Search - Articles

I'm not one for manicured lawns. I think lawn weeds are pretty. I'd really like clumps of bird's foot trefoil, dandelions, daisies, creeping buttercup and self-heal growing among the grass in my garden. In fact, I've just planted some clover

, the lower the nutrient value of the lawn, the more wildflowers will grow in it.I love the idea of a new generation of garden lawn, one that’s full of flowers and alive with the buzzing of bees and other pollinators. But most of us have already got such a

Growing native plants is big news these days, but what is a native plant exactly? Well, it's not just a plant native to our country. According to the Natural History Museum, if you want to grow native, you need to grow plants native to your postcode

-long, nocturnal caterpillars strip the leaves off fuchsias during the second half of summer. They hide under the leaves during the day. Keep a constant lookout, particularly at dusk, for the caterpillars and pick them off, moving them to a clump of wildflowers

Sap-sucking aphids are problematic for currant bushes. In spring, they cause the foliage to become blistered and puckered, as well as discolouring areas, leaving yellowish-green or red patches. The aphids then fly to hedge woundwort, a wildflower

've visited. It has sculpted meadows, native wildflowers (including Verbena bonariensis) and a plethora of fruit and nut trees, dominating the landscape. Except for the beautifully kept English rose garden and vegetable patch, the garden is almost entirely

the gardener, but is a desert for insects. So in front of the Bar we laid a strip of wildlife turf, which is enriched with dozens of wildflowers and nine different types of grass. We'll grow it long, then cut it, as we do the wildflower meadow, just twice a

Dog violets, Viola riviniana, appeared almost as soon as I laid the topsoil of my new garden. They’ve been here for three years now, slowly bulking up in corners where nothing else grows.They thrive in the shadiest parts of my garden, flowering just

I recently visited the community orchard at Haggerston Park. It makes a lovely little wildlife sanctuary amidst the concrete of built-up Hackney: all fruit trees, wildflowers and long grass. It's also home to a few ornamental plants, including pot

is to blame, with wild areas of farmland sacrificed for bigger yields. Bumblebees now have fewer nesting opportunities and flowers to feed from.Grow a range of flowering plants all year - especially from March to November when bees are most active - to provide