Page 20 - News

Person pruning young plants in a garden bed, surrounded by flowers and gardening tools on a sunny day.

Pruning Perennials in Late Winter: Why 10 cm Matters

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

While the borders may still look grey and a bit miserable, the decision is already being made about whether your...

Person planting seeds in soil with a green watering can, flowers, and gardening tools nearby in a sunny garden.

Sow love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) in March for weeks of airy summer flowers

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Many amateur gardeners look out in March at beds that still feel flat and lifeless, then wonder how to turn...

Woman watering soil near a blooming purple-flowered bush in a sunny garden patio.

Polygala myrtifolia (myrtle-leaved milkwort): the long-flowering shrub for dry summers

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Anyone who has stared in disbelief at scorched borders and drooping blooms in midsummer will know the problem: many traditional...

Three pigeons flying over a balcony with white potted flowers and gardening tools in sunlight.

White flowers that deter pigeons from the balcony and vegetable patch

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Pigeons leave droppings on the balcony, pull up delicate seedlings from the vegetable patch, and set up home exactly where...

Woman in denim clothes tying pink and purple clematis flowers to a wooden fence in a garden.

Clematis: the low-maintenance queen of climbing plants

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

It grows quickly, produces huge blooms that often look almost exotic, and needs surprisingly little attention. That is exactly why...

Man pruning hydrangea flowers in a garden bed with gardening tools and a bucket nearby on a sunny day.

Monty Don’s March Hydrangea Routine for Bigger Blooms

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Anyone dreaming of huge, full flowerheads in summer needs to pay close attention to hydrangeas in late winter and early...

Hands planting a small palm tree in soil outdoors with a watering can and garden trowel nearby.

The Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei): a frost-hardy fan palm for late summer gardens down to -18°C

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Many amateur gardeners start thinking about winter protection as late summer approaches. Yet that is precisely the moment when you...

Hands fertilising pink lilies in a garden bed with white lilies and watering cans nearby.

How to Fertilise Oriental Lilies Properly

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

With the right approach, it works. Plenty of hobby gardeners plant pricey bulbs, enjoy a handful of flowers in year...

Woman kneeling and planting shrubs in a garden bed with gardening tools and soil bag nearby.

Photinia Hedge Problems in 2026: Pittosporum and the Mixed Hedge Alternative

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Across countless front gardens, Photinia hedges are visibly losing vigour. Leaves drop too early, bare twigs appear, and the usual...

Frost-covered orange tree and gloved hands holding a freshly picked orange in snowy garden.

Frost-hardy citrus varieties that survive winter and make lemons look weak

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Some varieties shrug off biting cold and make ordinary lemons look fragile. Plenty of amateur gardeners know the familiar heartbreak:...

Person wearing a straw hat planting flowers in a garden bed beside blue and white pansies.

Ground Cover in March: Stop Weeds with Brunnera macrophylla

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Anyone who ends up on hands and knees in the border every March with a bucket and a kneeling pad...

Person shaping a small bonsai tree on a wooden table with miniature rocks and gardening tools nearby.

Penjing: The Ancient Chinese Art Beyond Bonsai

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

What may look like bonsai at first glance is often something quite different: Penjing, a Chinese art form with a...

Hands planting a plastic bottle in soil beside yellow-flowered plants and a garden trowel on wooden raised bed.

The Plastic Bottle Trick for Watering Cucumbers in Summer

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

The day had barely begun, yet the heat was already pressing down like a sticky blanket over a small terraced-house...

Man kneeling in garden watching bird on wooden birdhouse with two hedgehogs nearby and lawnmower in background

Five Widespread Misconceptions That Drive Tits, Blackbirds and Robins Out of the Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Anyone hoping to watch tits, blackbirds and robins often reaches for the lawnmower, the hedge trimmer and a bag of...

Woman testing soil moisture near colourful hydrangea plants in a garden bed on a sunny day

Preparing Your Hydrangea in August: Soil pH, Watering and Flower Colour

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

August is a useful time to get the hydrangea ready before it moves into a more vigorous phase of growth....

Person using a watering can and rake to tend plants growing between white gravel in a sunny garden.

Stop Weeds in Your Gravel Driveway Before Summer in Three Simple Steps

Harriet M. Ashford • September 2, 2026

With three straightforward steps before summer, you can put a stop to it. Plenty of homeowners know the pattern: the...

Person pruning yellow flowers in terracotta pots with a green watering can and gardening tools nearby.

Lantana (Lantana camara): the colour-changing “immortal” bloomer for balcony, patio and garden

Harriet M. Ashford • September 2, 2026

Colour-changing lantana, botanically Lantana camara, is one of the quiet superstars for balconies, patios and gardens. From spring right through...

Person scattering fertiliser from a green container in a garden with plants and gardening gloves nearby.

Iron sulphate in March: a simple trick for a greener lawn and less moss

Harriet M. Ashford • September 2, 2026

Bare patches, yellowing blades, moss everywhere - and yet one simple trick can bring back rich green. As the days...

Two great tits pecking at an apple held by hands with red berries above in a frosty garden.

Winter berries: attract tits to your garden for natural pest control

Harriet M. Ashford • September 2, 2026

A handful of small tweaks in the garden can tempt in one of the best natural pest hunters: tits. They...

Woman arranging a potted peace lily on a wooden shelf next to a lit candle in a cosy, well-lit home.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum): The Houseplant That Reduces Odours and Improves Indoor Air

Harriet M. Ashford • September 2, 2026

A particular houseplant can noticeably soften all of that. Anyone who spends a lot of time indoors often ends up...

Person carefully removing a bird nest with eggs from hedge using electric hedge trimmer extension.

Spring Hedge Cutting: How to Avoid a €150,000 Fine During the Nesting and Breeding Season

Harriet M. Ashford • September 2, 2026

Wanting to tidy up a hedge in spring usually brings to mind kerb appeal, the neighbours and the pavement -...