News - Page 21: Gardening Tips

Explaining plant food and fertilizers

Anyone who’s ever tried to grow a plant will have come up against the question of plant food and fertilizer. With so many different types of fertilizers available, how can you tell which one is best for your plants? We’ve tried to answer some of the most common questions below.

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Improve soil drainage

You can improve soil drainage in many ways. Most plants will require well-drained soil, which means their roots absorb the water and nutrients, but they don’t sit in heavy wet soil, contributing to rot, disease and pests. There are, however, soils that, even though they may not be well-drained, can still look beautiful as long as the right plants have been chosen for that soil. It’s important to have good drainage in pots and containers as well, so here are our tips to help. 

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Top 5 plants to grow in containers

These top 5 plants to grow in containers are perfect for small spaces such as a patio or balcony where there is less space but plenty of potentials. If you have a small space, use as much space as you can, including vertical growing to maximise the greenery! There are many varieties perfect for growing in pots to give you a productive and beautiful display. Here are our top 5 for your garden containers: 

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Fertilising your lawn

Start fertilising your lawn to get that perfect lush green grass to step onto or to have a picnic, garden party or just because you want to admire it from the kitchen window. It is a very easy gardening job to do and one that will be most satisfying when you are proud of your green, healthy lawn. If you don’t want to fertilise your lawn, we have some other ideas for you below as well. 

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Sowing colourful annuals

Start sowing colourful annuals as soon as the weather warms up and the soil temperature is also a little warmer, but if you can’t wait, some can be sown undercover. A few hardy annuals prefer to be sown directly in the soil where they are to grow. Either way, annuals make a great addition to any garden with so many varieties to choose from, an array of colours and many that are great for cutting to put into a vase. Here are some of our favourites to sow and grow, including a few sowing tips. 

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Mulch your garden

It’s helpful to mulch your garden for many reasons. Mulch can do a great job of retaining moisture in the soil for your plants and even keeps weeds down as well. Using the right mulch will help improve your soil for healthy, thriving plants while reducing evaporation, which is especially good for dry soils, and maintaining a regular temperature. Cooling in the summer and keeping warm during the colder months.

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8 great ornamental grasses to grow

Ornamental grasses add so much to a garden, bringing borders to life with their airy flower stems, softening paving and edging borders. There are grasses for sunny spots and grasses that will grow happily in part shade. Here are a few of our favourite ornamental grasses and how to care for them.  

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How to test your soil pH

This how to test your soil pH guide will give you all of the information you need to know your soil better. Without good soil and knowing exactly what type and PH it is, your plants may not thrive so well.

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Plants for shady gardens

Shady gardens are sometimes seen as a problem, but this doesn’t have to be true. Shady gardens can be just as beautiful as those blessed with sunshine. The emphasis is all on foliage shapes, textures, and the subtle colours of shade-loving plants in the shade. With the right plants, you can turn a shady garden into a cool, tranquil haven to relax in. 

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Top plants for children to grow

These top plants for children to grow will get them interested in gardening and growing their own food in no time. It is so important to teach children the importance of plants and where their food comes from, so getting started at home is ideal. Even a sunny windowsill will do! Here are some plants that will get kids interest in gardening stirred. 

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8 ways to make a biodiverse garden

We all know that biodiversity is a good thing, but what does it actually mean? Well, essentially, it’s the variety of plants and animals found in an area. A biodiverse garden can contain an astonishing number of different forms of life, from bacteria, fungi, worms and insects to small mammals, birds, and of course, plants. 

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What to sow in the kitchen garden in May

Knowing what to sow in the kitchen garden in May is pretty easy since it’s such a busy year for sowing and growing. Often it might seem by this point in the year that you have missed a chance to sow or that you are too late, but there are very many different vegetables and salads that can be sown in May for an abundant harvest. So as the seeds you have already sown will be growing at quite a pace as the weather warms up, make sure you have plenty of crops even going into Autumn by sowing in May. 

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