Page 45 - News

Man planting seeds in soil on a vegetable farm with green crops and plastic greenhouse in background.

Winter sowing into frozen ground: how hardy vegetables get ahead

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

While most gardeners put their tools away for winter, a small band continues sowing into frozen ground, placing its faith...

Man wearing gloves removes invasive pampas grass in a garden with a shovel, bag, and potted plants nearby.

Pampas Grass in France: What the 2023 Ban Means for Gardeners

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

The elegant ornamental grass with its creamy plumes has appeared on France’s prohibited list since 2023. Authorities and conservationists no...

Woman in a hat tending to vibrant orange flowers on a sunny garden patio with other potted plants around.

Leonotis leonurus: The spectacular perennial for a glowing garden border

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Many garden perennials are pleasant enough, yet can soon feel interchangeable. Others shape a space so powerfully that they remain...

Person harvesting ripe red berries in a raised garden bed with flowers and a birdhouse in the background.

Natural Pest Control: Practical Hacks for a Living Garden

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Up close, it looked like a crime scene. Slugs had reduced the first spring crops to lacework, aphids had assembled...

Person using a spreader to apply fertiliser on green grass in a sunny garden with an open fertiliser bag nearby.

Spring Lawn Fertiliser: How to Feed Your Lawn Properly

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

If, in March or April, you simply take out the lawnmower and expect everything else to sort itself out, you...

Hand holding a plastic bag over a small potted plant on a balcony with other plants nearby.

Lemon Tree Rescue: The Zero-Cost Trick

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Many people give up on a lemon tree straight away – yet it can often be saved with a simple...

Man using a drill to fix a wooden birdhouse on a tree in a colourful garden with an owl perched above.

This One Garden Item Helps Owls Survive

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

They hunt in the dark, remain hidden by day – yet they still depend on our support. One small addition...

Person planting a young seedling in garden soil with a watering can and plant labels nearby.

Transplanting Young Plants: Preventing Transplant Shock with Clever Watering

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Many amateur gardeners unknowingly hold back their young plants when transplanting them – yet one straightforward, clever method is enough...

Person planting pink and orange lilies in a garden bed with stones and gardening tools nearby.

Asiatic Lilies and Walnut Trees: How Well They Tolerate Juglone

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Many amateur gardeners know the puzzle: beneath and beside walnut trees, very little grows as it should. The black walnut...

Four robins gathered around a wooden tray with fruit, nuts, and seeds held by two hands outdoors.

The 3-pence kitchen scrap robins cannot resist

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

A small russet-breasted bird sits on the fence, its head cocked as though it suspects you are plotting something. Then...

Two people examining and taking notes on garden plants with green, red, and brown leaves by a patio wall.

Bye bye Photinia: This colourful low-maintenance wonder will take over the hedges in our gardens from 2026

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

In recent years, anyone visiting a new housing development will have seen the same sight: red Photinia hedges, clipped into...

Person inspecting a leaf while watering plants in a garden with an open notebook on a wooden crate.

Why Early-Morning Watering May Harm Your Garden

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

The hose is already unwound, the air remains cool, and a faint mist sits low across the lawn. You finish...

Person tending to snow-covered orange trees in a snowy garden with thermometer and plant labels visible.

Frost-hardy citrus plants for the garden: varieties that survive cold winters

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Many garden owners dream of glowing yellow fruit just outside their door, only to watch the carefully chosen lemon tree...

Person kneeling in a garden bed, holding soil with earthworms, surrounded by gardening tools and plants.

How Compost Quietly Transforms Your Garden Soil

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

A man in green wellington boots pushes a fork deep into an unremarkable mound of brown crumbs. A faint wisp...

Person sitting on a balcony surrounded by plants, enjoying the scent of a leaf in warm sunlight.

Mosquito-repellent plants for your balcony

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Cleverly planting your balcony can take much of the enjoyment out of mosquito season for the insects. When mosquito season...

Person spreading gravel along garden stepping stones beside a vegetable patch in a sunny backyard.

Prevent Winter Lawn Mud: Drainage and Practical Solutions

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Every winter, it is the same problem: the lawn turns into a slippery expanse of mud. A few well-chosen measures...

Woman examining plant roots in jars on a wooden table in a bright indoor setting with potted plants nearby.

Why Water Propagation Is Dividing Plant Lovers

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

Two weeks on, the roots had turned into brown sludge, the water reeked like a neglected flower vase, and the...

Person planting flower bulbs in soil with colourful flowers and gardening tools nearby in a garden.

Plant These 4 Bulbs and Tubers in March for Continuous Garden Colour

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

If you do not plant in March in good time, you could be looking at nothing but green for weeks....

Man in a wool sweater refilling a hanging bird feeder outdoors with snow and five small birds nearby.

How a Clothes Hanger Keeps Bird Feeders Safer in Winter

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

As the mercury falls and frost settles across gardens, bird enthusiasts in Europe and North America are pulling an unlikely...

Hands trimming a rosemary plant in a terracotta pot with garden shears on a sunny patio.

Pruning rosemary properly: how to keep it dense, flavoursome and healthy

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

With the right pruning, it will stay dense, flavoursome and in excellent condition. Rosemary is regarded as an undemanding Mediterranean...

Person spreading straw mulch over vegetable seedlings in a garden bed next to leafy plants and a watering can.

How Mulch Saves Water and Suppresses Weeds in Garden Beds

Oliver Grant • September 20, 2026

The hose had been on for scarcely ten minutes, yet the soil already appeared to be thirsty once more. It...