Page 32 - Latest Articles - aucklandtrees.co.uk

Man pruning a young tree labelled Lagerstroemia in a garden with gardening tools and a notebook on a wooden bench nearby

Five summer-flowering trees to prune now for a high-summer display

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

If you hang about now, you’ll be giving away your high-summer display. Plenty of keen gardeners put pruning off until...

Person kneeling in garden harvesting fresh asparagus into a wicker basket beside hops plants.

Wild hop shoots: the garden 'weed' worth up to 1,000 euros per kilo

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Between hedges, along a fence or tucked away behind the compost heap, a rampant green climber can suddenly appear, annoy...

Person planting seedlings in a raised garden bed with flowers and potted herbs nearby.

Oregano in the Vegetable Garden: Best Companion Plants and Pairings

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Many home gardeners grow oregano purely to top up the spice rack. In companion planting, though, this Mediterranean perennial does...

Person using a rake to clear garden soil with watering can, gardening tools and fertiliser bag nearby.

The simple pro garden centre trick to revive your lawn after winter

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Has winter taken its toll on your lawn? A straightforward tip used by a garden centre professional can make your...

Person placing a potted poinsettia on a wooden table next to a watering can in a sunlit room.

Poinsettia: from Christmas decoration to a robust summer houseplant

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

With a few straightforward tweaks, the so‑called throwaway festive plant can become a tough summer companion. By January, a poinsettia...

Hands rolling soil discs for seedling growth on a wooden table with seedlings, seeds, scissors, and spray bottle nearby.

Snail sowing: the space-saving seed-starting trick

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

What might sound like a nuisance can be solved with a simple trick that needs nothing more than a bit...

Hands placing straw mulch around a young tomato plant in a garden with a trowel nearby.

Tomatoes Rot at the Root Collar: The Mulch Mistake

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

The cause sits surprisingly low down - and it is tiny. At first the bed looks spot on: young tomato...

Hands planting seeds in a flower bed with colourful pansies in a garden on a sunny day.

Fast-Start Flowers for March: Bright Colour by Late Spring

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Winter can still feel as though it’s clinging on: beds look bare and window boxes on the balcony seem bleak....

Person pouring green liquid from a glass jug into a watering can on a wooden table with plants and garlic.

7 Essential Garden Helpers for a Chemical-Free Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Anyone who has stood in front of the pesticide shelf and felt as though they’d wandered into a particularly grim...

Person planting seedlings in a wooden raised garden bed with vegetables and gardening tools nearby

March sowing: how to secure your summer harvest before the Ice Saints

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

If you wait until after the Ice Saints, you can easily lose weeks of growth in the vegetable garden. By...

Person planting young sapling in garden with watering can, trowel, fruit bowl, and labelled seedling boxes nearby.

Jujube tree (Chinese date): plant at the end of March for best results

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Many hobby gardeners instinctively choose apple, cherry or plum. Yet there’s a rarely planted fruit tree that shrugs off heat,...

Person applying granular fertilizer to green plants beside a dry, yellowing lawn in a garden.

Why Your Lawn Turns Yellow When You Fertilise - and How Lime Fixes the pH

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Homeowners often respond on instinct by reaching for even more lawn fertiliser, specialist blends or pricey “miracle” products. Two seasoned...

Person planting rhubarb in a terracotta pot in a garden with gardening tools and a basket nearby.

Rhubarb forcing: how to get tender pink stalks from late winter

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Many amateur gardeners don’t realise just how much potential sits in their rhubarb patch. Using an old, almost forgotten kitchen-garden...

Child pointing at daisies while adult pauses lawn mowing in a sunny garden meadow.

Daisies in the Lawn: Why You Should Let Them Grow

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

If you’re taking the lawnmower out for its first run in spring, you’ll face the same dilemma: should the little...

Person wearing a straw hat gardening with plants, a watering can, and a trowel on a wooden deck.

Black foliage in the garden: Black Lace elder and Obsidian coral bells for fewer aphids

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Plenty of keen gardeners reach the end of winter and stare at their beds in mild irritation: everything is sort...

Woman planting seedlings in a garden bed with a mini greenhouse on a sunny day.

Hardening Off Tomatoes: the Pro Growers’ Crucial Extra Step

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Professional vegetable growers never skip one crucial in-between step. The first warm days of spring pull you towards garden centres:...

Hand placing a pinecone into soil of a potted plant on wooden windowsill with watering can nearby.

Simple Pine Cone in the Plant Pot: Helping Houseplants in Winter

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

In January, many people look at their living room plants and see the same scene: monstera, ficus or a rubber...

Woman gardening in a lush backyard with flowering plants, including blue hydrangeas and a red maple tree.

The 5 best shrubs for shady garden corners

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Many gardeners mentally write off these spots: a gloomy back courtyard, a north-facing wall, bare soil beneath an old oak....

Hands harvesting fresh radishes from a raised garden bed with a watering can and trowel nearby.

Perfect Radishes: The Simple Method for Crisp, Mild Roots

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Plenty of amateur gardeners are puzzled when their radishes turn out fiery, woody or split, even though the seed packet...

Person cutting purple allium flowers and placing them into a metal bucket in a vibrant garden.

How to Control Purple Ornamental Allium in the Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Between perennials, in the rose bed, even right in the middle of the lawn. Plenty of gardeners know the pattern:...

Older man digging soil in garden with spade beside plants in pots and dried hedge on a sunny day.

Thuja Hedges: Why Councils Are Starting to Ban Them

Harriet M. Ashford • August 23, 2026

Anyone who now checks with the local planning office about planting a dense, evergreen hedge along the boundary of their...