Page 9 - News

Person kneeling on grass planting seeds in a garden patch surrounded by white clover flowers.

Microclover: the simple trick for bare patches in the lawn

Oliver Grant • October 15, 2026

Fed up with your garden? Bare, brown patches in the lawn do not have to be permanent – a straightforward...

Two analogue clocks on a wooden table with autumn leaves outside a window and a hand pointing at one clock.

DST change 2026: When will the clock be set to standard time?

Oliver Grant • October 15, 2026

The autumn clock change can catch people out: an alarm goes off at the wrong time, the oven clock is...

Scientist in white coat kneeling in a field examining a plant’s roots with soil test kits and charts nearby.

What Leaf Colours Reveal About Your Garden Soil

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

As early evening settles and the garden gradually quietens, you suddenly notice it: the tomato leaves look duller than they...

Person using electric hedge trimmer near bird's nest with eggs on green shrub in sunny garden.

When to Cut Hedges: Protecting Birds During Breeding Season

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Every year, the same pattern returns: temperatures rise, the sun stays out for longer and keen gardeners everywhere feel the...

Person wearing gloves holding a map by a wooden gate on a forest trail with signs in the background

Palantir billionaire buys 15,000 hectares of forest for 32 million euros – hunters lose rights.

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

A change of ownership can unsettle a rural community long before a tree is felled or a gate is locked....

Person cleaning a white orchid flower in a glass bowl of water on a wooden windowsill with potted orchids.

How to Make Orchids Bloom Again With a Simple Dark-Period Trick

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Many orchids remain dormant on the windowsill after their first flowering, but a simple, little-known trick can prevent this from...

Hand pointing at a clock showing 07:50 on a wooden surface with clocks and keys nearby.

Daylight saving time change 2026: When will the clock be set back to standard time? - WELT

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

The autumn clock change is easy to overlook until an alarm sounds at an odd time, the oven clock disagrees...

Woman organising colourful toys inside a wooden outdoor storage bench on a sunny patio with plants and gardening tools nearby

Keter Eden 2-in-1 Bench Storage: Garden seating and storage combined

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Toys, cushions, watering can – and nowhere to put them? A straightforward garden bench is designed to hide all of...

Person harvesting ripe tomatoes from a garden with a bowl of seeds nearby on a raised bed.

Tomatoes: Banana Peels and Wood Ash for More Fruit

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Many amateur gardeners know the frustration: luxuriant tomato plants covered in leaves, yet only a few feeble fruits appear on...

Two pigeons flying, one pigeon perched, and an owl on a balcony railing with plants and a hand holding oranges.

How to Keep Pigeons Off Your Balcony and Patio

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Weeks of wiping, scrubbing and swearing – yet every morning the balcony was covered in pigeon droppings again. Then one...

Person herding sheep with wooden sticks near a wooden gate and shelter in a misty rural field.

Juanito, the shepherd who works in isolation at 4,000 metres above sea level: “Here, not even diseases reach us. We are happy with the tranquillity.”

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

For anyone who keeps livestock, the day is shaped by small but important checks: water, fencing, feed, shelter and the...

Man wearing a hat pruning vibrant blue and pink hydrangeas in a sunny garden with gardening tools nearby.

Hydrangeas: How to prune them in spring for abundant flowers

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Many amateur gardeners become frustrated when their hydrangeas produce nothing but leaves instead of flowers – yet the answer lies...

Person photographing a fish being measured on a ruler by a gloved hand near a riverbank with fishing gear nearby.

Fisheries Dept collaborates with Aquaria KLCC to identify fish suspected to be piranha at Pahang dam.

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

A fish that appears to be a piranha in a short video can quickly cause alarm. Yet the useful lesson...

Man in green shirt watering plants in a garden beside a blue rain barrel on a sunny day.

Rainwater for Plants: Why Rainwater Makes Them Happy

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Rain drums against the rusty sheet-metal roof of an old garage, while a green water butt beneath the gutter slowly...

Person planting purple flowers in a garden bed with gardening tools and pots nearby on a sunny day.

Plant phlox in March for a summer of blazing colour

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

Start thinking about summer now: anyone who chooses the right perennial in March can fill their borders with a floral...

Hand in glove pointing at a map on a car hood with a tape measure, muddy farm gate and countryside path in background.

What a Reported €2m Purchase of an 80-Acre Meath Farm Signals for Land Buyers

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

A reported €2 million purchase of an 80-acre farm in County Meath has prompted the usual questions about farmland: is...

Garden hose coiled on patio with a small snake inside, a gloved hand reaching towards it near gardening tools.

Garden Hose Warning: How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Garden

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

In spring, the garden comes back to life – along with visitors many homeowners would rather not have. A popular...

Worker wearing glove inspecting tomatoes on a conveyor belt at a packing facility with crates of tomatoes nearby.

We visited the factory that operates only two months a year: how the Italian tomato giant Mutti stakes its entire year on 70 days.

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

A tin of chopped tomatoes or a carton of passata looks like one of the simplest things in the cupboard....

Person pruning a potted plant on a sunny windowsill with gardening tools and succulents nearby.

Money tree in March: the crucial care change after winter dormancy

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

After its winter dormancy, the money tree slowly gets going again in March – but without one crucial change in...

Fishing equipment with tackle boxes, clipboard, and rod on a boat near a harbour pier on a cloudy day.

Bluefin tuna are back: what it means for Britain’s fishing communities

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

The sight of Atlantic bluefin tuna feeding off Britain’s coasts is remarkable, but it is also creating practical questions for...

Man planting orange flowers in a garden bed on a sunny day, with gardening tools and soil nearby.

15 Robust Perennials to Transform Your Garden This Spring

Oliver Grant • October 14, 2026

After the cold season, a look around the garden often reveals little more than flat, empty areas. Many people immediately...