Page 29 - Latest Articles - aucklandtrees.co.uk

Person holding soil over a garden bed with seedlings, garden fork, and a jar of soil nearby in sunlight.

Compacted Garden Soil: How to Spot It and Fix It

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

It often starts without any drama at all: you’re out in the garden early, coffee warming your hands, the air...

Person tending to lavender plants in a sunny garden with gardening book and potted herb on a stool nearby.

Replace Your Lawn with a Red Wild Thyme Carpet

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

A modest groundcover can change everything. Plenty of gardeners have been there: the lawn turns brown, the watering can stays...

Hands planting an orange lily with gardening tools, notebook, and colourful plant dyes on a wooden surface outdoors.

Asian Lilies and Juglone: Planting Under Walnut Trees

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Anyone with a black walnut tree or other walnut relatives in the garden will recognise the pattern: some plants suddenly...

Couple organising colourful garden toys inside a large beige outdoor storage box on a sunny lawn.

Keter Eden 2-in-1 Bench Storage: Garden Bench and Storage Box for About £100 at B&M

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

A modest-looking piece of garden furniture promises a tidier outdoor space - and throws in a bench seat at the...

Hands placing a potted peace lily plant in a water tray on a wooden table with gardening tools nearby.

How to Water an Einblatt (Spathiphyllum/Peace Lily) for More Blooms

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

The houseplant with elegant white bracts is often described as easy-going, yet in many homes it produces few flowers-or none...

Person kneeling on grass spreading fertiliser in a sunny garden with a hose and instruction sheet nearby.

Why Scarifying Your Lawn in March Prevents Summer Burn

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

By the end of winter, a lawn often looks dull, slightly yellow and generally tired. Many people assume that is...

Hands harvesting fresh radishes from soil in a garden with a wooden crate and watering can nearby.

The simple watering trick for perfect radishes

Harriet M. Ashford • August 24, 2026

Many hobby gardeners sow radishes in spring almost as an afterthought. They are seen as the perfect beginner’s vegetable: quick...

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...