• We're giving away a bumper prize bundle to TWO lucky winners – one on Facebook and one on Instagram – featuring premium gardening tools from Burgon & Ball and nutrient-rich, peat-free compost from Dalefoot Composts!


    Get ready to grow glorious flowers and tasty veg all season long – the prize includes:

    From Burgon & Ball’s BoronGreen range (RHS-endorsed, sustainable, and built to last):
    • Digging spade
    • Digging fork
    • Hand trowel
    • Hand fork

    The BoronGreen range combines the superior performance of boron steel, with an ambitious approach to sustainability. This includes using steel that’s 80% from recycled sources, and of course FSC®-certified wood. Has a 25 year guarantee

    From Dalefoot Composts’ peat-free range:
    • Wool Compost for Seeds
    • Wool Compost for Potting (x2)
    • Wool Compost for Veg & Salad (x2)
    • Wool Compost for Tomatoes
    • Wool Compost Double Strength
    • Lakeland Gold


    Dalefoot Composts is renowned for its high-quality, peat-free composts made from sheep’s wool, bracken, and comfrey - an innovative mix that provides slow-release nutrition for plants, reducing the need for feeding and watering.

    To enter - to be in with a chance of winning one of these lovely prizes all you need to do is:

    • Like the post
    • Follow both @dalefootcomposts and @burgonandball
    • Tag a friend in the comments
    • Tell us why you’d love to win these prizes for your garden this season!
    • And on Instagram, also share the post to your stories, tagging @dalefootcomposts and @burgonandball

    Prizes worth: BoronGreen tools from Burgon & Ball inc delivery £83.96 and composts from Dalefoot Composts inc delivery £116.42


    Both competitions open Friday May 16th 2025 17:00and close Monday May 26th 2025 at 23.59 and winners will be informed by Wednesday May 28th 2025. Full terms and conditions below.

    Terms & Conditions

    By entering Dalefoot Composts and Burgon & Ball’s Facebook or Instagram competitions you agree to be bound by the following:


    Facebook – the prize as described above. Entrants must like the post, follow, answer the question and tag a friend.
    Instagram – the prize as described above. Entrants must like the post, follow, answer the question, share to stories and tag a friend.


    Dalefoot Composts and Burgon & Ball will choose winners at random. A prize winner will be selected from both channels (two prize winners in total). The prizes will be sent to the winners before the end of June 2025.

    The prizes are non-transferrable and cannot be refunded for any money.


    Open to all UK mainland residents aged 18 and over, excluding families, agents or anyone professionally connected with the giveaway for Dalefoot Composts, Heltondale, Cumbria CA10 2QL or Burgon & Ball,17/19 Oakham Drive, Parkwood Industrial Estate, Sheffield S3 9QX


    Dalefoot and Burgon & Ball may publish the winners’ details and the winning entries on their social media channels or website. If Dalefoot and Burgon & Ball do not publish the winners’ details on social media, those details may be obtained by emailing sales@dalefootcomposts.co.uk within eight weeks of the draw date.


    Personal data will be processed and shared with third parties only for the administration of the prize, and for promotional purposes as listed above.


    By participating in these competitions, entrants confirm they have read, understood and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.


    These competitions are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Meta, Facebook and Instagram.


    Dalefoot and Burgon & Ball reserves the right to cancel, suspend or modify these competitions or these official rules. No responsibility can be taken for entries which are lost, delayed, corrupted, damaged, misdirected or incomplete or which cannot be delivered for any technical, delivery or other reason.


    Entry is taken as acceptance of these terms and conditions. Entry is free and no purchase is necessary. Automated entries will not be accepted.

  • Giant Veg Guinness World Record holder Kevin Fortey talks us through how to grow a giant sunflower... 

     

    Growing a giant sunflower head takes more than sunshine—it’s a test of skill, timing, and the right growing medium. Whether you’re aiming for a garden showstopper or a world record, Dalefoot Compost provides the perfect organic foundation for success.

     

    Start with the Right Seed

    Choose a giant variety. The genetics matter when aiming for maximum size and seed density.

    Pick a Sunny, Sheltered Spot

    Sunflowers thrive in full sun (6–8 hours daily) and benefit from wind protection—ideally near a south-facing wall or fence.

    Ground or Pot?

