Page 45 - News

Person planting seedlings in terracotta pot with wine corks and gardening tools on wooden table.

How to Reuse Natural Cork Stoppers in the Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

In spring and again towards the end of summer, potted plants need particular care. Water pooling at the bottom of...

Young man with curly hair drinks coffee and writes in a notebook at kitchen table with a "Money reset" jar.

Six tiny money tweaks that helped me escape payday-to-payday living

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

I can still feel that knot in my stomach on a Sunday evening. It was the low-level dread of opening...

Hands placing a basil cutting in a glass of water on a kitchen windowsill with potted basil plants nearby.

How to Propagate Basil from a Single Healthy Cutting

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

Growing basil from a single cutting is a practical way to keep the herb readily available in the kitchen without...

Hand planting a succulent in a terracotta pot with pebbles inside on a wooden table near a watering can.

Why a Succulent Goes Soft: Correct Drainage for a Small Pot

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

Seeing a succulent go soft on a sunny windowsill is highly frustrating for anyone growing these charming plants at home....

Man sitting at a table signing documents with keys, papers, and a calculator nearby in a living room setting.

How Inheritance Debts Can Force the Sale of a Family House

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

The keys were still on the nail beside the kitchen door when the bailiff arrived. A cracked ceramic mug remained...

Person picking white clover flowers in a sunny garden with potted plants and a basket of daisies nearby.

Replace Your Lawn with Clover, Thyme and Chamomile

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

One Saturday in June, a neighbour’s garden makes the contrast immediately obvious: beyond the gate, there is no evenly green...

Young man using laptop with Google search open at a wooden desk with coffee and stationery nearby

How to Search Google More Effectively

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

Over the past decade, “Just Google it” has quietly turned into the response for almost anything. Forgotten recipe? Google. Unexplained...

Person harvesting fresh lavender with scissors into a small pot on a wooden bench outdoors.

Pruning Lavender Properly: The Technique That Keeps Plants Healthy for up to 20 Years

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

The good news is that the problem is usually not ‘poor soil’ or the weather, but one often-overlooked pruning technique....

Person watering an orchid plant with tea from a glass pitcher on a windowsill with other plants and a jar of honey.

Orchids: can molasses help them produce new flowers?

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

Do your orchids remain green yet refuse to produce new flowers? An ingredient kept near the baking tins may help...

Person holding ripe peaches and a flowering branch in a sunlit garden with a watering can in the background.

Peach tree care in spring: protect blossom, prevent leaf curl and thin fruit

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

Peach trees flower early and are unforgiving of delays. From spring onwards, a few well-timed actions determine the quality of...

Woman tending to a large fern plant in a sunlit room with several other green plants and beige curtains.

Fern: tradition, feng shui and benefits for your home

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

A beautiful plant at home can completely change the feel of the family living space. The well-known fern stands out...

Person watering young tomato plants in a raised garden bed with a metal watering can on a sunny day.

How to Reuse Potato Cooking Water in the Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

On a weekday evening, the saucepan is still steaming by the sink and, almost automatically, you may be about to...

Man pruning purple flowers in garden with butterflies and butterfly guidebook on stool nearby

Buddleia: no imminent European Union ban has been announced

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

Videos shared on social media claim that restrictions on the buddleia are on the way, sometimes portraying them as imminent....

Person kneeling in garden bed watering plants with hose near a bag of fertilizer pellets on dry lawn.

How to revive a brown lawn after drought

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

After weeks of heat and drought, a yellowed lawn can still recover with a few simple, patient measures. By late...

Hands planting a small flowering plant in soil next to a garden trowel and seed packet in a vegetable garden.

Why Summer Savoury Belongs Between Your Bean Rows

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

Between two rows of beans, gardeners of the past often tucked in a small plant with dense, almost unobtrusive foliage....

Blue modern sports car with sleek design parked indoors on polished floor near large windows.

Carport: Why a Few Added Panels Can Change Everything

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

On Monday morning, Thierry thought he had finally found a way to stop rain getting beneath his carport. Two transparent...

Person wearing gloves pruning a vine plant growing on a brick pillar in a garden.

How to remove ivy from a wall without causing damage

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

When faced with a plant that has been established for years, many gardeners react in the same way: they pull...

Hands tying a ripe tomato to a bamboo stake in a sunlit garden with marigolds and vegetables in the background

Why a Clothes Peg Helps Support Tomato Plants

Harriet M. Ashford • October 4, 2026

One July morning, as I walked past my neighbour’s vegetable patch, I thought I was looking at a gardener’s whim:...

Person gardening leafy greens in wooden crates on snowy balcony with steaming cup of tea nearby

A Small Vegetable Garden That Keeps Growing in January

Harriet M. Ashford • October 3, 2026

In January, when gardens appear frozen beneath rain or frost, Sandrine steps out of her caravan carrying a small basket....

Man in denim shirt reading a document outdoors beside a table with plans and a camper van in the background.

Motorhome shelter: Michel receives a town hall letter fourteen months later

Harriet M. Ashford • October 3, 2026

Michel thought he had found the ideal solution: a timber shelter, open at the sides and wide enough to protect...

Woman wearing a straw hat tending to blooming white roses in a sunlit garden with gardening tools nearby.

Sally Holmes Rose: The Rose That Blooms Until October

Harriet M. Ashford • October 3, 2026

There is one rose that can transform a garden. It does not merely make an impact in spring: it carries...