As avid bloggers, we thought it would be nice to give a shout out to some of our fellow horticulturalists, with a rundown of our Top 25 Garden Bloggers for 2021.
The focus of our blog is Garden Furniture. That is what we sell. That is the sector in which we have the expertise, in which we are (or try to be) an authority.
As part of that world, we touch on a number of other areas, from garden design to BBQs. Other subjects that connect to what we do, or that members of the Lazy Susan team and I can share the benefit of our wisdom.
However, there are people out there that know much more than us when it comes to the other ‘components’ that make up a garden. And we thought it would be nice to highlight some of those horticultural experts that we avidly read and follow.
Why Lazy Susan blog...
We all have our own reasons for blogging. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t start this weblog to sell our garden furniture. We are a business. But our blog has become much more than that
We’ve recently moved it to a new publishing platform to better integrate it into our Shop. As part of that process, it had to take a few steps back, we removed old content, etc.
However, we have big plans for it moving forward in 2021. We want to better add value for our customers. A one-stop-shop for all things garden furniture.
We pride ourselves on our impartiality, and we want this blog to be a resource that not only promotes our collection but also shares helpful hints, tips and how to’s.
Yes, we’re trying to sell our furniture, but we also want to elevate the industry as a whole.
By blogging we’re able to reach thousands of people we simply couldn’t reach via traditional methods of marketing such as advertising, all at a fraction of the cost I may add.
I suppose you could say it has levelled the playing field. It puts a small family run business such as Lazy Susan alongside multinationals like B&Q, Ikea and John Lewis and their ilk. With effort, roll our sleeves up, and we can rank alongside them on Google’s Search Results.
By creating a blog that is of value, we can attract an audience and, hopefully, convert them to customers and supporters of our products. But that word value is the key.
If somebody purchases furniture from Lazy Susan, then we want to try and answer any questions they may have on our blog. If you want to know how to clean and maintain your Lazy Susan garden furniture, then it will be on there.
Our blog is a work in progress too of course. We’re always looking for ways to improve. If somebody gives us feedback or asks a specific question we feel the answer-to would benefit others, then we’ll try and write about it.
Our Top 25 Garden Bloggers for 2021
So, we thought we'd start with a top 25 garden blogs that inspire the Lazy Susan team and me. Some of our favourite gardening blogs for this year, be it design, seeds, house plants or veg gardening.
We might focus on specific elements such as design or planting in the future but we felt just starting general would be a nice jumping-off point.
Not that these blogs themselves are general, most of them have a specialism or two, but we wanted to try and get a good spread of those different areas of gardening we like to read about.
These are the people that have inspired us in some way, and whilst they’re numbered 1 to 25, we've not ranked them in any order, this is just a starter list of the 25 that we felt were worth sharing with our readership.
So without further ado…
1. Garden Betty
At Lazy Susan we’re big fans of Garden Betty, and just like we’re not called Susan (or Lazy for that matter), the creator is not called Betty. We just love Linda Ly’s passion and enthusiasm for the edible garden.
Her blog is packed full of incredible ideas, tools, and resources (from someone who’s actually tried them all) to help you reach the next level in your edible garden.
You’re not going to find stock photos or Wikipedia info that’s been regurgitated. As she says; “it’s shocking how many garden writers are just that — writers — and really don’t do much gardening at all”.
What you will find from Linda is real tips based on her real experiences, and that includes lessons learned from making mistakes so you don’t have to. Garden Betty makes our list as we’re big fans of Linda’s easy to follow How-To articles and her incredible Recipe section.
Visit Garden Betty.
2. The 3 Growbags
Next up is the wonderfully named (but far from it) 3 Growbags…
As they put it (their words); “Three, er, maturing sisters, talk about plants and gardening and a bit about how we’ve been sisters for over 60 years. Our gardens are in England, Scotland and Normandy”.
This blog is a family affair and all the better for it. A wonderful mix of the sisters' personalities and their different gardens.
