There's nothing like a bowl of cool washing up water to please a thirsty plant or lawn! How best do you water those patio plants? Well if you can avoid letting them dry out to wilting point, its better to soak them thoroughly one day, then let them go the next day or two without [...]

  There are many species of aphids but almost all respond to the same control and treatments. A large variety of chemical sprays are available from your garden centre to treat aphids, but all will have some bad effects on other beneficial insects and wildlife.   Where edible crops are sprayed with these chemicals, some [...]

Are you Tick aware? Ticks are small, spider-like creatures that feed on the blood of animals, including people. Ticks are present in the borough. They are present in woodland, in long grass and even in gardens. Ticks can transmit bacteria that cause diseases such as Lyme disease, which, if left untreated, can lead to very [...]

A very common plant, both in the garden and the wild, with the potential to kill in quite small amounts but also the source of medication which has saved thousands of lives since its discovery in 1775. The name "foxglove" was first recorded in the year 1542 by Leonhard Fuchs, whose family name, is a [...]

Growing hollyhocks in the garden is the goal of many gardeners who remember these impressive flowers from their youth. The flower stalks on hollyhocks can reach heights of 9 feet tall! They can tower above a garden, adding a lovely vertical element to your garden Let’s look at a few tips on hollyhocks to help [...]

Any plant with three leaves was revered in the Middle Ages as a symbol of the Trinity. A four-leaved cover was especially lucky as the extra leaf was supposed to impart the gift of second sight. Red clover was used to make a cough mixture by adding the red blossoms into a boiling mixture of [...]

Spray against pests, Aphids, greenfly , and blackfly as they are likely to become more of a nuisance this mouth unless at the first sign of attack you take measures to stop them. Trim Hedges you can trim evergreen hedges lightly during June. Plant Winter Greens, during June you can plant out all types of [...]

Some 400 years ago in 1618 a cow discovered Epsom salts when it refused to drink from a spring in what is now the middle of the Wells Estate on Epsom Common, the water tasted bitter and was tested and found to contain  Epsom Salts. Epsom became to the first public Spa in the country [...]

The caterpillars of the oak processionary moth can affect the health of people and animals (and oak trees). A protein in the caterpillars' tiny hairs can cause skin and eye irritations, sore throats and breathing difficulties in people and animals who come into contact with them. This invasive species has been identified at sites in [...]

Daisies are out in force this time of year. Daisies were once used to treat wounds, probably because, like self-heal, they soon flower again after cutting, quickly healing their own wounds. The juices from the flowers and leaves were used to treat ulcers in the mouth and sore or runny eyes, and a brew made [...]