Train grapevines as they grow
Train grapevines as they grow to keep them from taking over your greenhouse or house wall, and to make sure they stay productive and healthy. It’s a little late in the season to be planting a new grapevine now, but if you’ve missed out, make a note to pop into the garden centre and select a vine to plant this autumn. [...]
Repair damaged lawns
Repair damaged lawnsas bare patches become more visible – often the legacy of a punishing, soggy winter. Lawn seed sown now germinates quickly as the weather warms, so it’s a great time to put things right. Damaged lawn Skim off the damaged patches of turf, then fork over the area to a depth of about 8cm. Break up and clods [...]
Plant of the week: Bellis Perennis (Daisy)
If you ever made a daisy chain as a child, you’ll already be familiar with the charms of our favourite wildflower, Bellis perennis. Daisies are the ultimate low-maintenance plant, easy to grow from seed and often treated as weeds – especially when they pop up in the middle of your lawn. But they are invaluable in any wildlife-friendly garden as [...]
What to do in the garden in May 2017
There are few better months to be in the garden than May, when blossoms are bursting, bees are buzzing and it’s good to be alive. Here are a few of the jobs to get on with this month: General tasks: Mow the lawn regularly removing clippings and adding them to the compost bin. In dry weather let short clippings stay on [...]
80% of us have hanging baskets
More than 80% of us have a hanging basket habit, according to new research into our favourite choices for summer bedding displays. The survey, by seed merchants Thompson & Morgan, found red was the most popular colour for basket bedding, with nearly a quarter of hanging basket lovers using it in their display. Purple was next, with pink the third [...]
Slug barriers at the ready
Slug barriers at the ready: Britain’s gardens are in for an invasion this summer according to experts predicting an unusually high number of our least favourite gastropods. Researchers at conservation charity Buglife have predicted that the record warm temperatures this winter means slugs have not retreated for their usual period of hibernation, but have carried on breeding instead. At the [...]