What is your garden shed worth?

 A study conducted by Net Voucher Codes has found that in the average garden shed, there are £2080 worth of items. But even with this amount of expensive items, the study revealed that 29% of people don’t put a lock on their garden shed.

Valuable items in your garden shed

· Average of £600 worth of bikes

· Lawnmowers in our shed average at £250

· On average we have £450 worth of garden tools

· The average amount of garden furniture we have adds up to £350

· Children’s toys average at £230

Now that you know the amount of money that is sitting in your garden shed, you should be more careful and aware when it comes to storing your garden items. Putting a lock on your garden shed is the very least you can do to protect your garden shed from break ins and theft.

If you would like something more substantial, than your average wooden garden shed, Asgard has a range of metal garden sheds, designed to provide fantastic protection from theft. Made from tough weatherproof steel, these metal garden sheds are fitted with tough pick resistant locks to help keep thieves out. Find out more about Asgard metal sheds on their website.

Need large storage for your garden?

Think gardening is for the dull?

Alan Titchmarsh has spoken out, warning that gardening is undervalued, adding that young people must be taught that gardening jobs are not for the “thick dull and unadventurous”.

Alan stated that gardeners work is “undervalued by Government, by the population and by young people in particular - in every instance, because they just do not understand the breadth of what we do and its importance in terms of the well-being of the planet and its population”.

A study conducted by some of Britain’s leading horticultural organisations has shown that more than 70% of companies are struggling to find skilled workers and more than 80% of those businesses surveyed believed it is the poor reputation of horticultural jobs. Due to the perception of horticultural jobs, 19% of companies have been forced to recruit from abroad and 10% of vacancies took over a year to fill.

The Horticultural Trade Association director Carol Paris said “With such a serious skills shortage in the sector we need to change perceptions to show the diversity of exciting opportunities that exist within horticulture and how this can offer a serious and rewarding career for talented people.”

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Will food shortages cause Brits to grow their own food?

It might be time for us Brits to dig out the spades and get rid of our precious lawn, bedding plants and rose bushes.

The agriculture minister David Heath has claimed that unless households start digging and growing their own food, we will face empty supermarket shelves as they will struggle to import enough food to feed us. The government are currently warning about future food shortages which could occur as the UK currently imports 40% of its food.

Freezing temperatures earlier this year have already had an effect on crops, with potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and peas all being affected by waterlogged ground and low levels of light. More shockingly, over the past 10 years, the growth of tomatoes, cucumbers and spring onions in Britain has fallen so low that they have been labelled as “endangered”. Brussels sprouts, lettuce, leeks and cauliflower are also at risk of becoming “endangered”. If action isn't taken by the government, there will be even less home grown food on supermarket shelves and food prices will continue to rise.

While we wait for the government to take action, people can do their bit by growing fruit and vegetables in their gardens. The number of people growing their own fruit and veg is already on the increase, as the share of fruit and veg grown in allotments and gardens rose from 2.9% in 2008 to 5% in 2011.

For those looking to make small changes, herbs, salad leaves, chillies and garlic are all easy to grow and a great way to get started. So why not give it a go and see what you can grow. Growing your own food shouldn't be a daunting task. This year I took on the challenge of growing my own herbs and vegetables and so far it is going well. Having cleared a small patch in my garden, I have so far planted onions, spring onions and carrots all of which are doing well. Indoors I have managed to grow some chives, parsley, coriander and chillies. This is my first time at doing anything like this, so I am very pleased. So go on, don't be scared give it a go! 

Top Gardening Apps

With smartphones and tablets taking over, there is an app out there for everything! Take a look at these handy apps to help you out in the garden.

Dig My Garden

This app gives a bird’s eye view of your garden, allowing you to see your garden bloom over the seasons. With this app you can create and ‘plant’ your actual garden with hundreds of plants, vegetables, herbs, trees and shrubs to choose from.

Garden Tracker

With this app you can plan your garden plots, plant vegetables and track your gardens progress.  Garden Tracker comes up pre-loaded with over 50 vegetables, with detailed information such as ideal soil temperature, recommended planting season and more!

Landscaper’s companion

Landscaper’s companion is an interactive plant database, with over 26,000 plants from around the world.The app provides a short description, size, cultivation advice and pictures.

Vegetable garden guides

This app is a great reference tool, with guides for successful growing of over 90 vegetables. Each vegetable has a section on the growing process, how to grow and disease information.

Garden Pro

Garden Pro provides users with all the necessary information about particular flowers and plants, with a directory of over 7,000 species. Details provided by this app include growing requirements, how to care for the plant and common pests.

Add value to your home through your garden

When trying to sell your home, the appeal of your garden can often be overlooked. But a new study has shown just how important a garden can be to potential buyer.

Research has shown that when it comes to moving house, two fifths of people living in the UK would refuse to even consider a home unless it had a decent garden and one in seven home owners claim that simple garden improvements have added value to their property.

 

If you are trying and struggling to sell your property, here are a few ways that you can add more value through your garden:

• Reduce clutter and simplify the space, which will make your garden look larger 
• Conceal unsightly items such as wheelie bins 
• Remove all weeds 
• Mow your lawn and trim the edges. Neat grass always looks appealing and the smell of fresh cut grass is delightful 
• Address any long term problems before you put your house on the market 
• Check that your garden furniture is all in good condition. Even if you aren’t planning on leaving this behind, potential buyers will be able to think about where their own items will go.