Birds add life, colour and sound to a garden and are fascinating to watch. They also help to control both native and introduced pests and many native plants are bird pollinated. Here’s how to attract some to your garden.
Tomatoes are one of the most popular (and tastiest!) crops for home gardeners to grow. They are also one of the easiest, but there are some common mistakes you can avoid, ensuring a bumper crop over summer.
Spring is coming so it’s time to dust off your gardening gloves and get back into the garden. If you want a fabulous spring and summer garden, there are some jobs you need to do in preparation.
Ground cover plants are suitable for all types of outdoor spaces. You can transform a tired looking garden and they practically look after themselves!
You don’t have to have outdoor space to grow your own food – there are plenty edible plants you can grow indoors. To get started keep reading!
If you’ve got an ugly fence or wall in your garden, turn it green by covering it with beautiful, evergreen climbing plants – then you’ll have something lovely to look at all year round.
Container gardens are extremely popular - for good reason: They work with a huge range of plants and in many locations, from front verandahs to backyards. So how do you get started?
The weather may be a bit cold and wet, but it’s a great time to get your strawberry plants in. And the best part is, you don’t need a big garden to grow them.
Just because you don’t have a sunny garden doesn’t mean you can’t have lovely plants and flowers. Here 9 examples of plants that love the shade.
Peas and beans are a great beginner’s crop as they’re so easy to grow (and delicious to eat!). Plant peas and broad beans in autumn as they do best over the cooler months. Wait until spring to plant climbing, dwarf or runner beans.
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Filling a garden can be expensive, but you can reduce costs by growing your flowers from seeds. With a little patience in the early stages, you’ll have beautiful blooms and a healthier bank balance.
Shrubs are an instrumental part of every garden's ecosystem and design. They provide shade, improve soil stability and enhance air quality. Here are 7 low-maintenance shrubs that anyone can grow.
You only get one chance to make a great first impression – that‘s how the saying goes, and it’s never more true than when you’re selling your home.
Poinsettias are often bought to add a touch of red to the decor during the festive season, but rather than throwing them away after Christmas, transplant them into your garden (or into bigger pots).
Succulents have had a bit of a resurgence in recent years and for good reason. They look fantastic in pots, are ideal for landscaping and do well indoors as a succulent bowl.
Looking for a Christmas gift that's a bit different and environmentally friendly? Take some cuttings from your garden and plant them up in a pretty pot ready for gifting. It's a great way to save money, share your garden and give something that will last (hopefully!).
If you’re not having much success in the garden, here are a few common mistakes that many of us are making.
Just like us, plants need nutritious food to grow and stay healthy. The range of commercial fertilisers available is huge but there are a few guidelines you can follow to help you make the right choice for your garden.
Easy-to-grow marigolds will light up your garden with a blaze of fiery orange hues from spring right through to early autumn. They are low maintenance and hardy, suiting traditional as well as contemporary garden designs.
Hanging baskets make a great container for growing cherry tomatoes. They provide a blast of colour and they have advantages over growing them in the ground or in pots.
Add tropical colour to your garden with a selection of hibuscus plants. Their beautiful flowers come in a huge array of colours and sizes, some as big as dinner plates!
Beautiful and vibrant fuchsias originate from the cool, coastal region of Central and South America. They come in a variety of shapes, forms and colours, so there’s always something perfect for your garden, pots or baskets.
Not everyone has the luxury of a large garden, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on beautiful trees. These deciduous, small trees have a great shape, excellent autumn colour and will grow in most soils with added compost, mulch and a little fertiliser.
I'd like to see that! Have you heard about Bromeliads?They are striking, tropical to cool-temperate plants, native to Central and South America. They range from 1cm miniatures to 10-metre giants and are hugely diverse in foliage patterns, growth habit and flowers.
According to the Water Corporation, we use over 40% of our water in the garden, and this includes water-guzzling verge lawns. By transforming these lawns into waterwise verges,we could each save a significant amount of water every year.
Winter is upon us and the temperature is dropping, but there are still plenty of things to be done in the garden. Keep on top of those weeds, start pruning and plant some winter veg. It’s also time to plant natives and roses and divide perennials ready for spring growth.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have colour and scent in your garden all year round? Well, with a bit of planning, you can. We’ve found 6 scented plants that flower at different times throughout the year, so you garden looks and smells beautiful whatever the season!
Having a beautiful and vibrant garden doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Many plants grow easily from cuttings and you can get together with friends and neighbours to swap the best ones, so you all get a variety. It’s a great way to fill up your garden beds and all it will cost is a little time.
Indoor plants add colour and style to your home. They can promote a feeling of calm and absorb background noise, and some are even known for their air purifying qualities.
If you’ve got a shady area in your garden where not much seems to thrive, try some ferns. Ferns love dappled light and areas with shade and bring texture, drama and colour, depending on the varieties you choose.
Growing your own herbs saves money, trips to the supermarket and is less wasteful as you only pick as much as you need for whatever you are cooking. You can plant them in your garden beds or in pots; try to find a spot close to your kitchen for easy access to regular watering and harvesting.
Plant a compost crop and and reap the benefits next season. A compost crop, or green manure, is a crop that’s grown to enrich and improve the soil and your veggie garden will thank you for it. Here how to start your very own compost crop.
