Help reverse decline in butterfly populations
Gardeners may be able to help reverse the decline in butterfly populations according to Butterfly Conservation, now recruiting volunteers to join its Garden Butterfly Survey. The survey will reveal the ups and downs of garden butterfly numbers, plus how they are affected by climate change, what plants they prefer and the best size and location for a butterfly-friendly garden. Britain’s [...]
Mays plant of the month 3
Create your own culinary herb garden that looks almost too good to eat! Try planting a selection of tasty herbs valued as much for their ornamental appeal as their flavour. From sage to thyme, rosemary to clipped bay and flowering chives, combine herbs valued for their ornamental beauty to produce long-lasting displays as well as regular pickings for the kitchen. [...]
Protect your cabbages
Protect your cabbages as this is the season when dozens of pests take to the wing, intent on making a feast of your brassicas. If you don't like to spray against pests, it can be difficult to keep on top of them, and though you can patrol your crops daily squishing offending caterpillars, mealybugs and aphids you may not catch [...]
Fill a container with annual climbers
Fill a container with annual climbers for a statuesque and beautiful centrepiece for your patio display. There's just enough time to sow seeds direct into a roomy pot full of compost – late flowerers like the cup and saucer vine, Cobaea scandens, and lovely deep purple rhodochiton still have plenty of time to race up their canes. Or take the [...]
Prune rosemary
Prune rosemary and other shrubby herbs like thyme and lavender after flowering to prevent them getting leggy and keep them neat. Rosemary is a real asset in the garden, making a handsome and spicily fragrant evergreen shrub with pretty lavender-blue flowers in early summer. In common with other Mediterranean herbs like lavender, though, it's prone to getting leggy without regular [...]
Plant ornamental grasses
Plant ornamental grasses now that the soil has warmed up, as many hail from much warmer climates than ours and only really get going once the ground is at the right temperature in early to mid May. There are dozens of different grasses to choose from so do visit our garden centre here in %locations% to have a browse. Among [...]