There’s so much to celebrate about footloose and fancy-free self-seeders. These plants are annuals, biennials or perennials that simply scatter copious amounts of seed. For this reason, they pop…
Junior
Lawn Care: It Takes Two
Measure twice, cut once. If you want to do something well it pays to do it twice, whether you’re pruning – check twice before you cut – or planting…
On test: Lawn seed and fertiliser spreaders
Distributing lawn seed for a new lawn, or to thicken up your existing grass, can be a haphazard business if it’s broadcast by hand. The same applies to lawn feed,…
Plant out dahlias
The dahlia tubers I re-started earlier in the spring have grown well and are now ready to go out into the garden. Late May is the perfect time as the…
On Test: Lawn Weed, Feed and Moss Killers
LAWNS don’t have to be hard work to keep in good shape. Regular cutting plus a combined feed, weed and moss treatment a few times a year from April…
Lawns and chemicals
When we moved to Spring Cottage 12 years ago, the old shed contained a cocktail of chemicals, including DDT – an organochlorine pesticide that was banned in Britain in 1984.…
How to deal with garden pests
1 Box tree caterpillar The grubs cover plants in webbing. Pick them off, use a pheromone trap or nematodes, or try a chemical such as Bug Clear Gun, Defenders Bug…
Time to make a seedbed
With soil temperatures warming and windowsills overflowing, many gardeners are desperate to begin sowing directly outside during April. You’d think that making a seedbed would be a simple task, and…
How to grow clematis
© Time Inc Clematis mingle well with existing climbers and wall shrubs, taking up little extra space. They can deliver flowers every month of the year and are largely…
20 projects for kids
The summer holidays can be stressful if you’ve got children and they get bored. Bickering will quickly set in. It is beyond most household budgets to go on expensive outings…