    Both work! In containers, use several bags of Dalefoot Wool Compost for strong root development and moisture control.

    Sow Indoors Early

    Use Dalefoot Seed Compost in 4-inch pots to start seeds in late winter or early spring. Transplant once frost risk has passed.

    Prepare and Mulch the Soil

    Dig deep and enrich with Dalefoot Double Strength Wool Compost. Mulch with Veg & Salad Compost to retain moisture and feed steadily.

    Water & Feed Regularly

    Water deeply, especially when the flower bud forms. Add a high-potassium feed and continue mulching to boost flower size.

    Support and Prune

    Stake early and remove side shoots to focus energy into one huge flower head.

    Pollinate and Protect

    Encourage bees or hand-pollinate if needed. Support the heavy head as it matures to prevent snapping.

    Harvest and Share

    When seeds mature and the back of the head turns yellow-brown, harvest and weigh! Share your giant with us using
    #DalefootSunflower and #GiantSunflower.
    ________________________________________

    Top Tip: Dalefoot’s peat-free composts made from wool and bracken deliver slow-release nutrients, excellent water retention, and sustainable results—perfect for growing your garden’s biggest showpiece!

    Kevin

    .........................................................

    We'll be giving away a packet of giant sunflower seeds (first come first served) at RHS Chelsea flower show Stand no EAE548, come say hello!

  • Spring has arrived, and even the tiniest outdoor spaces are ready to bloom. From patios to balconies, a little creativity goes a long way in turning any area into a relaxing, plant-filled haven. In his latest Dalefoot blog, award-winning writer and filmmaker Ade Sellars shares his simple tips for small-space gardening — from choosing the right containers and plants to making the most of vertical space. Whether you're dreaming of homegrown veggies, fragrant blooms, or a cosy spot to unwind under the stars, you’ll find inspiration to make your garden, however small, truly your own.

     

    There’s no doubt, Mother Nature has been offering a smorgasbord of spring treats to tantalise our green fingers in recent weeks. Cherry blossom, birdsong, and my favourite, a greenhouse full of happy young plants. I love this time of year; every day brings something new to the garden. Yes, I know I’m one of the countless gardeners Mother Nature likes to flirt with, her Instagram followers are through the roof. But how can you possibly resist someone with such sass.

    As a professional garden designer, I often travel the Suffolk lowlands, spreading growing joy to gardens. Trying to encourage cocooned home dwellers to step outside and feel the sunshine on their faces. And thanks to spring, something is happening. Garden owners are starting to emerge from their sheds and garages with renewed vigour. Patios are being jet washed; outdoor furniture moved into their seasonal spot. There’s even been the odd squeak of rusty wheels from a covered bar-b-que, clumsily manoeuvred onto the lawn, hoping for a Bank Holiday revival.

    However, you go about it, these are spring rituals we have been looking forward too for many months. Yet, for many gardeners this is a daydream. We know garden space is precious, for many of us it’s limited but for many more of us they have little or no gardening space at all. So, how do set about making a small space shine?

    I always start with, do not compare yourself or your green space to anyone else. You are unique and so is your garden. It should reflect you, and your tastes. Of course, enjoy social media, read the gardening magazines, watch the garden shows, but don’t regard it as competition. Gardening is therapeutic, relaxing, soul-soothing, don’t allow that negative energy to grow, let it go. Focus on you and your space.

    Next, what makes you smile? Flowers, shrubs, herbs, growing vegetables, solar lights, garden art. There is so much that will bring you joy, blooms and a tasty lunch. And the best bit, you don’t need a lot of space to achieve this.

    Garden pots, containers and hanging baskets are your greatest allies. They’re versatile, easy to move and come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you opt for terracotta containers, recyclable made pots or coir hanging baskets, the key to growing anything, is good compost. So, go with Dalefoot’s Wool Compost for Potting. Peat free and sustainable, this will keep those plants going strong throughout summer.

    If your area is a patio or a small balcony, containers, hanging baskets and window boxes are ideal for trailing plants. They can hang down over your balcony, filling the area with colour for the summer season ahead. Plants to consider are petunias, lobelia and trailing fuchsias. For more substantial plants, consider smaller variety dahlias, salvias or lavender. Summer bulbs are fantastic, easy to plant, no fuss but will reward you with frilly freesias and glorious gladiolus. For structure, greenery and a bit of drama, try adding a standard bay tree. With a stem running up to 50cm, and a round evergreen foliage head, not only does this make a statement, but the leaves are great for cooking. Easy to maintain, this will never become unruly for an area with limited space.

