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Essential tips for growing sweetly scented sweet peas. Includes how to sow seeds, growing in containers, and picking the right sweet pea variety Growing sweet peas isn’t difficult but they do need the right soil, care, and support. Very popular in Britain, sweet peas are becoming much more known in other parts of the world…
Crystallize primroses to preserve their pretty blossoms long into summer. This simple recipe also works for other edible flowers and requires just a few common ingredients Primroses are one of the first flowers to bloom each year. I smile to see them open their petals so early – weeks ahead of our other more familiar…
Tips on how to plant bare roses including what they are, what to expect when the roses arrive from the grower, and when and how to plant them Two years ago we moved into a new house with a small lawned area to the rear. It had a few fruit trees and a greenhouse but…
Tips on how to create a wildflower cottage garden from seed, with perennials, or by cultivating wild plants. A planting style that’s as beautiful and eco-friendly as it is low-maintenance Ornamental gardens come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, but one of the classic styles is a cottage garden. Overflowing with foliage and color, they’re…
Tips for how to create an English cottage garden, including classic plants and flowers, planting methods, and money-saving advice. Any growing space, large or small, can be transformed into the cottage garden of your dreams. Imagine you’re reading a fairy tale, and the heroine of the story happens upon a cottage in the forest surrounded…
Vintage sinks are ready-made planters that even have a built-in drain. They’re great for growing vegetables, flowers, and creating mini-ponds, and look beautiful too. This piece includes tips on where to find them and how to plant them up as vintage sink planters. A couple of years ago I noticed a beat-up old Belfast sink…
For a long-lasting display of spring blooms, layer bulbs in large pots and containers to create a bulb lasagne. This is a great fall gardening project and will set your garden or patio up for spring color. DIY video included. Though you may well have plans to plant bulbs in your flower beds and lawn,…