Next time you see one please give it a second thought before destroying it and maybe just enjoy its lovely yellow uplifting colour 🙂

Up and coming projects :-

No Mow May. Everyone is being asked not to mow their lawn in May to try and help the bees. We’ve managed months without a haircut so maybe our grass could too??

CARBON CAPTURE

We hope to take part in a tree study run by Napier University. It will study trees growing on Church of Scotland land. More information to follow.