Soil Types and Conditions for Different Plants

soil

People unable to keep plants alive think that they’re just not born with a green thumb.  Maybe if you just check the soil in your garden, you might just acquire a thumb greener than foliage.  Soil is the most overlooked factor in growing.  Just like any organism, plants have environmental … [Read more...]

Tips on Protecting Your Borders Over Winter

Plant-border

Herbaceous perennials are ideal hardy plants to grow on borders.  These plants sleep in the winter but they re-emerge healthy and bustling in the spring time.  It may seem that these plants hardly need protection from the cold weather but like all things living in the garden, good conditions help … [Read more...]

Growing Ground Cover Roses

Ground-cover-roses

Roses are the considered crowning jewels in a garden, deservingly so.  It’s been a symbol of beauty, a favorite subject in paintings and illustrations, and has a long cultural history amongst lovers.  The attractive foliage has a scent that has captured the likes of chemists, perfumists, … [Read more...]

What You Need to Know About Planting Potted Perennials

Perennials

Perennial plants are wildest and most adventurous of all greens, not to mention the most stubborn. They thrive almost anywhere and they will definitely bloom in spring and summer just when you thought they’d died in the cold weather. They become dormant every autumn and winter especially when left … [Read more...]

Growing Fruit Trees in Containers

Fruit-Tree

Trees don’t become trees overnight. It takes years to full maturity so they can still be kept in pots. As long as it is moved to bigger pots over the next years of growth, the tree will stay healthy. Pots should also be chosen wisely. Getting a big pot will take a longer time for the tree to … [Read more...]

Gardeners To-Do List For January

gardener

Green thumbs need not work hard and attempt to conquer the impossible during the coldest season of the year. However, there’s some practical gardening that will not be as futile as trying to grow summer plants. Start with your indoor plants. If it’s still too cold to take the plants out, make … [Read more...]

Preparing Your Garden For Spring

spring

Preparing your garden for spring is something that every serious gardener should do and in order to prepare it there are several jobs you need to look at doing a couple of months in advance. By getting everything ready you will actually give yourself the best possible chance of getting your plants … [Read more...]

5 Tips On How To Prepare Your Garden For Winter

winter

Preparing your garden for winter is not an easy task - it takes a lot of time and effort in order to make sure that your plants will survive this harsh season. If you are passionate about gardening and you want to find out how to take care of your plants, here you will find 5 tips on how to prepare … [Read more...]

A Quick Guide To Growing Watermelons

watermelon

Watermelon is a vine that has large crinkled leaves. This yummy, heat-lover annual fruit grows rampantly once established and does not require too much attention. Provided you grow it in the required conditions and follow the right growing procedure, you are sure to enjoy a good harvest. The fruit … [Read more...]

Maintaining Your Sprinkler System

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One of the most important investments you will make for your yard and for your home is that of a sprinkler system.  You will want to make sure and maintain and protect your sprinkler system to prevent your investment from going to waste. There is a lot of work that goes into maintaining a lawn … [Read more...]

Maximising De-icing Salt Usage During Cold Snaps

de-icing-salt

Following a relatively mild winter, the UK has experienced a cold snap in the last few weeks, with many areas suffering a fair amount of snow.  As such councils have sent out their trucks to spread grit on the roads and homeowners have been busy clearing their pathways. With the weather set to … [Read more...]

Growing Winter Vegetables

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Growing winter vegetables requires planning. Most varieties need to be planted in July or August, but there are some you can still plant, even in October in Ireland and the UK. It is worth the effort to grow winter vegetables if only because they keep your weeds down and stop soil erosion. … [Read more...]

How to Grow Raspberries in Containers

rasperry autumn

Growing raspberry canes in containers is very simple. You just stick a 12in length of cane in your container of compost or soil. Late autumn is the perfect time for doing this in order to get fruit next year. If you already have raspberries growing then use some of your own cuttings, otherwise … [Read more...]

Growing Leeks from Seed

Healthy leeks growing in October 2010

Growing leeks from seed is incredibly easy. This is a vegetable that any beginner gardener can grow. You do not need to grow 3lb leeks for shows, just grow them to eat. You can buy leek seedlings in July to transplant into the ground, but it is much more satisfying to grow your own leeks from … [Read more...]

Red Tip Photinia Hedge Plants

photina fraseri little red robin

Red tipped photinia hedges are a good choice if you want a fast growing evergreen hedge with bright red new growth. Buy bare-root plants for pennies and have a 4ft high hedge in 12 months. A photinia hedge will grow as fast as leylandii, yet is infinitely more attractive. It grows much faster … [Read more...]