Page 96 - News

Man trimming ivy growing on a tree trunk in a garden beside a brick house at golden hour.

Ivy on Trees and House Walls: When Cutting Back Helps - and When It Harms

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Specialists are increasingly critical of the habit. In countless gardens, ivy clippings are routinely tossed onto the compost as if...

Woman caring for a large Monstera plant in a bright, cosy living room with natural light.

What a Monstera Really Does for Indoor Air Quality

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

How much can this on-trend houseplant really do for your indoor air quality? In how-to guides and social media clips,...

Orange and pink lilies blooming under a tree beside a small shovel and metal watering can in a garden bed.

Asian Lilies Under Black Walnut Trees: Living with Juglone

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Many keen gardeners give black walnut trees a very wide berth, because vegetables, perennials and ornamental shrubs often fail outright...

Person planting seeds in a garden bed surrounded by colourful flowers and gardening tools.

7 Flowers to Start in March for Months of Bloom

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

If you sow the right flowers in March, you’ll enjoy the rewards for months. In March, the garden can still...

Hand dropping a coin into a birdbath with a yellow and a brown bird perched on its edge in a garden.

The 1-cent copper coin trick for bird baths

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

What initially sounds like a quirky online craze has a serious side: bird baths can foul surprisingly fast, turning green,...

Woman wearing a straw hat planting flowers in a garden bed surrounded by colourful blossoms and gardening tools.

Three Ground Cover Plants for Colour All Year Round

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Many amateur gardeners will recognise the pattern: spring arrives and everything bursts into life; high summer turns patchy; autumn looks...

Person kneeling by colourful hydrangea bushes, holding orange peel pieces above a wooden bowl in a garden.

Dried Orange Peel: The Simple Citrus Boost for Hydrangeas

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Many gardeners will recognise the signs: a hydrangea shrub looking tired, leaves turning yellow, and flower heads staying smaller than...

Person in winter clothing pruning a vibrant red plant in a frosty garden at sunrise.

Prune Dogwood in February for Brilliant Winter Colour

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

If you want vivid red shrubs in the garden through winter, you need the confidence to pick up the secateurs...

Woman gardening in a small outdoor bed with potted plants, watering can, gloves, and a March calendar on the wall.

Plant by 31 March: five drought-tolerant perennials for a garden without watering

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

If you hesitate in the garden now, you’ll pay for it in high summer with a watering can: five tough...

Person planting a young seedling in a garden bed surrounded by pots and garden tools on a sunny day.

Building a Nearly Plastic-Free Garden: A Practical Rebuild

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

An overgrown bed, pots everywhere, sheets of plastic, half-empty bags - and then it hits you: this is not what...

Man harvesting morel mushrooms in a garden bed with gardening tools and apples nearby on a sunny day.

Growing morels in the garden with wood ash and apple pomace

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Rare delicacy from your own bed? A seemingly insignificant bit of household waste can be exactly the kick-start morels need....

Vibrant garden with pink peonies, purple lavender, blue hydrangeas, and lush green foliage in daylight.

Peonies and the best companion plants for a stunning border

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Peonies can turn any garden into a stage - as long as their neighbouring plants are chosen wisely. With the...

Child pruning vibrant orange flowers on a balcony garden with potted plants and gardening tools.

Tecomaria ‘Cape Town Orange’: the compact orange trumpet-flowered shrub for small gardens

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

No space, hardly any time, but craving a splash of colour? A modest little shrub with vivid orange flowers can...

Person wearing green gloves planting a small green plant in soil with purple and pink flowers in the background.

Aubrietia turns a bare retaining wall into a violet flower curtain

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

A grey, bare retaining wall can spoil the whole feel of a garden - but one unassuming plant can completely...

Hands harvesting fresh radishes from a raised garden bed with lettuce and gardening tools nearby.

Sow in March: 4 Vegetables You Can Harvest in 30 Days

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Winter has barely loosened its grip, yet you can already get properly stuck into the garden - and enjoy fresh...

Gloved hands pruning a young rose plant with red garden shears in a raised wooden garden bed.

The best time for rose pruning: when to prune roses in spring

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Many amateur gardeners find themselves staring at their roses each year, unsure what to do - and the wrong pruning...

Blue tit bird flying near a wooden bird feeder on a table with a berry bush and gardening tools nearby.

Black Elder (Sambucus nigra): the shrub that brings Great Tits back to your garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

A seemingly ordinary shrub can transform the whole picture overnight. If, in spring, you’re waiting in vain for the chatter...

Person tending colourful lantana flowers in a garden with a butterfly flying nearby and gardening tools nearby

Lantana camara: the underestimated ever-blooming shrub for your garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

When you plan a flower bed, you usually picture roses, hydrangeas or lavender. Hardly anyone thinks of Lantana camara. Yet...

Person repotting a monstera plant with visible roots at a wooden table with potting soil and tools.

Repotting a Monstera: when to do it and how

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Missing the right moment can leave this trend plant under unnecessary stress. The Monstera has long since become a fixture...

Person pruning lavender plants in a garden bed with gardening tools and gloves on a tiled patio.

How to Prune Lavender at the Right Time to Make It Last Longer

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

If you grow lavender in the garden, you will recognise the pattern: first it glows a vivid violet, then-almost overnight-it...

Person wearing gloves planting greenery in a garden bed while a dog sniffs nearby on a sunny day.

Ticks in the Garden: Which Plants Increase the Risk and How to Reduce It

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

As soon as the weather warms up, tick season gets going too. Most people associate ticks with woodland paths or...