Category: Garden
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I grew lettuce in my ‘crack garden’ using advice from Monty Don
Inspired by Monty Don’s tips for softening hard landscaping, I decided to try turning my block paving into a mini edible garden. With nothing but a few gaps in the patio, some compost and lettuce seeds, I followed his steps for planting into cracks. But after a few weeks of my new garden design trend…
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Landscape lighting techniques: 8 effective methods to try
The best landscape lighting techniques can be used to design a creative look for your garden at night that will turn it into an enchanting space. There are several tricks that are easy to master and they work by accentuating the features you want to draw attention to, and playing down those you don’t. Once…
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How to make a small patio look bigger: 9 clever solutions
If your patio is on the small side there are plenty of designer tricks you can use to make it feel bigger. It helps to have your own ideas too, and combine being inventive with an eye for detail to fulfil the potential of your space. It’s definitely a case of less is more. Let…
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Brits urged to help hedgehogs beat the heat
As UK summers grow hotter, heatwaves are becoming more dangerous – not just for people, but for wildlife too. Hedgehogs, already under threat from habitat loss, are now facing dehydration, overheating and even death due to rising temperatures. But with a few simple garden design tweaks, homeowners can provide essential shade, shelter, and water to…
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Where to position landscape lighting – expert tricks
Knowing where to position landscape lighting allows you to dramatically enhance your outdoor space. Landscape lighting is a versatile tool you can use to showcase particular features you want to draw attention to, as well as being an easy way to give your outdoor space a professional-looking finish. “Most gardens will benefit from some form…
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Garden path lighting ideas – 8 ways to enhance your walkways
While you can often get away without lighting other areas of the garden, regularly used pathways are the exception to the rule. If it’s tricky to navigate in the dark and access across your garden to your porch or back door is difficult, you will need good garden path lighting ideas to show you the…
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Best time to water, according to gardening experts
Garden experts will tell you that sustained periods of heat, sunshine and dry weather can be a huge stress factor for your plants. Whilst some drought-tolerant plants will cope with this to an extent, most will wither and die back during a heatwave. Watering is key, but do this at the wrong time of day…
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Wheelie bin storage ideas to hide your rubbish from sight
There’s no denying that wheelie bins are an eyesore. Although they may be essential to modern life, wheelie bin storage ideas are often an afterthought in your driveway design. Cumbersome, uninspiring and usually coming in a collection of three, it’s easy to understand why it’s hard to find anything inspiring about this most mundane of…
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Neighbour’s tree blocking sunlight? Follow this advice
Tree-related issues, from annoying overhanging branches to severe impact on sunlight coming into your home, are a common source of neighbour disputes. There’s no general maximum height or spread for individual garden trees in UK law. So when a tree starts blocking natural light, this can lead to trouble. The general rule is that you’re…
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6 garden lighting mistakes according to the experts
Avoiding garden lighting mistakes not only helps you create a seamless scheme in your outdoor space, which is both practical and beautiful, but you can avoid the common traps which often lead to bad investments and ultimately losing money. Lighting design experts reveal common mistakes that they’ve come across when dealing with garden lighting design…