News - Page 91

Install raised beds in the garden now and they’ll be primed and ready to plant once the season gets under way next month. Raised beds are great for vegetables but are also ideal for herbs and cut flowers.

Raised Bed Gardening

They’re good for your plants, too. They hold all the nutrients in place, making the soil so rich you can really pack them to overflowing. And you’ll easily be able to reach into the centre without treading on th...

The Royal Horticultural Society needs your help in its battle against the many pests and diseases which face gardeners.

RHS Pest Survey

The charity is asking gardeners to take part in a new study to identify the most important plant pests and diseases affecting their gardens. The information they provide will form the basis of a list of the most damaging problems they face, helping scientists develop more effective ways of controllin...

The nation’s favourite summer bedding plants have been named following a public vote at RHS Garden Wisley, in Surrey.

The Uk's summer bedding plants

Visitors were asked to vote for their favourites from a selection of 80 bedding plants across the garden during a period of ten weeks last summer. They chose the exotic-looking foliage plant Solenostemon ‘Campfire’ with its brilliant blood orange colouring and season-long performance as...

Slowly, slowly, the season begins to get into gear as you set about tidying borders and sowing the first seeds ready for the coming year. Here’s your list of jobs in the garden this month:

General tasks:

• Get new borders ready for planting during any sunny, dry spells, clearing away turf and weeds and adding lots of organic soil improver.
• Give paths and patios a good clean hosing off winter detritus and scrubbing away algae and dirt to...

Few hardy shrubs signal the end of winter better than camellias, highly valued for their stunning floral displays and fresh, glossy, evergreen foliage. With dozens of varieties available you’ll be spoilt for choice, so pick from camellias in shades of pink, red, white and cream.

Their ultimate size, habit and rate of growth vary immensely too, so consider how much space the camellia will need as it grows. Whether you’d like something that stays small and comp...

The RHS is on the hunt for the nation’s best school gardeners for its annual competition to celebrate gardening in schools.

The charity wants to find inspirational gardeners across three categories, shining a light on green- fingered pupils, passionate school gardening teams and the teachers and parent volunteers who encourage them.

The Nation's Best School Gardeners

The RHS Young School Gardener of the Year is awarded to the young person who...