Page 108 - News

Red squirrel drinking water from a bowl on a garden table with plants and berries in the background.

Squirrels in the Garden: Welcome Them Without Losing Your Harvest

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

A flash of russet fur slipping over the fence can quickly bring to mind raided beds, missing nuts and overturned...

Woman in apron pruning orange and purple flowers in a sunny garden with a basket of cut blooms nearby

Five fall cutbacks: peony, bearded iris, monarda (bee balm), phlox and hosta

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

Experts describe it as vital for plant health and next spring’s display; eco‑minded gardeners reply that it’s careless towards wildlife...

Person mixing soil and water with a spatula near a monstera plant on a wooden table.

A practical guide to sciarid flies (fungus gnats): sand topping and sticky traps

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

Across the UK and the US, indoor plant growers are increasingly dealing with the same nuisance: sciarid flies, better known...

Person feeding small birds in a colourful garden with flowers, birdhouses, and a watering can nearby.

Why the House Sparrow is a Garden Ally, says the LPO

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

As soon as the first mild days arrive, front gardens, allotments and balconies come alive with buzzing and birdsong again....

Person watering soil in garden with watering can next to a rain gauge and young plants on sunny day.

The Spring Watering Mistake That Weakens Plants Before Summer

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

On the first properly warm Saturday of spring, you step out with a mug of coffee and that small, fierce...

Person placing half an apple on a frosted birdbath beside a robin in a garden.

The winter apples that make birds “choose” your garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

A pale winter sun, a little cloud of breath, and that muffled calm a garden has when most things are...

Hands grafting a young tree branch with a knife and a steaming jar of liquid in a garden bed.

Hydrangea rescue: the scratch test and warm sugar water protocol

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

Walk past a hydrangea in early spring and, at first glance, those bare, brown stems can look like a lost...

Two boys in high-visibility vests mowing grass and checking a plan on a residential street with adults nearby.

How Alfie and Leo, the Lawnmower Man and Green Pals mowed 50 lawns for free

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

Two 11-year-old lads spent the summer mowing grass for anyone who asked - especially people who couldn’t manage it themselves....

Person in shorts and t-shirt holding a phone while standing beside a red lawnmower on a grassy lawn.

The midday mowing ban: no lawn mowing between noon and 4 p.m. from February 15

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

At 12.03 pm, the mower cuts out halfway across the garden. The neighbour over the hedge looks up, puzzled. That...

Person repotting a green houseplant on a wooden table with terracotta pot, pebbles, and a digital device nearby.

The Silent Plant Assassin: Poor Drainage in Houseplants

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

Sarah stands over her windowsill and tallies the losses. Three houseplants in a single month-each one taken out by what...

Man gardening among autumn leaves with flowers, lawnmower, and gardening supplies in suburban yard.

Why Your Autumn Leaf Clean-up Is All Wrong

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

It can look so efficient, almost morally upright. “Getting the garden ready for winter,” people say, as though there’s only...

Two robins perched on a mossy tree stump near a bird feeder filled with seeds and red berries.

Winter berries stirring up robin fights in British gardens

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

On a bitter January morning - the sort where your breath lingers like steam - I watched two robins completely...

Woman gardening and tending to plants in a sunny backyard garden near a wooden fence and house

11 ground cover plants for a wet, muddy garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

After every downpour, do you end up with mud instead of a lawn? With the right ground cover plants, even...

Hands holding a potted herb plant on a balcony with a watering can and mulch nearby in sunlight.

A Hidden Heatwave for Potted Roots in Summer Containers

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

On patios, balconies and front door steps, containers can trigger a quiet heatwave underground - scorching roots well before you...

Young man photographing a tree trunk covered with ladybugs in a suburban garden on a sunny day.

Spotted lanternfly invasion may be driven by Shanghai urban evolution

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

Across the eastern United States, spotted lanternflies are advancing at speed, leaving residents puzzled and putting vineyards, orchards and forests...

Hands planting eggshell pieces around a young tomato plant in a terracotta pot outdoors.

Baked eggshells: a simple calcium boost for healthier soil

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

The compost caddy lid sat ajar. Her phone kept chiming on the table. The dog was looping hopefully beneath the...

Blackbird pecking at sliced apple and seeds on a wooden tray in snowy garden with bird feeder above.

Why Blackbirds Ignore Feeders in Winter in Your Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

Yesterday the blackbirds were busy under the feeder, bouncing through the leaf litter and tossing it aside like miniature diggers....

Couple planting seedlings inside a greenhouse with garden tools and steaming pot nearby on a sunny day.

A Compost-Heated Greenhouse Built from Recycled Windows in Denmark

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

In Denmark, a couple have quietly found a way to take the edge off winter: a greenhouse that heats itself...

Person sprinkling white fertilizer or salt on grass in sunny backyard with green watering can nearby

How a £1 Epsom salt bath staple is being used to green up your lawn

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

A £1 bathroom buy is popping up across gardening forums and TikTok, touted as a quick way to perk up...

Man tending young plants in a garden bed with watering system, rocks, and gardening tools at sunset.

The country gardener frost trick with soil, mulch and stones

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

Just a light dusting of sugar across the lawn, softly sparkling under the streetlamp. Then morning arrived, the ice disappeared,...

Person kneeling indoors planting a small potted plant beside a metal watering can on wooden floor.

Why Indoor Plants Get Yellow Leaves in Winter

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

That gradual slide often begins in midwinter, when the house feels dim and chilly, we convince ourselves our plants need...