    For the veg growers, containers and pots can provide a whole season’s worth of food. Wherever you see vacant soil, sow lettuce, rocket or spring onions. If you want your fix of fruit, window boxes and hanging baskets can happily grow punnets of fresh strawberries, and as they’re growing higher up, ground slugs and snails won’t know where to look. For a sunny balcony, try training a grapevine across the banister. Imagine, picking your own grapes. Although I’m lucky to own a kitchen garden, I like to see pots of growing chillies on the patio.

    But if digging up a starchy spud is more your thing, try growing them in potato sacks. Again, they don’t take up much room, and their flowers make an attractive feature. Or forgo the tatty, and use the sack to grow a tasty bush courgette in. Ensure you water and pick them regularly to keep them producing throughout summer.

    There’s also the option of growing dwarf variety vegetables. With so much choice, you don’t need much space to grow them. Of course, you can grow your standard French beans up a pole, but a dwarf variety will grow half as tall but still provide a decent crop. If you don’t have the space for cordon tomatoes, try growing ‘bush’ varieties in hanging baskets or pots. One of my ‘must grow’ is nasturtiums. Not only do the produce beautiful flowers, but they’re edible. They’re seeds are roughly the size and shape of a pea, so again, where there’s vacant soil, sow a few and watch them grow.

    If you can’t grow out, grow up. Use structures, trellises and wigwams. Imagine, trailing red kuri squash over an arch, a blousy clematis hanging from an obelisk or a musky rose gently pinned to a sunny wall. Not only is this space saving, but it gives your area higher points of interest.

    To create the illusion of space, outdoor mirrors are a great option. Positioned correctly they can make a space feel bigger, or add reflected light to a once dark space. Even garden art can draw the eye, giving the small space another dimension.

    The beauty of a garden is it can be a wonderful assault on our senses. Sight, sound, taste, smell and touch can have a more intense experience in a small space. Throw into the mix somewhere to relax and socialise, and seating is important. Whether it’s a rug on the ground, a few foldable chairs or a bench made from an old wooden pallet. Surround them
    with plants that have fragrance, colour and can attract pollinators. For a unique viewpoint, create a low seating area with surrounding plants that have height and movement, such as gaura, cornflower or ammi majus. Not only are you bringing the garden closer, but it allows you to really lose yourself to nature.

    When the sun goes down it doesn’t mean you should retreat indoors. Outside on a balmy evening is a wonderful gift. Set up a few candles, a few solar lights and you could be chatting and sipping that bottle of rosé into the early hours, as a few cleverly placed lights offer intimacy and intrigue to your small space.

    Finally, if you do have a bit of garden, then perhaps the greatest thing you can do, is give it over to Mother Nature. What might seem an unkept lawn to you, is teeming with life. What you regard as weeds, a pollinator considers it as a feast. And that pile of rotting wooden logs in the corner, is a five-star palace to a homeless critter.

    It really doesn’t matter what size space a garden is, it’s what you do with it. After all, ‘Small is beautiful’.

    BIOG
    I’m Ade Sellars the ‘Good Life Gardener’, and I’m am award-winning garden writer, gardener designer, and filmmaker, with a passion for growing my own food in my kitchen garden. I currently have my weekly mini-series ‘Down the Garden Path’ featured on ITV’s Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club. I’m also a garden presenter on the QVC Channel and I regularly deliver talks around the country. This June, I shall be hosting the ‘In Conversation With’ Stage at Gardeners’ World Live at the Birmingham NEC.

