Page 102 - News

Man kneeling and mulching plants in a garden bed on a sunny day with gardening tools nearby.

The “Lazy” Mulch Tweak That Saves Litres of Water in Your Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

At 6.30 am the street is still, yet the gardens have already started their morning conversation. You catch it in...

Person watering pink flowers on a balcony garden with sunlight and gardening tools nearby.

Diascia: the secret weapon for balcony boxes

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Many balcony boxes look spectacular in June, only to turn into a miserable patch of green by August. The good...

Red squirrel eating nuts with a bowl of sliced apples on a snowy garden table in winter.

Helping Squirrels Through Winter Frost: What Your Garden Can Do

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Plenty of people think squirrels are set for the cold months because they’ve tucked away piles of nuts. In reality,...

Woman gardening in a lush backyard, tending plants with a spade and a bucket of garden waste nearby.

I Stopped Fighting Weeds and My Garden Fixed Itself

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

The day I decided to stop treating every weed like an invader, my garden looked-at first glance-like a small catastrophe....

Young woman tending to a blooming cactus plant by a window in a cosy room at sunset.

Why Your Easter Cactus Won’t Flower Every Spring

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Does your Easter cactus look perfectly healthy, yet stubbornly refuse to flower every spring? The cause is almost always a...

Person tending to small plants next to a hedge on a wooden deck outside a house.

Pittosporum as the New Modern Privacy Hedge

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

In residential areas from Hamburg to Innsbruck, the same scene has been playing out for several years: hedges that were...

Person planting blue flowers in a terracotta pot on a wooden table with other flowering plants nearby.

Plant in mid-April: Petunias, Fuchsias and Geranium Rozanne for flowers from May to November

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Early spring can make borders look bare, yet this is exactly when you can shape how vibrant your garden will...

Person repotting a colourful houseplant on a wooden surface next to glass jars with ivy cuttings in water.

June cuttings in water: propagate ivy, coleus and busy lizzie for free

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Anyone who takes cuttings wisely in June can save a lot of money at the garden centre - and still...

Person adding soil to a raised wooden garden bed with young tomato plants and colourful flowers in background.

Coffee grounds in the garden: how to use them for plants and pests

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

It’s about coffee grounds. What ends up in your filter or portafilter after breakfast doesn’t belong only in the food-waste...

Person filling green bird feeder near stone birdbath with five birds on blossoming branch in garden.

When to Stop Feeding Birds: March or April in Your Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

As winter starts to ease, many of us keep the bird feeders topped up, the garden stays lively, and an...

Person sprinkling soil over bananas next to a lavender plant and a jug on a wooden table in a garden.

Lavender: Feed It with Kitchen Scraps (Coffee Grounds, Banana Peels and Compost)

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Rather than spending money on pricey fertilisers, more and more home gardeners are turning to things that would otherwise end...

Young man planting colourful flowers on a wooden deck with gardening book open besides him.

How to Plan a Four-Season Yard That Never Really Shuts Off

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

The photos were flawless: hydrangeas bursting in blue, a lawn smooth as cake icing, and not a single dandelion daring...

Hand sowing seeds in soil of a raised garden bed with orange flowers and green lettuce leaves nearby.

Sow Nasturtium in March: Natural Protection and Pollinator Power for Your Vegetable Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

When you sow lettuce, beans or tomatoes in spring with plenty of enthusiasm, one thing rarely crosses your mind: the...

Person watering a potted plant indoors near a window with sunlight and a calendar on the table.

Why Watering Once a Week Is Killing Your Houseplants

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

You know that small, guilty look you give your plants as you snatch up your keys and dash out of...

Man kneeling and mulching a plant in a sunny garden with flowers and an orange tree nearby

Permaculture: three radical ideas that changed how I garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

After years of pushing a mower, turning over soil and waging war on slugs, I genuinely thought I’d cracked gardening....

Assorted colourful flowers in pots on a wooden balcony with a person partially hidden behind plants.

Seven shade flowers that bring colour from June to autumn

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

A north-facing balcony, a courtyard that never really brightens up, a cool corner of the garden: plenty of people give...

Tabby cat sniffing lavender plants in terracotta pots on a sunny windowsill with open windows.

Catnip on the windowsill: a simple way to keep spiders out

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Our grandparents had a remarkably simple, eco-friendly remedy sitting on the windowsill. As temperatures rise, windows tend to stay open...

Hands with pruning shears trimming small pink buds on a green shrub in a garden setting.

Japanese quince pruning: the winter mistake that steals your flowers

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

A brief warm patch in February, a pair of itchy pruning hands and a love of neatness are all it...

Person wearing glove placing pink fish eggs into a pond near aquatic plants on a sunny day

Pink Eggs in the Garden: Warning Sign of the Golden Apple Snail

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

Home gardeners are increasingly reporting strange bright pink eggs on walls, jetties, posts and along the edges of garden ponds....

Person in gloves and boots lifting a green tarp to reveal a coiled snake in a sunny garden.

Why Garden Tarpaulins Attract Snakes in Spring

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

As soon as the sun starts to feel strong again, the best time of year begins for hobby gardeners. Beds...

Woman gardening in raised flower beds with calendar and gardening tools in a sunny backyard.

Learning to Listen to Your Garden’s Natural Rhythms

Harriet M. Ashford • August 22, 2026

By the end of July, my garden looked like a group chat that had completely derailed. The lavender was thriving...