News - Page 135

Water tomatoes with care

Water tomatoes with care this month as they'll struggle to perform at their best unless everything is just right. The heaviest crops and most flawless fruits come from plants kept at an even temperature, good light levels, and above all, constantly moist soil.

Tomatoes like the soil to hold the same amount of water at all times: neither too wet nor too dry. Let them dry out and then give them a thorough drenching, and they'll reward you with split fruit...

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Plait your garlic

Plait your garlic after harvesting and hang in the kitchen to dry for a practical and good-looking way of storing the bulbs through winter. Once dry, garlic bulbs keep for months and will see you well into next spring.

There are two types of garlic, so make sure you've got the right one. Softneck garlics such as 'Solent Wight' store well and are best for plaiting. Hardneck varieties (such as 'Chesnok Wight' or 'Red Sicilian') are highly...

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Tatton Park in Cheshire opens its gates

Tatton Park in Cheshire opens its gates this week to welcome in gardeners from all over the country to the extravaganza that is the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

As always it's packed full of green-fingered excitement. Among the glamour of the set-piece show gardens are five designs based on the elements earth, wind, fire and water, as well as a garden designed and built by prisoners at HMP Styal in Manchester and the RHS National Young Designer of the Y...

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Tackle blackspot on roses

Tackle blackspot on roses as soon as you notice the ugly black lesions begin to spread across leaves. This  nasty and very persistent fungal disease often takes hold in summer, particularly after long spells of damp weather, and it'll defoliate and seriously weaken your plants if you let it.

Spray early on, before the disease gets a hold, and you'll keep on top of the problem from the start. In our garden centre you'll find a range of products to h...

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Sow leafy greens for winter

Sow leafy greens for winter and you'll keep your supply of veg going well past summer and into the colder months of the year. Now is the time to fill a few seed trays with the exciting range of leafy winter veg available on our seed racks right now, giving them plenty of time to grow into big healthy plants before winter sets in.

Burgundy radicchio 'Palla Rossa' is a perfect choice, adding vibrant colour to the veg patch on even the dullest day. Crisp...

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Dry onions for store

Dry onions for store once the tops turn brown and start dying back - a sure sign they've done their growing and are ready for digging up and storing for winter.

Onions store brilliantly for several months if they're dried well, so it's worth taking your time. The idea is to dry just the top layer of brown skin to a crisp, hard coating which preserves the core of the bulb in suspended animation, protected from mould and premature sprouting.

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The world's biggest flower show gets under way

The world's biggest flower show gets under way this week as the gates of Hampton Court Palace in south London open wide to welcome all that's best about gardening.

Highlights include world-class show gardens, including a first-time exhibit from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, Australia celebrating plants from down under. There's a floating raft of cranberries showcasing the extraordinary customs involved in their traditional annual harvest, and...

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What to do in the garden in July

The to-do list begins to ease off in midsummer, leaving you with more time to sit back and enjoy the results of all your hard work. Don't take it easy for too long, though - there are still a few jobs to be getting on with:

General tasks:

  • Trim hedges now that the birds have fledged. Avoid cutting conifers back into brown wood, though, as they won't regenerate.
  • Top up the pond during long dry spells, using rainwater...
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July's plant of the month is the salvia

July's plant of the month is the salvia, and there can be few plant families which offer more in sheer variety, from brilliantly colourful bedding plants for a quick splash of colour, to exotic-looking beauties and evergreen shrubs with fragrant leaves that make a useful flavouring for the kitchen.

Sample just a few from the fine selection we have in our garden centre here in Lymington and you'll see just what this wonderful group of pl...

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Grow your own medicine cabinet

Grow your own medicine cabinet and give a new twist to your herb garden using everyday plants we sell right here at our garden centre in Lymington.

Herbs can be used to treat all kinds of everyday ailments: it's like having your personal pharmacy outside your back door.

The beautiful purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is thought to fend off colds and flu, while deliciously fragrant lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) helps you get off to...

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