Page 85 - Latest Articles - aucklandtrees.co.uk

Woman in a straw hat spraying insecticide on damaged leaves of garden plants outdoors.

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ black spots: the one natural step to save your hedge

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Many garden owners only realise something is wrong when there is already a proper carpet of colourful, speckled leaves under...

Young man gardening on a balcony surrounded by potted plants and boxes on a sunny day.

Mobile rental garden: how to take your garden with you when you move

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

You don’t have to leave it behind: with a few smart tricks, your garden can simply come with you. Anyone...

Hands gently pruning a flowering hibiscus plant in a terracotta pot on a balcony garden table.

The 3-second hibiscus trick in March: pinching out for more flowers

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Many hibiscus enthusiasts know the frustration: long, thin shoots that are bare at the bottom, with only a few scattered...

Young man watering a garden with a spray nozzle on a sunny day beside a metal watering can.

Why Your Lawn Goes Yellow in Summer - and How to Keep It Green

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

It’s early evening. The day’s heat is still sitting over the gardens as you step on to the patio with...

Person repotting a monstera plant indoors with gardening tools and soil on a wooden table.

Monstera repotting: signs, best time, and step-by-step method

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

The much-loved houseplant with its distinctive, split leaves can put on growth at speed when conditions are right. The crucial...

Woman in apron tending tomato seedlings on a table inside a greenhouse with plants in the background.

Tomatoes: Harden Off Seedlings and Plant Them Without Stress

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

The first genuinely warm day of spring can make you want to clear the living-room shelf and plonk every tomato...

Person on ladder fitting wooden birdhouse to tree with owl perched nearby in a sunlit garden.

Owls in the Garden: A Simple Nest Box to Help During the Breeding Season

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Whether it’s a village, the edge of town or a remote smallholding: at dusk they perch in old trees, on...

Man kneeling in garden inspecting plants while holding a clipboard on a sunny suburban street

Spring property maintenance duty: why councils issue fines

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

As the new season gets going, birds are singing and everything turns green - and then, out of nowhere, the...

Person planting a young tree in soil with gardening tools and a notebook nearby in a garden.

Monty Don’s March tip: plant woody shrubs

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

While many hobby gardeners are currently dashing out to buy packets of flower seed, Monty Don - the garden expert...

Person tending to a vibrant flowerbed with blue blooms and a watering can beside a small potted plant.

Blue sage (Salvia nemorosa): the steppe sage that makes your garden a bee magnet

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

In the neighbouring garden, an elderly woman was kneeling in damp bark chippings, her hands coated in soil and her...

Man planting a young tree in a garden bed with gardening tools and watering can nearby on a sunny day.

Monty Don’s March gardening tip: plant woody shrubs, especially bare-root shrubs

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Spring is almost here, and garden centres are stacked with brightly coloured seed packets. Yet Monty Don, Britain’s best-known television...

Person planting young tomato seedlings in a raised wooden garden bed outdoors on a sunny day.

Why Tomatoes Struggle After the First Sunny Spring Weekend – and How to Harden Them Off

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

What’s going on here? Plenty of keen home gardeners carry their tomato plants outside on the first genuinely sunny spring...

Middle-aged man kneeling in garden, collecting autumn leaves around a small bush on a sunny day.

Autumn leaves: the smarter way to handle leaves in your garden

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Heaps of fallen leaves line the path; children dive into them for a moment, and then the brown bin gulps...

Person pruning young plants in a garden bed, surrounded by flowers and gardening tools on a sunny day.

Pruning Perennials in Late Winter: Why 10 cm Matters

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

While the borders may still look grey and a bit miserable, the decision is already being made about whether your...

Person planting seeds in soil with a green watering can, flowers, and gardening tools nearby in a sunny garden.

Sow love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) in March for weeks of airy summer flowers

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Many amateur gardeners look out in March at beds that still feel flat and lifeless, then wonder how to turn...

Woman watering soil near a blooming purple-flowered bush in a sunny garden patio.

Polygala myrtifolia (myrtle-leaved milkwort): the long-flowering shrub for dry summers

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Anyone who has stared in disbelief at scorched borders and drooping blooms in midsummer will know the problem: many traditional...

Three pigeons flying over a balcony with white potted flowers and gardening tools in sunlight.

White flowers that deter pigeons from the balcony and vegetable patch

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Pigeons leave droppings on the balcony, pull up delicate seedlings from the vegetable patch, and set up home exactly where...

Woman in denim clothes tying pink and purple clematis flowers to a wooden fence in a garden.

Clematis: the low-maintenance queen of climbing plants

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

It grows quickly, produces huge blooms that often look almost exotic, and needs surprisingly little attention. That is exactly why...

Man pruning hydrangea flowers in a garden bed with gardening tools and a bucket nearby on a sunny day.

Monty Don’s March Hydrangea Routine for Bigger Blooms

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Anyone dreaming of huge, full flowerheads in summer needs to pay close attention to hydrangeas in late winter and early...

Hands planting a small palm tree in soil outdoors with a watering can and garden trowel nearby.

The Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei): a frost-hardy fan palm for late summer gardens down to -18°C

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

Many amateur gardeners start thinking about winter protection as late summer approaches. Yet that is precisely the moment when you...

Hands fertilising pink lilies in a garden bed with white lilies and watering cans nearby.

How to Fertilise Oriental Lilies Properly

Harriet M. Ashford • September 3, 2026

With the right approach, it works. Plenty of hobby gardeners plant pricey bulbs, enjoy a handful of flowers in year...