News
Micro Clover (Dwarf Clover) as a Lawn Alternative for a Greener Garden
Harriet M. Ashford
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Many hobby gardeners will recognise the pattern: in spring the lawn still looks reasonably presentable, but once the first heatwaves...
News
Chicken Manure in the Garden: Turn Coop Bedding into Powerful Compost
Harriet M. Ashford
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Keeping a few chickens in the garden usually brings fresh eggs to mind first, and maybe a bit of entertainment...
News
Ticks in the Garden: Which Plants Encourage Them and How to Reduce Risk
Harriet M. Ashford
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Your own garden is often seen as a safe place to unwind: barbecues, bare feet on the lawn, children charging...
News
Photinia ‘Red Robin’ black spots: the one natural step to save your hedge
Harriet M. Ashford
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Many garden owners only realise something is wrong when there is already a proper carpet of colourful, speckled leaves under...
News
Mobile rental garden: how to take your garden with you when you move
Harriet M. Ashford
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You don’t have to leave it behind: with a few smart tricks, your garden can simply come with you. Anyone...
News
The 3-second hibiscus trick in March: pinching out for more flowers
Harriet M. Ashford
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Many hibiscus enthusiasts know the frustration: long, thin shoots that are bare at the bottom, with only a few scattered...
News
Why Your Lawn Goes Yellow in Summer - and How to Keep It Green
Harriet M. Ashford
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It’s early evening. The day’s heat is still sitting over the gardens as you step on to the patio with...
News
Monstera repotting: signs, best time, and step-by-step method
Harriet M. Ashford
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The much-loved houseplant with its distinctive, split leaves can put on growth at speed when conditions are right. The crucial...
News
Tomatoes: Harden Off Seedlings and Plant Them Without Stress
Harriet M. Ashford
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The first genuinely warm day of spring can make you want to clear the living-room shelf and plonk every tomato...
News
Owls in the Garden: A Simple Nest Box to Help During the Breeding Season
Harriet M. Ashford
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Whether it’s a village, the edge of town or a remote smallholding: at dusk they perch in old trees, on...
News
Spring property maintenance duty: why councils issue fines
Harriet M. Ashford
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As the new season gets going, birds are singing and everything turns green - and then, out of nowhere, the...
News
Monty Don’s March tip: plant woody shrubs
Harriet M. Ashford
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While many hobby gardeners are currently dashing out to buy packets of flower seed, Monty Don - the garden expert...
News
Blue sage (Salvia nemorosa): the steppe sage that makes your garden a bee magnet
Harriet M. Ashford
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In the neighbouring garden, an elderly woman was kneeling in damp bark chippings, her hands coated in soil and her...
News
Monty Don’s March gardening tip: plant woody shrubs, especially bare-root shrubs
Harriet M. Ashford
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Spring is almost here, and garden centres are stacked with brightly coloured seed packets. Yet Monty Don, Britain’s best-known television...
News
Why Tomatoes Struggle After the First Sunny Spring Weekend – and How to Harden Them Off
Harriet M. Ashford
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What’s going on here? Plenty of keen home gardeners carry their tomato plants outside on the first genuinely sunny spring...
News
Autumn leaves: the smarter way to handle leaves in your garden
Harriet M. Ashford
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Heaps of fallen leaves line the path; children dive into them for a moment, and then the brown bin gulps...
News
Pruning Perennials in Late Winter: Why 10 cm Matters
Harriet M. Ashford
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While the borders may still look grey and a bit miserable, the decision is already being made about whether your...
News
Sow love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) in March for weeks of airy summer flowers
Harriet M. Ashford
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Many amateur gardeners look out in March at beds that still feel flat and lifeless, then wonder how to turn...
News
Polygala myrtifolia (myrtle-leaved milkwort): the long-flowering shrub for dry summers
Harriet M. Ashford
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Anyone who has stared in disbelief at scorched borders and drooping blooms in midsummer will know the problem: many traditional...
News
White flowers that deter pigeons from the balcony and vegetable patch
Harriet M. Ashford
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Pigeons leave droppings on the balcony, pull up delicate seedlings from the vegetable patch, and set up home exactly where...
News
Clematis: the low-maintenance queen of climbing plants
Harriet M. Ashford
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It grows quickly, produces huge blooms that often look almost exotic, and needs surprisingly little attention. That is exactly why...