Big sister Elaine Fraser Gausden is a retired classics teacher with a small garden in Eastbourne, East Sussex and a fabulous garden in what was a field belonging to the Normandy farmhouse she bought with her husband in 2006.
Middle sister Laura Warren has lived all her life in West Sussex (apart from doing a science degree at Cambridge and there she and her farming husband Tim have an eccentrically English garden which accommodates the drawbacks of having seven dogs.
And little sister, Caroline Rham lives with her husband Mike in East Lothian, Scotland, on the very shores of the North Sea.
Their parents were green-fingered and the ladies have all inherited their enjoyment of seeing things grow.
Their articles are wonderfully written, with a healthy dash of sibling rivalry, and at Lazy Susan we love following their horticultural journey.
Visit the 3 Growbags blog.
3. Plant Care Today
Plant Care Today does what it says on the tin. It’s different to many of the more ‘lifestyle’ focussed blogs. A fantastic resource that just delivers simple straightforward gardening advice.
Gary Antosh founded plantcaretoday.com in 2012, but the genesis started 47 years earlier when his journey into the world of plants kicked off. His knowledge and passion have seen the blog develop into what you see today.
In-depth plant care guides offering their decades of plant growing expertise. There’s always something new to learn and share with others, and that is why PlantCareToday is visited by thousands of gardeners every day.
The site is packed full of articles and is easy to search/navigate so you can quickly find your plant care area of interest. And at Lazy Susan we’re big fans of his comprehensive Pest & Disease section, it comes in very handy.
Visit Plant Care Today.
4. The Middle Sized Garden
The middle-sized garden sounds like something we would blog about when looking at what size garden furniture you should buy. I think that’s why we’re such big fans.
They define a middle-sized garden as; “one that feels too big when you’re weeding it but it’s definitely too small when you want to add a greenhouse, shed, eating area or even just another enticing plant”.
Alexandra has produced some fantastic videos for their YouTube Channel and at Lazy Susan we’re particularly fond of their Garden Trends & Design articles.
Visit The Middle Sized Garden.
5. Fantastic Gardeners
The Fantastic Gardeners blog is part of the Fantastic Services’ family. They provide all types of gardening, landscaping, tree surgery and outdoor maintenance services across the UK, so this is real experts sharing their professional know-how.
The blog itself provides a great mix of how to’s, tips, advice, industry news and gardening inspiration. And that’s what we love. It is a great mix of the practical and the inspirational.
At Lazy Susan we’re big fans of their Ground Works articles, especially the step by step photos they include. They’ve not done one for a couple of years, so hopefully, the team will post some new ones soon!
Visit the Fantastic Gardeners blog.
6. Out of my Shed
Out Of My Shed is not only a great name, it is also one of those gardening blogs that are just a joy to browse, read and lose yourself in.
With a specific focus on London, it feels close to home and Naomi Schillinger, the gardener, writer and photographer behind it has a wonderful approachable style that she combines with great attention to detail.
She also writes the fab ‘Urban Gardener’ column for ‘Grow Your Own’ magazine, and at Lazy Susan, we’re big fans of her focus on community gardening.
The work she’s done to promote ‘growing your own’ especially is great. And even during the pandemic, the Out Of My Shed team have continued to still distribute seeds, plants and compost to their neighbours to keep community spirits high.
A true inspiration for the rest of us!
Visit Out of my Shed.
7. Jane Perrone
Jane Perrone is another freelance journalist who’s taken her knowledge and love for gardening into the blogosphere.
And as a writer for a range of publications, including The Guardian, The Financial Times, Gardens Illustrated, RHS Magazine and The English Garden, she has some serious green-fingered chops to back it up.
The blog itself has some wonderful content, and we’re big fans of her indoor gardening podcast On The Ledge and the accompanying Newsletter.
Whilst you’ll find the full gamut of garden advice, it is Jane’s passion for houseplants, in particular, that has the Lazy Susan team and I hooked.