    Website: www.adesellars.com
    Instagram: adesellars
    YouTube: @TheGoodLifeGardener
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ade-sellars-7429ba42_gardening-gardenarticle-plants-activity-7292253825183215616-xyUt/

  • Enter our Facebook or Instagram competitions for a chance to win all the compost you need to grow your own juicy tomato crop, and other delicious veg too, plus an expert guide from tomato-growing guru Terry Marshall.
    Two lucky first prize winners (one from Facebook and one from Instagram) will each receive:
    • Wool Compost for Seeds
    • Wool Compost for Potting
    • Wool Compost for Veg and Salad
    • 2x Wool Compost for Tomatoes
    • ‘Organic Tomatoes - The Inside Story’ by Terry Marshall

    Ten lucky runners-up (five from Facebook and five from Instagram) will each receive a copy of Terry Marshall’s Organic Tomatoes - The Inside Story

    Our Wool Compost for Seeds is perfect for sowing seeds. The seedlings can then be transplanted into our Wool Compost for Potting, which is ideal for younger plants. As the plants mature, they can be grown on into our Wool Compost for Tomatoes. Our Wool Compost range has excellent water retention and all the nutrients your plants need at every stage of their development, so there is less need to water, and no need to feed!

    To enter:

    To be in with a chance of winning one of these lovely prizes and getting your growing season off to a flying start, all you need to do is:

    • Like the post
    • Follow or like @dalefootcomposts
    • Tag a friend in the comments and tell us why you’d love to grow tomatoes this year!
    • And on Instagram, share the post to your stories, tagging @dalefootcomposts

    Prizes worth: Wool Compost for Seeds £7.99, Wool Compost for Potting £11.99, 2 x Wool Compost for Tomatoes £11.99, Wool Compost for Vegetables & Salad £11.99, Terry Marshall’s ‘Organic Tomatoes - The Inside Story’ £15.99 and delivery of £15
    Both competitions close Monday April 14th 2025 at noon and winners will be informed by Wednesday April 16th 2025. Full terms and conditions below.
    Terms & Conditions
    By entering Dalefoot’s Facebook or Instagram competitions you agree to be bound by the following:
    Facebook – the prize as described above. Entrants must like the post, follow, answer the question and tag a friend.
    Instagram – the prize as described above. Entrants must like the post, follow, answer the question, share to stories and tag a friend.
    Dalefoot Composts will choose winners at random. A first prize winner and five runners-up will be selected from both channels (two first prize winners in total etc). The prizes will be sent to the winners by April 23rd 2025.
    The prizes are non-transferrable and cannot be refunded for any money.
    Open to all UK mainland residents aged 18 and over, excluding families, agents or anyone professionally connected with the giveaway for Dalefoot Composts, Heltondale, Cumbria CA10 2QL
    Dalefoot may publish the winners’ details and the winning entries on its social media channels or website. If Dalefoot does not publish the winners’ details on social media, those details may be obtained by emailing sales@dalefootcomposts.co.uk within eight weeks of the draw date.
    Personal data will be processed and shared with third parties only for the administration of the prize, and for promotional purposes as listed above.
    By participating in these competitions, entrants confirm they have read, understood and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
    These competitions are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook and Instagram.
    Dalefoot reserves the right to cancel, suspend or modify these competitions or these official rules. No responsibility can be taken for entries which are lost, delayed, corrupted, damaged, misdirected or incomplete or which cannot be delivered for any technical, delivery or other reason.
    Entry is taken as acceptance of these terms and conditions. Entry is free and no purchase is necessary. Automated entries will not be accepted.

  • Spring has sprung but with the chance of frost still lurking, what’s the best approach for your allotment or veg garden right now? Ecologist and gardener Becky Searle shares her expert tips in her latest blog - from planning your plot and tackling weeds to boosting your soil health...

     

    It’s that time of year again, where, as Charles Dickens would say, it’s “summer in the light and winter in the shade”. That first tingle of sunshine warming our skin sets off a chain of events for gardeners. Not only does it give us the push we sometimes need to get out and start sowing seeds, it also triggers germination of those seeds and the beginning of a new cycle on our allotments. I have the pleasure of looking out at my allotment site from my house, and I see so many people going to their plots, because they are drawn outside, but other than sowing seeds, they aren’t sure where to start. So here’s a few things we can do right now to prepare for the coming season.

    Get on top of your weeds

    Weeds can compete with our plants for light and space, they can create hazards in our paths, and worst of all, they multiply at an alarming rate! Whilst it is great to leave some weeds for our wonderful pollinators – particularly dandelion are an important early food source for bees – we also need to be choosy about where we allow weeds. Clearing weeds from your beds and paths now can significantly help you in the months that follow. Large stubborn weeds like brambles will need to be dug out. Plants that spread underground like couch grass, nettles and bindweed should be pulled out. Rosette-forming weeds like thistle, dandelion and ragwort should be pulled out too, but carefully so as to not break the root. These weeds can all regrow from a fragment of root, so carefully does it! Other smaller weeds can be hoed out using a sharp hoe.

