MAD MARCH - Commercial Landscaping Bristol & Bath

As we all know this month has seen unprecedented times. In light of the Government lockdown due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we had to make the difficult decision to stop working on all sites until either the Government review, or until further clarification comes out on working on construction sites safely. This includes our Fencing, Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance divisions. The safety and wellbeing of all our customers and staff are paramount to everyone here at Elmtree. Our aim is to continue to monitor Public Health England and World Health Organisation announcements and follow any further government guidance. In these trying times, most of all we hope you and your families all stay safe.

With schools and many businesses in the UK closing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus and the government guidelines changing to ‘stay at home’, we thought this months blog post we would focus on some suggestions on being creative while staying safe from home. We are after all officially into Spring! Marking the start of British Summer Time, the clocks have ‘sprung forward’ giving us more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings. There are plenty of creative gardening activities to try out. We are keeping kids in mind and hoping that for those parents who have suddenly turned into teachers over night that we can provide you with a few ideas to keep the little (and not so little) ones busy.

For those without gardens there are still some fab ideas that you can get involved with.

Activity One: Rock painting. Painting is a great way to get creative and it’s fun to try without paper and card! It’s a brilliant way to add some colour to your garden and beautifully decorated stones also work well as cool ornaments for your house too.

All you’ll need is some paint, a good-sized flat rock with a smooth surface and some creative ideas. Just make sure to wash your rocks (and your hands!) beforehand to get any dirt off and let them air dry completely before painting.

Why not try painting your rock so it looks like a family member or friend? You could even try painting your pet!

Activity Two: Growing Your Own Food. Seeing a seed slowly transform into your favourite fruit or vegetable is pretty magical, and now could be the perfect time for you to give it a go!

You can either try growing something in your garden if you have one, but lots of fruits and vegetables can also be grown indoors in plant pots too.

Herbs like basil, mint and rosemary, radishes, chillies, tomatoes and strawberries are just some of the delicious foods you can grow at home and all you need are some seeds to start.

If you’re planning to grow something in your garden, remember:

choose a good spot where your plants will get enough sunlight
get rid of any weeds and stones in the soil where you’re planning to plant your seeds
you can improve the quality of the soil by adding in your own compost – why not try making this using old fruit and veg?
your plants needs to be watered regularly, especially during dry weather when there’s not a lot of rain.

If you’re looking to grow plants indoors, here are our top tips:

find a good container or pot to plant your seeds – this is also a great chance to recycle, why not use an old plastic container, or even an old welly boot!
similar to planting outside, make sure your using good quality soil adding compost where you can
make sure your container is the right size for the plant – some may need more room for their roots
put your plants in a place where they’ll get enough sunlight like a windowsill or balcony if you have one
water your plants regularly to ensure they grow nice and healthy.

Activity Three: Snap Snap Snap, Draw Draw Draw!

As the weather gets warmer, you’ll probably start to see lots of different types of plants and flowers, birds and insects. Why not use this as an opportunity to take/make some pictures?

All you’ll need is a device to take pictures with (or drawing materials), your garden or other space where plants and flowers grow and a willingness to capture nature in a fun and creative way.

You can even look back at the pictures later and write down how each one makes you feel.

Activity Four: Making Bird Feeders

As the nation has slowed down we have noticed an increase in more wildlife visiting our gardens, streets, lakes and public areas. Why not take this time to attract more wildlife into your garden, something simple like making a bird feeder is a good place to start.

You will need: Lard, bird seed, a mixing bowl, string, old, clean yoghurt pots. Simply mix 2 parts seeds to one part lard in a large bowl. Blend together aiming for an even spread of feed through the lard to make a fat ball that will be stable enough. You can now get creative and make shapes (or just a simple ball) that you will then hang from the string. Alternatively push the mix into clean yoghurt pots.

For the shapes, you will need to tie a knot in some string to make a loop to then embed into the shape and for the yoghurt pot you can poke a hole in the bottom of the pot and tie a string inside so it will hang upside down. Lastly place in the fridge for a few hours until they are hard and ready to hang.

Choose a tree or shrub with easy access for birds. Put some fresh water out too to keep them hydrated!

Once your fat balls are hanging up, try and spot different birds coming to visit your garden.

We are hoping these activities are a start to get you thinking about way of being creative and getting outside as and when you can. Most of all, stay safe and keep in touch with your family and friends via phone. We understand that these are challenging times for us all. Look out on our social media page for further tips and information on how to manage your mental and physical wellbeing and other garden related posts!