Visit Jane Perrone's blog.
8. Growing Family
As a parent of 13 and 11-year old girls, I know the benefits of getting them outside and into the garden. The Growing Family has been a great source of inspiration, and one I’ve shared that with the rest of the Lazy Susan team.
For me, it is probably the best UK home & garden blog for finding ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and especially out.
The blog itself is a real family effort too, with all of Catherine’s (the writer behind it) family getting involved.
Catherine is a mum, wife, writer, gardening geek and fan of wellies. Before having children she worked in brand marketing (just like my good self).
She gave up the full-on career to be a full-time mum and started the Growing Family blog as a way to combine a love of writing with her passion for gardening, being outdoors and spending time with her family.
Now it’s a full-time job and she has one brilliant blog to show for it!
Visit the Growing Family blog.
9. Kate Gould Gardens
At Lazy Susan we’re big fans of Kate’s work and her 2019 book ‘Urban Garden Design’ is a firm favourite at Lazy Susan HQ.
Her Greenfingers Charity Garden from the last Chelsea Flower Show (pre-COVID) was also definitely a highlight for us.
With close to twenty years hands-on experience, Kate is an award-winning garden designer whose work is primarily based in London and the Home Counties.
She’s been on the receiving end of three gold and two silver gilt medals as well as the highly coveted ‘best in show’ for her inspirational designs at Chelsea, and as a regular contributor to the Guardian gardening blog, you know her own blog is only going to inspire.
Kate and her team are known for their city gardens and they love the opportunity to bring greenery and wildlife back to urban spaces. I think that’s what really draws us to her work, her attention to detail, the way she combines hardscape and softscape.
Spaces are always beautiful, her love of plants is always evident, but they function on a practical level too.
Visit Kate Gould's blog.
10. Alternative Eden
What I love about Alternative Eden is that it brings a little touch of the exotic.
What started as a way for Mark & Gaz to document their own gardening adventures as they developed a tropical themed garden, has evolved into so much more.
As they say in their About section:
“Gardening and Travel complement each other perfectly. Gardening hones in on the sense of home, of cultivating ones personal space to be a source of solitude and portal for creativity. Travel however, you get to see what is beyond your usual space and routines. To get an insight of what is out there and take inspiration from. Inspiration that can perhaps be applied to ones own garden and daily living”.
At Lazy Susan we’re big fans of their regular updates and their beautiful Instagram posts.
Visit Alternative Eden.
11. Real Men Sow
If you’ve got an allotment or an interest in growing fruit and veg, then Real Men Sow is a great one to follow.
At Lazy Susan we’re big grow-your-own enthusiasts, and whilst this blog is relatively new to the team and I, we’re already big fans.
Currently run by Pete from his base in Rosneath, Scotland, it was founded by Jono around 10 years ago. The blog’s reputation grew (pardon the pun, again) further when Jono released his excellent book, Vegetable Growing: A Money-saving Guide from 2017.
The book is aimed at beginners and improving growers, and offers a practical guide to frugal “allotmenteering”, including planning your plot, looking after the plants and practical tips for keeping your costs down.
Another favourite of ours, and a great source of inspiration, is the recently published High Summer 3-part series of posts, so hopefully, it’ll return in summer 2021!
Visit Real Men Sow.
12. The Unconventional Gardener
Personally, I always seem to be drawn to blogs that offer something a little different, something that’ll inspire, and the Unconventional Gardener definitely delivers on that front. Recent posts have included; Insects, seaweed and lab-grown meat could be the foods of the future, Heritage Hydroponic Salads and Ancient microbial life used arsenic to thrive in a world without oxygen.
This is all before we get to the excellent long-running Gardeners of the Galaxy podcast series. I think it’s fair to say that this blog is the future of gardening, their mission, to grow new things, in new ways.
Why you may ask?
