How To Get Rid of Fuchsia Gall Mite!
As far as garden pests go Fuchsia gall mite is up there with the best of them. Invisible to the naked eye and resistant to garden centre pesticides just what can you do to kill them off? Well, in this...
View ArticleFive Mistakes to Avoid When Growing and Planting Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a mainstay of many a garden and why wouldn't they be? The huge, long lasting blooms come in a range (albeit limited to white, red, pink and blue) of vibrant colours that in themselves...
View ArticleTropical Gardens UK: My Exotic Garden Fails!
Most exotic gardens in the UK will look fantastic in a YouTube video, but that is simply because they are always (nearly always) dressed, tidied and swept to within an inch of their lives before...
View ArticleThinking About Winter Hibernating Tortoises
With autumn now upon us, Lorna's thoughts turn to her two beloved tortoises (Speed and Gonzales). The nights are longer and the days are cooler so thinking about preparing both her tortoises and their...
View ArticleTropical gardens UK: What is the World's Hardiest Palm Tree
What is the world's hardiest palm tree? Well of course this is explained in full in this video, but there is more! English horticulturist Simon not only answers this fundamental question but also...
View ArticleCan Urine Be Used As Plant Fertiliser?
Can Urine Be Used As Fertiliser? Well that is a question that is crops up occasionally with a few old gardeners but do it have some validation? Surprisingly there has been some research made on the use...
View ArticleWhen Do You Dead Head Hydrangea Flowers?
There is alway a little confusion when it come to dead-heading Hydrangeas and that's because there are a number of cultivars and hybrids which, depending on their hardiness and the country you're...
View ArticleFive Mistakes to Avoid Growing Agave
Agaves are a fantastic choice for bring that 'Mediterranean' flavour into the garden. However despite its exotic origins of central America some Agave's are surprisingly hardy. So much so that they can...
View ArticleWhen Do You Prune or Cut Back Your Roses?
Roses are amongst the most popular of all ornamental garden plants, and to some gardeners they can be as precious as children! However when it come to pruning timing is all important in order to get...
View ArticleTropical Gardens UK: How to Create and Grow an Exotic Jungle Garden in O...
For the uninitiated, growing an exotic or tropical-effect garden seems difficult and is associated with a load of technical work. However, the opposite is generally true. Take our garden for example,...
View ArticleFive Mistakes to Avoid Growing and Planting Giant Ornamental Onions 'All...
Giant ornamental onions 'Allium giganteum' and their hybrids and cultivars are among my favourite mid-spring flowering plants. However there can be issues with them only producing leaves and no flower...
View ArticleThe Best Evergreen Alternative to Box Plants - Buxus sempervirens
Sadly, the Box plant - Buxus sempervirens, has had its day. Once, it was reliably tough as old boots, and now it can barely last a season without being stripped bare of its foliage! However, all is not...
View ArticleTropical gardens UK: Five Fantastic Fuchsias for the Cold-Hardy, Exotic ...
Go to any garden centre and the range of Fuchsias available is usually the same dull batch of hardy and bedding cultivars that have been sold across the country for decades! However, for the discerning...
View ArticleFive Mistakes to Avoid Growing and Planting Saffron Crocus
Despite the exotic connotations of the Saffron crocus you might be surprised to find out that given favourable conditions you can grow it quite happily here in the UK with little maintenance! However...
View ArticleIs This The World's Laziest Dahlia!
When it comes to growing Dahlias, the very least you should expect is a summer full of bold, brightly coloured blooms. However, this year one of our Dahlia plants decided to give this summer a pass and...
View ArticleTropical Gardens UK: Exotic Garden October Tour
We are now into Autumn, but luckily the autumnal weather has yet to arrive. And despite being October (I know you should never start a sentence with 'And'), the weather has remained warm, sunny and...
View ArticleFive Mistakes To Avoid Overwintering Tree Ferns - Dicksonia antarctica
Tree ferns in the spring are often at least a disappointment and at worst a cause for much wailing and gnashing of teeth! Why? Because they either send out a few insipid fronds or fail to put out any...
View ArticleTropical Gardens UK: Is There a Hardy Bird of Paradise Flower - Strelitz...
Is there a hardy 'Bird of Paradise' flower? Well, if you live in the mildest regions of the United Kingdom there is an argument that such a thing almost exists. Providing you have excellent drainage, a...
View ArticleTropical Gardens UK: Five Cold Hardy Cacti and Succulents
You can be forgiven for thinking that having cacti and succulents outside all year round is the preserve of gardens found around the Mediterranean and central America. However, for those gardeners...
View ArticleFive Mistakes to Avoid Growing and Planting Magnolia grandiflora, Bull M...
Magnolia grandiflora - otherwise known as the Southern Magnolia or Bull Magnolia could be considered a 'King' amongst Magnolias! Why? Because of its luxurious, evergreen foliage, huge lemon scented...
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