Now the autumn is here, hedgehogs will be looking for a safe place to hibernate for the winter.  They usually hibernate from October/November through to March/April.

Hedgehogs are one of the few mammals that are true hibernators. During hibernation hedgehogs are not really asleep, instead they drop their body temperature to match their surroundings.  This allows them to save a lot of energy but slows down all other bodily functions making normal activity impossible.

Hedgehogs usually hibernate fr...

Swimming lessons for these ducklings are slightly unusual in this swimming pool. The mother duck flew by and decided this was a lovely situation to hatch her brood in the flower borders. They are being well cared for in their current home but will soon be moved to the local duck pond where a floating duck house is waiting for them. Browse our range of floating duck houses.

Shall we name them?

5 plants you can grow from food scraps

No room to compost your food scraps? Hold on to them anyway! 

Since I was tiny there had always been a compost bin in my life, awkwardly constructed out of old wooden pallets and tucked away behind my dads’ wonky garden shed. I can remember playing in the sun, scraping off the top layers and hunting for slow worms as they wriggled around in the warmth of the rotting food scraps.

Now that I have grown up I’ve found myself face to face with the sad reality tha...

5 brilliant seeds for attracting birds into your garden

I have always enjoyed spending time lounging outside in the garden and I’ve found
that as I’ve got older, I often waste entire days watching as the wild birds come and go, jumping and fluttering from branch to branch and singing their gorgeous songs.

 My favourite has always been the cheeky blue tit. Watching these agile little birds can provide hours of entertainment if you’re lucky enough to tempt them into your yard.

Even as I child, I can...

5 simple ways to help the bees in your garden

With the warm summer days upon us, now is the perfect time to start thinking about how to give our bees a friendly helping hand.

In the last two decades the number of bees in our countryside has been in severe decline. Around 13 of the UK’s bee species are now extinct and 35 others are under heavy threat of extinction. Experts believe that there are a number of factors behind the quick decline of our bee populations, and some of those include pollutio...

Awesome benefits to having a water butt in your garden!

Quench your plants thirst with the water nature truly intended for them.

It may seem silly at first to take up so much precious garden space with something as bulky and as awkward as a water butt, but did you know that they’re actually hugely beneficial? From saving you money on water bills to nourishing your flowers, here are a small handful of awesome benefits to collecting rain water in your garden.

A water butt will give you a steady suppl...

New arrivals in stock!

Browse our range of Glendale Leisure Gazebos, garden chairs and sun loungers.  Also, in our range we have included replacement curtains and canopies for the gazebos.

Choose from the best selling Vintage grey gazebo or the Seville Gazebo with optional curtains.

A gazebo is the perfect enhancement to your patio, bringing a stylish shade from the sun or a rain shower during the summer days ahead.

Browse our range here:- https://www.buttercupfarm.co.uk/shop-by-brand/glendale.html

This Spring our amazing deals on Churnet Valley Garden Furniture have proved to be top sellers.  This British manufacturer of garden furniture offers superb quality at competitive prices.  Browse our range here

For the best prices online on Churnet Valley Garden furniture, arbours, arches, picnic tables, log stores, sheds and storage, planters, gates, luxury garden seating, swings, garden dining tables and seating sets. Free UK mainland delivery for Churnet Valley products, (Scotland may incur a ...

National Nest Box Week is an established part of the ornithological calendar. Running for a week from 14 February each year, National Nest Box Week provides a welcome focus on nesting birds and encourages everyone to put up nest boxes in their local area in order to support the conservation of our breeding birds. It takes place at a time when tradition has it that small birds pair up ahead of the breeding season

Whether you’re a family with space for a box in your garden, a teacher, a member of a...

At this time of year, the wild garden birds are searching hard for food so why not help them through this cold weather and provide some nutricious treats for them?

Ducks make wonderful pets and they lay delicious eggs.  They will control the insects in your garden, act as handy lawnmowers and bring you endless entertainment with their antics. 
There are many breeds of duck that don't need a pond, simply a bowl of water can be enough water supply but they must have enough water to clean their eyes.  A toddler’s rigid plastic paddling pool makes an ideal splashing pool if you don’t have a pond.  They can live happily with other poultry and are ea...

Browse our winter sale and find yourself a bargain!  Items reduced online today.

Wild ducks, such as mallards lay eggs between now and the end of July. The female duck will build a nest from leaves and grasses and line it with down plucked from her breast. Usually, she will lay a clutch of around 12 eggs, over a period of 2-3 weeks. After each egg is added, the clutch is covered to protect it from predators and she will sit on her eggs until they hatch after 28 days. Now is the perfect time to introduce a duck house or duck box either floating on your pond or at the edge of ...

Give a little thought to the insects in the gardens

Many gardeners consider taking care of the wild garden birds in their garden but the insects that also inhabit the garden are given less thought, although they bring many benefits to our environment.  Did you know that 8 out of 10 wildflowers could disappear without insect pollination or that over its lifetime, a ladybird may consume as many as 5,000 aphids?

Benefits of Insect Hotels

Encouraging biodiversity is good for the ecological balance in t...

Are you joining in the RSPB birdwatch this weekend? Can we count our chickens and ducks? 

Here's the link if you would like to join in:-

https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

Following a number of requests for a pressure treated hen house with run, we have just introduced a new chicken or duck house with run to our range and we think you will love it!

This poultry keeping unit is ideal for the back garden poultry keeper or smallholder. It is ideal for housing chickens or ducks and is robustly constructed from pressure treated timber and with an Onduline roof covering the chicken house and the attached run. Measuring approximately 14 foot long and 4 foot deep plus nest...

Keeping chickens will add life to your garden and provide you with hours of pleasure, whether it be from collecting their eggs or simply watching them scratching around.  You might even find yourself talking to them!  They will certainly talk to you and once they get to know you, they will come running to you on sight.

They are easy and cheap to feed and their eggs will provide you with the ingredients for a variety of meals - what more could you ask for?

Chickens do not need a hug...