Well, as Emma Doughty, the Freelance science writer, ethnobotanist and all-around wonderer behind the Unconventional Gardener put it; “because we can’t carry on growing our food the way that we do now. Our climate, and our weather, is changing. The crops we rely on may well become harder (or impossible) to grow. It’s time to shake things up and learn how to grow different things, in different ways… while there’s still time. We can’t rely on an oil-based ‘spray and pray’ mentality forever; we need to work in harmony with nature”.
Emma has the CV to back it up too. Her first book – The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A to Z is the story of her first garden and the wonderful and wacky plants that grew there. This was soon followed by a second book, The Allotment Pocket Bible, which explains how to find, maintain and have fun with an allotment.
For several years she also recorded the Alternative Kitchen Garden Show, a much-loved podcast about her gardening adventures. It often featured the most famous chickens in the blogosphere, Hen Solo and Princess Layer (and their pals Cluck Skywalker and Chew-buck-buck-bucka). Trust me when I say that this is a blog you need to follow!
Visit The Unconventional Gardener.
13. The Blackberry Garden
The Unconventional Gardener is a tough act to follow, however, what The Blackberry Garden lacks in the space-age it more than makes up for in quality.
And for an amateur gardener, it is an incredible resource, full of passion and a real love of horticulture.
Started in 2011 by Alison Levey as a place to write about her own garden, the blog has evolved into much more, and now features her gardening inspirations, garden visits, plant fairs, garden shows she’s visited and book/product reviews.
As Alison says; “the Blackberry Garden is not a ‘how to blog, the aim is to talk more about the enjoyment of gardening and it is read by people who garden and people who do not, all readers and followers are very welcome”.
Visit The Blackberry Garden.
14. The Frustrated Gardener
It was the name of this one that first hooked me in, finding the blog via their excellent Instagram account.
I feel and share the pain too. Between work and family, I too never seem to have enough time (or as much as I’d like) to dedicate to my plot.
Dan’s knowledge and passion for plants keep the Lazy Susan team coming back for more.
The Plant List section is a must-visit. However, it is the journey of The Watch House, Dan’s beautiful coastal garden in Broadstairs, which has really inspired us.
As Dan puts it; “if one is going to tell a story with plants, it may as well be an adventure story”.
Visit The Frustrated Gardener.
15. Big Blog of Gardening
Who doesn’t love a blog that does exactly what it says on the tin?
Started in 2009 by Todd Heft, the BBOG is one of the few US-based blogs to make our list. The idea for it came after Todd became frustrated with a lack of reliable online information about organic gardening.
He figured that he could share advice on caring for your flower gardens, vegetable gardens and lawns using no synthetic fertilisers or pesticides.
Some call it organic gardening, some call it sustainable gardening, Todd just calls it gardening.
In many of his articles, he looks at the most recent science of organic gardening. In others, he’ll dispel gardening myths that have been around for decades but are not based on science.
Visit the Big Blog of Gardening.
16. Ellen Mary
I like to think of Ellen Mary’s blog as more magazine than a blog.
And I mean that as a compliment, the articles are presented in that format too. It is a great one to dip into when you have 20 minutes spare on a lunchtime. However, there is a real passion and depth of knowledge that shines through.
This is of no surprise as Ellen is listed in the top 5 women influencers in horticulture by Grow Your Own Magazine!
She lives and breathes gardening, including hosting a horticultural radio show on Future Radio, presenting The Plant-Based Podcast, appearing/presenting on TV in the UK & USA, travelling to provide talks about gardening, growing your own food and the benefits of plants & nature for wellbeing.
Her new book about the benefits of gardening is being published this spring too. Also, be sure to check out the excellent Wellbeing Studio section of her website.
Ellen describes it as follows:
“In the studio, you will find inspirational stories of gardening for wellbeing, how to better appreciate nature walks, how to use herbs & plants for good health, how to give nature crafts a go, plant-based recipes, books & podcasts plus contacts for help & support when you need it, plus much more - all contributed by plant crazy people.”
