Pests and diseases
Box caterpillars have knocked slugs and snails off their number one spot as the most reported plant pest in 2017 according to the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual league table of the most troublesome problems gardeners face. The caterpillar is increasingly common in London and the Home Counties, and feeds on the leaves of box from within a protective webbing, causing severe [...]
The Flower of the Year for 2017
The Flower of the Year for 2017 is the zinnia, a glowingly colourful Mexican beauty that lights up your garden right through the summer. Sow from seed, or just drop by the garden centre and pick up young plants to grow on and plant out in your garden. Zinnia flowers Zinnias are real head-turners, in shades from cream to magenta, [...]
Create a plant ‘theatre’
Create a plant ‘theatre’to show off your collections of choice seasonal treasures at their best. Creating a plant theatre Plant theatres became popular in Victorian times, often to show off the spectacular markings of dainty auricula primulas, but you can create a plant theatre out of any special plant from alpine bulbs and herbs to pelargoniums, violas and bonsai trees. [...]
Plant of the Week: Erysimum
Wallflowers (Erysimum) usher in the early summer with a flourish of brilliant colour and, often, rich, spicy scent. They are often treated as spring bedding and make a perfect partner for tulips – choose contrasting colours to add zing and excitement, or match the colours more closely for a more harmonious combination.. They’ll keep flowering long after the tulips are [...]
Fill grow bags with salads right now
Fill grow bags with salads right now for a steady supply of delicious leaves throughout the summer. It’s easy to grow the freshest salad leaves yourself even if all you have is a patio: all you need is a grow bag or two from the garden centre here plus a selection of your favourite salad seeds. Ideal crops for growing bags [...]
Mowing the grass could be on the way out
Mowing the grass could be on the way outafter a survey showed the public is overwhelmingly in favour of leaving grass longer in parks and roadside verges to allow wildflowers to grow and help Britain’s beleaguered bees. Should local councils reduce grass cutting? Over 80% of the public agreed that councils should reduce grass-cutting to encourage nectar-rich flowers to grow, [...]
Perfect time to sow French, climbing and runner beans
Now is the perfect time to sow French, climbing and runner beansinto pots under cover. It’s a great year to do it, as 2017 has been declared Year of the Bean, so there are loads of new varieties to try plus old heritage favourites returning to our shelves too! Sow runner beans Most climbing beans are frost tender, so it’s [...]
Create a bed of hardy annuals
Create a bed of hardy annualsfor a splash of colour that costs pennies. It’s a great way to fill a patch of spare ground quickly and cheaply, as annuals grow quickly from seed, flower enthusiastically all summer then die out – leaving the space free for a redesign next year. Hardy annuals The bed can be any shape or size, [...]