Page 85 - News

Woman planting a tree sapling in a garden while a man and elderly woman holding a garden gnome watch nearby.

Magnolia, Garden Gnome and Mother-in-Law: A Garden Boundary Battle

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

It was meant to be a quiet, almost ceremonial day: the first spring in the new house, the first proper...

Hands tending to lettuce and flowers growing in wooden planter boxes on a balcony in sunlight

Truffaut Oakleaf, Blonde Lettuce Seeds: 1,79 Euro for Months of Salad

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

Food prices in supermarkets keep climbing, and fresh vegetables are often hit first. That is why plenty of people are...

Person pruning a young Japanese maple tree with red leaves in a garden during autumn.

Pruning Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum): The Right Time and Method

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

Japanese maples are often the jewels of a garden: expensive to buy, with a delicate crown and spectacular autumn colour....

Person kneeling on a patio preparing spray bottles to remove weeds growing between paving stones outdoors.

Vinegar and washing-up liquid for weeds in paving joints

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

Many hobby gardeners reach for a bottle of vinegar almost on autopilot when the first shoots appear between paving stones...

Person tending to potted plants in a wicker basket on a kitchen counter near a window with sunlight.

Old Fruit Basket to Hanging Plant Basket: A Simple Upcycling Idea

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

A dusty wooden basket from a charity shop, a slightly dented wire basket from your gran’s day: it’s exactly these...

Person tending to pink flowers in plant pots on a balcony railing in an urban setting on a sunny day.

Diascia for balcony boxes: the decisive spring pinch for a summer-long flower cascade

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

Many balcony gardeners puzzle over why their summer planting droops and fizzles out, while other boxes look like little waterfalls...

Person sprinkling lime powder on a garden lawn with a rake and bucket nearby in a residential backyard.

The Dutch wood ash trick to stop moss in your lawn

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

In the Netherlands, many gardeners rely on a straightforward countermeasure that gets in first-before the problem even shows itself. Plenty...

Three great tits perched and flying around pink coneflowers in a snowy garden with pots and a bird feeder.

Echinacea purpurea: Purple Coneflower for a Winter Bird Buffet Strip

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

Many garden owners hang up bird feeders in winter, then wonder why only a handful of birds turn up –...

Woman tending to a blooming pink cactus plant on a windowsill with another cactus and gardening tools.

Easter Cactus Won’t Bloom Again: The Winter Care Mistake

Harriet M. Ashford • September 5, 2026

The reason is often set months earlier - in winter. Plenty of houseplant enthusiasts know the pattern: in the garden...

Man kneeling in garden examining plants with pruning shears and clipboard beside him on pathway

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ hedge collapse: why Pittosporum will replace it by 2026

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

Homeowners usually spot it first at the fence line: instead of a dense, red-green screen, there’s suddenly a patchy framework...

Person gardening on a sunny slope filled with diverse colourful flowers and lush green plants near houses.

How to Stabilise a Planted Slope for Under €20 per Square Metre

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

A single good planting concept can completely change how a slope looks - and how it behaves. Rather than spending...

Person kneeling on grass using a red lawn mower in a fenced backyard garden.

The Right Lawnmower Cutting Height to Stop Moss in Your Lawn

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

In most gardens, the real trigger is much closer than you think: the lawnmower’s height adjustment. A difference of just...

Person harvesting fresh green lettuces from a garden bed into a wooden bowl with gardening tools nearby.

Claytonia of Cuba (Postelein/Winter Purslane): the low-effort salad for balconies and beds

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

Many hobby gardeners will recognise the pattern: you sow lettuces diligently, battle heat, slugs and patchy germination - and in...

Woman planting young hydrangea plants in a garden bed with gardening tools and fertiliser nearby.

Hydrangeas: The right fertiliser before March for more flowers

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

The mistake happens weeks earlier. If you only start “pampering” your hydrangeas in May or June, you’ve already missed the...

Person kneeling on grass watering cardboard with a watering can near seedlings and a wheelbarrow with soil.

Brown Cardboard Turns Lawn into a Vegetable Bed Without Digging

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

A simple piece of everyday waste can change everything. Plenty of hobby gardeners begin the season with sweat, a spade...

A robin mid-flight above a fallen terracotta pot with nest materials beside a metal watering can in a garden.

Why a Terracotta Flowerpot Makes the Best Robin Nesting Site in the Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

If a robin turns up in your garden time and again, it’s natural to wonder why it keeps passing over...

Person pruning a young tree branch with shears in a sunny garden, surrounded by plants and gardening tools.

How to Prune Your Cherry Tree Now for More Cherries in June and July

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

If you want to pick baskets of plump, juicy cherries in June and July, the work starts now-between the end...

Person planting young green plants among blooming blue, white, and pink flowers in a garden bed.

Living mulch in March: ground-cover perennials that suppress weeds

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

As soon as spring shows itself, many hobby gardeners recognise the pattern: buckets fill up with pulled greenery, and after...

Person planting flower bulbs in soil in a garden bed with a bag of bulbs and a trowel nearby

Plant Summer-Flowering Bulbs in March for Long-Lasting Blooms

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

If you reach for a spade and trowel in March, you are setting the stage for a long run of...

Person adjusting a red electric lawn mower on grass in a sunny backyard with a garden saw nearby.

First spring cut: why mowing the lawn too early and too short backfires

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

Many amateur gardeners launch into the season full of enthusiasm and pull out the mower as soon as the ground...

Hands arranging miniature mushrooms and toy spiders in soil on a wooden table near a potted plant and cup.

The Match Trick for Fungus Gnats in Houseplant Pots

Harriet M. Ashford • September 4, 2026

Many houseplant lovers know the scenario: tiny black flies rise from the pot, the compost seems permanently damp, and the...