Page 40 - Latest Articles - aucklandtrees.co.uk

Man gardening colourful flowers in a sunlit garden, kneeling beside a wooden insect house and watering can.

The hidden life of messy garden beds

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

Right at the back of the garden-where the grass seems to give up and the border takes over-something quietly defiant...

Person pouring tea into jar with cinnamon stick on wooden table with sliced bananas and basil plants outdoors

Banana Peels: The Kitchen Scrap That Works Like Turbo Fertiliser

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

On a damp spring morning, I saw my neighbour crouched beside her raised bed, scowling at a line of miserable,...

Man watering plants in a raised garden bed with lettuce and tomato plants in a sunny backyard.

Why Raised Beds Dry Out Faster Than Your Regular Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

The heat had been gathering since first thing, the sort that makes the air feel syrupy and turns a hosepipe...

Father and child hanging a wooden birdhouse on a tree in a sunny garden.

Nest boxes for garden birds in spring

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

As we look forward to sunshine, longer days and the Easter holidays, the clock is already ticking for blue tits,...

Man sitting on a stool holding a mug in a garden surrounded by flowers and autumn leaves.

Doing Less in Winter: Why Gardens Bounce Back Stronger

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

On a wet October morning - the sort when your breath lingers and the neighbour’s dog somehow sounds twice as...

Man in raincoat planting a tomato plant in a pot in a raised garden bed during light rain.

Rain‑Rush Tomato Mix: Bark‑Based, Breathable Recipe for Wet UK Summers

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

After weeks of drizzle, the ground can turn leaden, roots seem to go on strike, and plants just sit there...

Older man holding two flower pots in a vibrant garden with a fountain and gardening tools nearby.

Proven Winners® vs classic gardens: keeping a garden’s soul

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

To the left: dignified old roses, lavender, and box clipped into crisp shapes. To the right: a riot of Proven...

Hands sprinkling seeds into soil on a balcony garden box with fresh carrots and tomatoes nearby.

Old vegetable varieties are back: bringing Grandad’s favourites into today’s garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

In spring, hobby gardeners suddenly reach for varieties that once grew in Grandad’s beds - and bring back almost forgotten...

Hands planting a young seedling in soil in a wooden raised garden bed with gardening tools nearby

Soil Compaction: Why Sunlight Alone Won’t Make Your Garden Thrive

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

In a nutshell The easy-to-miss problem is soil compaction. It limits oxygen, slows water infiltration, and prevents roots from expanding-so...

Hand planting seeds in soil next to a wooden ruler and metal watering can in a garden bed.

Carrot sowing depth: why 1 cm matters

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

As winter draws to a close, your hands start itching to get back into the veg patch - yet an...

Person transplanting a green seedling from a clear plastic pot to a terracotta pot on a wooden table.

Why Houseplants Stop Growing: The Root Health, Soil and Drainage Fix

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

It first caught my attention on a damp Tuesday. I was in the kitchen in my socks, looking at a...

Woman wearing overalls planting flowers in a colourful garden bed on a sunny day.

Perennial Gardens: Let Perennials Do the Work, Not Annuals

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

The soil is properly starting to warm, garden centres are bursting with colour, and your social feeds are packed with...

Hands sowing seeds in soil surrounded by blue flowers, bees in flight, and two small birds in the background.

Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena): Easy March Sowing for Colour, Bees and Birds

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

Many keen gardeners reach spring and find themselves staring at bare beds, unsure what to plant: something that grows quickly,...

Young man tending to a young tomato plant in a garden bed with a watering can and open notebook nearby

The Finger Test That Beats Any Watering Schedule for Overwatering

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

The hose had only been on for about ten minutes before the first earthworm bobbed up. Around the rose bushes,...

Person planting a small shrub in a garden bed surrounded by potted plants on a sunny day.

Smarter winter hedge alternatives to the thuja hedge: laurustinus, photinia, hornbeam and privet

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

A quieter, more thoughtful hedging shift is happening out of sight. All over the UK (and further afield), gardeners are...

Hands adding coffee grounds and eggshells to a bowl for composting on a kitchen windowsill.

Turn Kitchen Scraps into Plant Gold with Coffee Grounds, Eggshells and Banana Peels

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

Heavy black bin bags hit the pavement, lids snap shut, and there’s that faint mix of coffee and vegetable peel...

Person weeding grass and soil in a garden with gardening tools and a clipboard in the background.

When to Scarify Your Lawn in Spring (and When Not to)

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

The first bright weekend of the year turns up, you wheel the scarifier out of the shed, and it’s tempting...

Woman planting seedlings in a raised garden bed with flowers, vegetables, a watering can, and a basket of gardening supplies.

The Push–Pull Strategy for the Vegetable Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

More and more amateur gardeners want to pick lettuce, tomatoes and herbs without constantly reaching for a bottle of chemicals....

Hands planting seeds in soil with gardening tools and seedlings nearby in a garden bed.

The tiny spring soil habit garden experts never skip

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

On the first properly warm Saturday of spring, you pop into the garden centre “just for a look” and somehow...

Person watering a variety of potted succulent and flowering plants near a sunny window indoors.

Shade-tolerant plants to deter mosquitoes: balm sedum and daylily hemerocallis

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

If you’re fed up with shutting windows, coating yourself in repellent, or listening to that familiar whine at night, there’s...

Young man watering a potted plant and repotting indoors at a wooden table with an open book.

Letting Your Plants Struggle: Controlled Stress for Resilient Houseplants

Harriet M. Ashford • August 21, 2026

The first time I “forgot” to water my monstera, I felt like the worst plant parent imaginable. The leaves slumped,...