Organic, sustainable, free-range…phew all these terms can get confusing when you are doing the weekly food shop!  You know they are positive labels on the food that you are buying, but what do they mean? 

Summer is keeping us waiting but it’s almost here! Last year the paddling pools and sun loungers were out and the grass was dried to a crisp. This year we have lush green grass but the patio furniture feels like it’s not seen the light of day for an age! 

The theme of this year’s ‘National Allotments Week’ is 'Soil Health', focusing on the condition of our soil, what to plant and how to care for it to ensure a bumper harvest! "The NAS hope that this National Allotments Week will inform and educate gardeners old and new about the benefit of caring for the soil and the creatures that inhabit it."

After a very wet July your lawn should be looking lush and green but also in need of a good mow! 

How are you enjoying summer so far? I am loving my herbaceous borders! I find it such a joy to see all the plants put on growth and then burst into flower. 

I think this has got to be one of my favourite times of year, apart from spring, when you start to see everything coming to life again after a very dull few months. It’s wonderful to wake up in the morning to blue skies and birds singing. 

Read our latest review of the Electress 34 Li lawnmower from gardening guru Fran Suermondt as she and her husband trade in their petrol mower and give Mountfield battery power a try.