Even though the good weather means plants are growing fast and strong now, they can still be prone to pest attack by garden bugs. Keeping them healthy by regular watering,…
Gardening
How to be weather-wise in the garden
Tropical air blowing in from the south-west along with a strong El Niño phenomenon have been given as reasons for this winter’s mild, wet and windy weather. Unseasonal temperatures have…
Grow your own drinks
If you grow your own fruit and vegetables you will no doubt have made jams and chutneys galore – and probably given a lot to friends and family. So what…
Heavenly hydrangeas
For summer colour nothing will beat the sight of a mass planting of mophead hydrangeas. These spectacular shrubby plants, which flower from June right through to the frosts, have large,…
Ravishing roses to brighten up your garden
The rose is England’s favourite flower and can be found in almost every garden in the land. In recent times, shrub roses, and especially the English roses bred by David…
Clever climbers: Clematis blooms will make a bold statement
Clematis blooms come in a variety of shapes, from tiny bells and lanterns to enormous glittering stars. Flowers can be singles or petal-packed doubles and range in colour from white…
Fuchsia flair: 6 best plants for your garden
Sunshine and showers are perfect fuchsia- growing conditions, so providing we don’t have a sudden drop in temperature this summer, you can expect beautiful hanging baskets and colourful containers. There…
How to grow a cottage garden
The romantic cottage-garden image is unkempt and informal, with bulging borders spilling on to pathways filled with a joyful jumble of old-fashioned flowers with fruit bushes, vegetables and herbs squeezed…
Best hanging baskets
Even with very little planting skill, it’s easy to make a memorable display if you plant up your hanging baskets with just a single species. For sophisticated good looks, choose…
How to grow your own mini orchard
Growing your own fruit bowl is rewarding and possible in the tiniest of gardens, where pots are used to support vitamin-rich favourites like apples, pears, plums and cherries, plus the…
Be weather wise in the garden
Gardening and the weather go hand in hand as we rely on it to help seeds and plants thrive and to ripen crops – not to mention those brilliant days…
Lawn care made easy
After a busy summer in the garden, lawns can be left worn out and exhausted – especially if the weather has taken its toll. Where the soil is shallow, a…
Houseplants: Give your home an exotic vibe
Houseplants make a home healthier, cleaning the air from airborne contaminants and allowing you to breathe more easily. They also make a room feel cosier and with a bit of…
Create an indoor garden with a terrarium, succulents and cacti
How to create a mini garden with a terrarium, succulents and cacti. You will need: Terrariums Succulents and cacti Gravel Soil suitable for succulents Spoon Gardening gloves if handling cacti…
Christmas flowers and plants to decorate your home with
Decorating homes with holly and ivy has always been part of Britain’s winter traditions. The Pagans used them primarily to ward off evil and bring hope and good fortune. But…
Fabulous ferns
Lush ferny foliage can bring low-maintenance splendour to shade, and when mass-planted will allow you to transform an otherwise drab area into a leafy, tranquil paradise where you can sit,…
Your bamboo zen garden
Bamboo can be relied on to add texture and colour to an evergreen planting scheme and wind filtering through the stiff canes makes a gentle rustling sound, which in urban…
Putting down new roots – moving house with your plants
Make an inventory Include photos of everything you are going to take with you, including fixtures and features like a bench, ornaments, pots, greenhouse and shed, so that there are…
How to give the illusion of a big garden
Depth illusion Use plants with warm colours, such as yellow and orange, at the front of the garden and those with lighter or cooler shades, such as blue, green and…
Spruce up your garden lawn
If you are looking at your miserable, post-winter, weather-beaten lawn and thinking that perhaps you should replace it with paving, think again. This solution might be a low-maintenance alternative but…