Page 42 - News

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...

Brown hens pecking at plants and flowers in raised garden beds with wooden pathways around them.

Revive Your Chicken Run with White Clover, Plantain and Wild Chicory

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

By the time winter is over, plenty of chicken runs resemble a churned-up muddy car park rather than anything you’d...

Small tree with green leaves and orange-red fruit on a patio, with a watering can and pot nearby.

How the pitanga tree draws birds to Brazilian gardens in summer

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

In cities across Brazil and along its coastal suburbs, a small, cherry-like fruit is reshaping the everyday soundtrack of outdoor...

Person kneeling in a garden, planting soil in a jar with gardening trowel nearby on wet ground.

Slow recovery after rain: the drainage warning your garden is giving

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

The rain had finally eased off. You walked outside with a coffee, expecting that clean, earthy scent and borders that...

Woman pruning vibrant lantana flowers in a sunny garden with butterflies fluttering around.

Lantana camara: the shrub that keeps flowering all year

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

As roses take a breather and perennials die back in autumn, this shrub simply carries on. When other beds look...

Man using a chainsaw to cut branches on a wooden table in a garden with safety goggles and gloves.

Leroy Merlin mini chainsaw drops to €36.89 with two 21 V batteries

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

As winter finally loosens its grip across France, many households start eyeing up fruit trees, hedges and stacks of firewood...

Man planting seedlings in a raised garden bed in a sunny backyard with two white houses in the background.

Planting Tomatoes Too Early: The Soil Temperature That Protects Your Harvest

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

The first properly mild Saturday of spring has a way of turning even the weariest person into a would‑be gardener....

Robin perched on frosty wooden fence near open notebook, binoculars, and gloved hand holding an orange half outdoors.

Persimmon and Robins: Why Bird Experts Are Worried About Winter Feeding

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

In Britain’s back gardens, people linger at misted-up windows with a coffee, scanning for that familiar flicker of chestnut red....

Man and child using a steaming eco-friendly boiler in a sunlit stone cottage conservatory with solar panels.

The MacLeods’ Compost Heater: Heat from Rot and Light

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

Their house doesn’t murmur with a boiler. It lives off compost and sunlight. The lawn is dusted white with frost,...

A man and woman kneeling in a garden, using gardening tools and smiling at each other on a sunny day.

March lawn care: scarify, aerate, feed for a moss‑free lawn

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

It’s an early Saturday in March, the sort of flat grey morning when the garden still feels like it’s half...

Hand watering a small succulent plant on a wooden windowsill with a metal watering can.

Cloudy Weeks, Overwatering and Succulent Root Collapse

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

Plump leaves in dusty blues and greens, neat little rosettes picking up the weak light after a week of relentless...

Woman tending to daisies and other flowers in a bright garden with a birdhouse nearby and bees flying around.

Why Bees Ignore Your Colourful Garden (and How to Fix It)

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

The first look is pure postcard: petunias blazing, calibrachoas in electric shades, and a geranium so red it could make...

Man measuring hedge height with tape measure while holding gardening plans outdoors.

High hedges: how to avoid a fine after 15 January

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

A man in a hi-vis jacket stands on the pavement with his arms folded, staring at a glossy green wall....

Person preparing fresh herbal tea with potted herbs on a sunny kitchen windowsill.

Turn Your Kitchen Window into a Winter Windowsill Herb Garden for Basil and Mint

Harriet M. Ashford • August 20, 2026

The snow is heaping up outside, and that supermarket basil you picked up three days ago has already become a...