Visit Ellen Mary's blog.
17. The Urban Veg Patch
As somebody who lives in a city centre and holds a keen interest in growing my own, The Urban Veg Patch is another blog I pay a regular visit to.
Caro is the writer, gardener and photographer behind the Urban Veg Patch. She started it to share the food growing progress of the original York Rise Growers.
The blog has now evolved into a place where she shares her gardening journey: photographs, thoughts, training, visits to gardens and garden shows, a few reviews, and sometimes a recipe or two.
Like many of us, Caro thought that city living on the third floor meant no gardening. Managing the community space for food growing prompted a gardening journey.
Learning to grow chillies, salads and herbs on her tiny balcony, fruit and veg in containers, crops and flowers in the 10 x 30ft Urban Veg Patch community garden.
On the blog she writes about what she’s grown in those spaces, the lessons learned and mistakes made. You'll also find some excellent reviews of the latest garden books and products.
Visit the Urban Veg Patch blog.
18. Garden Ninja
The Garden Ninja is another blog where knowledge and experience are channelled into the content.
Lee Burkhill is the award-winning garden designer behind the mask, and his aim is to; “help you get the most out of your garden”. Based in Ormskirk, the Garden Ninja’s design service covers the North West of England, including commissions in Manchester, Liverpool, Southport and Cheshire.
His unique problem-solving skill set means that he can design truly beautiful and functional garden spaces that many others struggle with.
So whether you're looking to have your garden redesigned by Lee or you’re just looking for a few tips to make the next steps into the wonderful world of gardening, his blog is a great source of the starting point.
He’s more than happy to let you peek behind the curtain of garden design and share his horticultural know-how. His blog articles are easy to read and it is no surprise to see him listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 gardening blogs.
OK, the Lazy Susan blog is not as prestigious but this blog was a must in our Top 20, and it is a regular source of design inspiration for the Lazy Susan team and I.
Here’s hoping we might see some of our garden furniture in some of his future projects!
Visit The Garden Ninja blog.
19. Claire’s Allotment
After nearly three years of posting allotment and gardening videos on her YouTube channel, Claire Burgess, with a little encouragement from her husband, took the things she “witters on about when he comes home from work” and put them into a blog.
Now, I sadly don’t have my own allotment, nor do any of the Lazy Susan team.
However, many of us do grow our own fruit and veg at home. I myself like to do this with my kids, so Claire’s writing has been a great source of inspiration.
As well as publishing a series of eBooks for gardeners called Claire’s Allotment Essentials, she has also published three children’s books about two sisters, Lottie and Dottie, who discover how to grow Sunflowers, Carrots and Pumpkins.
So if you’ve got a ‘Lottie’ or you’d just like to know a little bit more about growing your own, then Claire’s is the place to start!
Visit Claire's Allotment.
20. Rambling in the Garden
Rambling in the Garden is another that we think of as an easy reader. If we’ve got 15mins on a lunchtime, then many of the Lazy Susan team will sit back with a cup of tea and read Cathy’s latest post.
That’s not to diminish the content to the same level as some sort of gossip mag, this is an excellently put together and well-written blog. It just has a very calming manner and is a great place to go to feel inspired. As Cathy says:
“I had not intended to write a blog, but was talking to a friend about how now I had more time, I wanted amongst other things to keep a better record of the garden and nurture its spiritual aspects, as well as writing poetry more often. She suggested I did it online as a blog, and ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com was born.”
Rambling in the Garden reflects many facets of Cathy’s life and green-fingered interests, and we just love her passion and enthusiasm here at Lazy Susan HQ.
Visit Rambling in the Garden.
21. Stopwatch Gardener
The Stopwatch Gardener is the work of Edinburgh based writer, Sheila M. I suppose this also falls into the same category as many of the blogs in our top 25 in that it is personal, it looks at Shiela’s own garden. I’m not sure why the Lazy Susan team and I love this type of blog? Maybe it's because it is written for the love as much as any commercial gain?