    Plan

    On those days where it is winter in both the shade and the light, take the time to do some planning. Planning your allotment can be the difference between a successful growing year and a terrible one. It will allow you to understand how many seeds you need to sow, and where you will be planting them once they’re big enough to go out. This also allows you to play with companion planting, and have a coherent vision for how it’ll all fit together. It’s a good idea to think about using larger plants as wind breaks, where you will put your supports, making sure not to cast shade on sun-loving plants, and how you will water particularly thirsty crops.
    I am always surprised by just how many crops it takes to fill an allotment, especially one of a decent size, so planning can help you make sure you are making the best of your space.

    Improve the Soil

    Regardless of what type of soil you have on your allotment, or in your garden, it will likely be lacking in organic matter. Especially where we grow vegetables, we are continuously taking organic matter away so that we can eat it. We have to keep tidy beds so as to deter pests, and the net result is that the soil gets a bit hungry! The organisms that live within the soil feed on organic matter in two forms: the first is from dead organic matter. The second is from live plant roots, that actively pump carbohydrates and sugars down into the soil to feel the soil organisms. These are called root exudates. So, if you don’t have live plants in the soil, you should cover it with mulch. This will help to suppress the weeds too, keeping the balance of nutrients in the soil more in favour of steady growth than the fast growth we see in weeds. Utilising all the spaces in your beds is a great way to improve the soil, so bear this in mind when planning. Even if you just grow something like dwarf beans, radish, rocket or turnips in the soil and put them into the compost heap when they’re done, you will be helping to improve the soil and keep weeds at bay. Plus, you will be making more compost for next year’s mulch.
    We recommend using compost as a mulch for one simple reason; it doesn’t create habitat for slugs and woodlice. Whilst these creatures are an important part of the garden ecosystem, they can present huge challenges for us gardeners when we are trying to grow things from seed such as carrots.
    Minimising the disturbance to your soil will also help to improve it over time. The organisms in the soil take the compost, fallen leaves and root exudates and turn them into sticky sugars. These hold together the particles in the soil, creating good soil structure. The moment we dig our soil, the glues are exposed to the air where they break down. It also breaks fungal hyphae that are important for holding together soil structure. With this in mind, try to limit your disturbance of the soil to just when you need to plant something.

    Leave some crops

    Lastly, you may have some crops still left over from last year. Whilst many will be good to harvest for another few months until they go to seed, some are beneficial just as flowers. Kale is a great example of this. Their small yellow, star-shaped flowers are brilliant for attracting tiny wasps. Particularly the tiny wasp that parasitises cabbage white caterpillars – the very same ones that eat our kale and other brassicas in summer! So, leaving these to flower is a brilliant way of bolstering your defences for the summer months. Allowing radishes, rocket and other brassicas to flower will do the same.
    Allowing crops to go to flower also has another key benefit; we can save the seeds. With the cost of living ever-increasing, seeds too are becoming more expensive. By saving your own seeds, you will not only save yourself money, but you will also allow plants to adapt to the specific conditions of your allotment or garden, allowing you to grow tailor-made plants. Try to choose the seeds from your best performing individual plants to save. If you want to know more about seed saving, I have written a box of cards called The Seed Collectors Kit. Each card is illustrated and has the details of different plants and how to save their seeds, and how to sow them the following year. There is also a booklet with information on seed saving and some envelopes to store seeds!

    Becky

    .............................................

    About me:
    Becky Searle is an ecologist and gardener best known for her Instagram account @sow_much_more. Her new book Grow a New Garden takes an ecological approach to planning, designing and creating a garden from scratch, or transforming your existing space. With a whole chapter on soil, and lots of information on balancing your garden ecosystem, this book is a mine of information for new and experienced gardeners alike.

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Barker and Bland is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Dalefoot Farm, Heltondale, Nr Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2QL. Registered number: 8312959

This project is supported by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) for which Defra is the Managing Authority, part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.

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