This year in the UK January was so warm that spring bulbs were opening much earlier to their usual showing, then temperatures dropped like a stone and varying inches of snow fell on gardens overnight. And then it changed back to spring like weather, unpredictable or what.

Now is a good time of year to take cuttings, from easy-to-grow garden shrubs, always choose healthy young shoots, as they have a better chance of rooting, make sure to clear the lower third of each cutting, and make the cut just below a leaf, where the ability to root is strongest, also cover the cuttings to keep the humidity place on a windowsill in good light, and you will find they should root in six to eight weeks.

Just like planting garden seeds in pots indoors you will have success if placed in good light, and when they begin to shoot and get stronger with each day, they can at this point be singled out and depending what you have planted can be then used as container plants, also your own selection of bedding plants.

Of course these days there is a huge choice of nurseries and garden centres, that offer up a variety of garden plants, but some gardeners want to do absolutely everything themselves, thus they plant their own selection of seeds and take great pleasure in showing off their achievements as the year goes on.

Gardening is for everyone, and in fact the earliest forms of gardening came from people who needed to grow herbs and vegetables for food. The Zen monks growing for food also added decorative gardens in Japan to practice their skills in flower arrangement, while the Egyptians associated gardens with the gods, furthermore the Romans loved beautiful colour in masses, and planted their gardens with a variety of plants, and some are still favourites today such as hyacinth, crocus, lilies and many more.

Your garden may be a tiny plot, a roof garden, a balcony, window box but still is important to you and how you portray it. It is wonderful to create something beautiful, and the sense of achievement and satisfaction is second to none, when creating new life from something as simple as a packet of garden seeds is a potent feeling.

A spokesman for Blooming Direct working out of their nursery on the island of Jersey said, “we are an online shopping facility, and anyone who cares about there own private space, should take a look at our website, we grow all our plants from seed but of course you will receive them in plug plants, this will give your garden a ‘kick start’ with instant blooms and colour, we also deliver to the UK absolutely FREE, all our plants are packed with the utmost care and we guarantee they will arrive on your doorstep in perfect condition”. He went on to say “we all know the weather is the gardener’s enemy, we have our own gardening blog which will give valuable advice with regards to weather conditions and how to pre-empt situations”.

For further information visit: www.bloomingdirect.com or you can visit their Facebook page to discover more offers.