Personal it might be, but this is a very expertly written and informative blog. Shiela is a professional copywriter, children’s writer and all-round passionate gardener after all. This is a blog for those of us who are what Shiela calls “time-poor plant fanatics”, and that is definitely a few of us in the Lazy Susan office!
Visit the Stopwatch Gardener.
22. Rusty Duck
This is just one of those blogs that are also a joy to follow. A joy to look at in terms of the photographs and a joy to read… It is of no surprise that the Rusty Duck is listed as one of The Telegraph’s ‘Gardening Bloggers You Should Be Following’.
It is also the dream many of us have, to leave behind the stressful day job and move to a simpler life in the country with a bit of land. Jessica, the writer behind the Rusty Duck writes about just this experience. And the name…
“The ducks are rusty for a reason. There’s a lot of rain. It’s 84 steps up to the garage, the post, the grocery delivery and any other contact with the outside world. No mobile signal. No gas. And did anyone ever mention the wildlife? No. The deer, rabbits, squirrels, voles, pheasants and slugs which between them consume anything and everything the gardener might possibly want to grow? No. The mice that inhabit the tool shed and keep the garden machinery repairman rubbing his hands together in glee? No. And don’t let’s forget the local farmer’s cows and sheep either. ‘The Great Escape’ has nothing on them.”
Visit the Rusty Duck.
23. Growing Nicely
We love Growing Nicely because it doesn’t try to be anything too complicated, and I mean that as a compliment. Many gardening blogs try to be a little too, I can’t think of the word, but they sort of make an amateur gardener like many of us at Lazy Susan not worthy of reading if that makes sense? Jill’s blog is just one of those places to go for good, honest, advice about gardening.
And she has the chops to back it up too! She trained in horticulture at Merrist Wood College in Surrey and then worked as a gardener before returning to Merrist Wood to study garden design. That combination of designer and gardener is probably what sets her apart. She’s just as comfortable imparting wisdom to amateur gardeners as she is teaching planting design to professional designers.
Visit the Growing Nicely blog.
24. Grow Like Grandad
It was Matt Peskett's story (the man behind this blog) that hooked the Lazy Susan team and me in. You can read it here. Inspired by his Grandad, catching the allotment bug, gardening has become (as it does for many of us) Matt’s happy place. As he says:
“Is gardening just a hobby or is there more to be done? In 2016 I spent 3-4 months suffering from severe anxiety, it was quite debilitating and caused me to stop most things and reflect on my daily routine. It turns out that sitting in front of a computer building websites and getting people listed in Google all day and night hadn’t actually been making me very happy but I was too busy to notice. Tweeting as Monty Don’s dog Nigel @montysdognigel lead me further into horticulture and that has truly awakened something of a gardening beast. Consequently these days I am Chairman of the Dorking Allotment Holders Association (with three half plots) and am rapidly getting through a landscape gardening project at home (in the Italian style)”
This is why we wanted to share our Top 25 Garden Bloggers for 2021. This passion. For Lazy Susan, this is an allotment blogging at its best.
Visit the Grow Like Grandad blog!
25. Suttons
Last (but by no means least) in our Top 25 Garden Bloggers for 2021 list is the Suttons blog, which is part of the famous Suttons Seeds family.
And who better to share their gardening wisdom than a company that have been inspiring gardeners for over 200 years?
Whatever your level of gardening experience, they have a shed-load (pardon the pun) of detailed growing guides, advice, monthly activities and gardening videos that will help you and your garden grow.
You can get involved and have your say in their popular gardening polls, surveys and competitions. You can submit your favourite home-grown recipes, plan your garden and they've even got something for the kids.
At Lazy Susan, the team and I are a big fans of their Gardening Apps & Software. Their Fruit & Vegetable Garden Planner makes it easy to draw out your vegetable beds, add plants and move them around to get the perfect layout.
Visit Suttons Blog.