Page 117 - Latest Articles - aucklandtrees.co.uk

Person harvesting fresh green leaves into a wooden bowl on a kitchen countertop with plants nearby.

Winter Purslane (Claytonia perfoliata): the overlooked spring green for salads and more

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

If you take a slow walk through the garden in April and really look, you’ll often spot a modest little...

Man planting red flowering shrubs in a garden bed bordered by stones with garden plans and soil bag nearby.

How to Use a Defence Hedge with Thorny Plants to Deter Burglars in Your Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Alarm systems, cameras and smart door locks: many homeowners rely on technology first when it comes to protecting their property....

Person tending to a garden with herbs including lavender and mint, using a watering can on a sunny day.

Herbs and Scented Plants to Repel Ants Naturally in Your Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Ants are as much a part of the garden as earthworms and bees. They help aerate the soil, clear away...

Man spraying plants in garden using spray bottle next to watering can and garden tools on ground

Photinia black spots: a simple natural late-winter step to stop leaf drop

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Many hobby gardeners are surprised in late winter: the evergreen photinia looked healthy in autumn, but now it appears spotted,...

Person repotting a flowering plant on a balcony with a yellow watering can and plant food nearby

Potted lemon tree in March: avoid frost and watering mistakes

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

A potted lemon tree can look full of vigour: buds start to swell and, out on the balcony, it suddenly...

Tabby cat playing with a feather toy on a cat tree by a window with birds outside in a garden.

Spring Cats and Wild Birds: How March and April Outdoor Access Affects Bird Breeding

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

As soon as the sun starts reaching the sitting room in March, the house cat is up at the window:...

Woman tending to large purple flowering vine climbing a garden wall in sunlight.

Aubrietie: Turn a Bare Retaining Wall into a Violet Waterfall

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Many homeowners end up frustrated by a bare retaining wall in the garden: grey, cracked and structurally essential, yet a...

Person harvesting a lemon from a balcony herb garden with plants and a watering can in sunlight.

Best herbs to keep mosquitoes off your balcony

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Anyone with a balcony knows the mood-killer all too well. Rather than fogging yourself with sprays or lighting pungent mosquito...

Person mowing lawn with a black lawnmower on a sunny day in a backyard with autumn leaves.

The March first cut: how to mow your lawn for a dense, green carpet

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

If you find yourself wondering each year why your neighbour’s lawn stays richly green even during the hottest summer weeks,...

Person measuring and planting potatoes in a garden bed with a spade nearby and potato plants visible.

Seed Potato Planting Depth: How Deep to Plant Potatoes for Full Crates

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

In a vegetable garden, it’s rarely the trendy variety or the priciest specialist granules that decide whether you end up...

Woman watering plants in garden surrounded by colourful birds and birdhouse in sunlight.

White Millet: The Simple Plant That Turns a Garden into a Bird Haven

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

A modest-looking plant can shift the whole mood of a garden. If you want your mornings filled not just with...

Elderly man gardening lettuce in raised bed with wheelbarrow, chickens, and small coop in background.

Chicken Manure in the Garden: Turning Coop Waste into Black Gold

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Many keen gardeners reach for bags of specialist fertiliser as soon as spring arrives. But if you keep chickens, you...

Hands planting pink and white peonies in soil with fertiliser pellets and a calendar showing 31 March

Peonies in Late March: The Soil Step for Bigger Blooms

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Many home gardeners ask themselves every year why the neighbour’s peonies seem to hover above the borders as huge, round...

Man wearing a hat and gloves carefully handling a bird's nest with eggs near garden tools and a bush.

Hedge Cutting Ban During the Breeding Season: What Applies When

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Many people use the first warm days of the year to tidy up hedges and shrubs. That simple spring job...

Woman planting flowers in garden surrounded by blooming pink peonies and lavender under golden sunlight.

Peonies and Companion Plants: How to Create a Spectacular Display

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Plenty of gardeners plant a peony, enjoy a handful of blooms, and then wonder why it never turns into a...

Person holding a small plant seedling near a spider plant in a pot on a wooden windowsill with a watering can.

Get Your Spider Plant Full of Babies with the 3-Point Plan

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

With a few well-chosen tweaks, you can practically coax it into “having babies”. Plenty of houseplant growers dream of a...

Person using a rake in a sunny backyard garden with soil and gardening supplies nearby.

Remove Moss from Your Lawn in Spring with Two Simple Tools

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

With two straightforward tools, you can turn things around surprisingly quickly. When moss starts to take over, plenty of amateur...

Woman planting a shrub in a garden bed surrounded by green plants on a sunny day.

Photinia to Pittosporum: the new hedge trend for 2026

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Popular Photinia hedges are looking increasingly miserable in more and more gardens: bare patches, diseased leaves and hardly any privacy...

Hands adding fresh asparagus to a steaming frying pan on a gas stove in a bright kitchen.

When to Harvest Asparagus: The 20 Centimetres Rule

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

The first time you grow your own asparagus in a bed, it’s hard not to be amazed by how quickly...

Young person arranging green leafy wreath on a potted plant at a wooden table in a sunlit room.

How to Turn a Spider Plant into a Living Sculpture

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Plenty of households have one, and hardly anyone gives it much respect: the spider plant. It’s seen as an easy-going...

Woman in denim outfit crouching and holding a trowel, surprised by a red squirrel in a garden bed.

Squirrels in the garden: from pest to ally for your vegetable patch

Harriet M. Ashford • August 15, 2026

Many amateur gardeners complain about the quick little rodents the moment they appear in a bed. They get blamed for...