Have you ever wondered how to paint your two-storey ceiling when the extension on your paint pole isn’t long enough? Or how to reach the tallest branches of the tree you want to trim when there’s nowhere to prop a ladder? Welcome to the world of scaffold towers. Scaffold towers come into play when you don’t need (or can’t afford) fully-fledged scaffolding, when a ladder just can’t do the job or you want a tall…
Hellebore plants, commonly referred to as the Christmas rose are known for producing a great deal of colour and attractive foliage, as well as providing winter interest with flowers often appearing above the snow-covered ground. That’s how hardy they are. There are many types of Hellebores out there that provide a range of colour options for the flowers including purples, pinks, yellows, and white. Some even have decorative markings on the inside of the flowers. Some…
Hellebores, commonly known as the Christmas Rose, produce a wonderful display of flowers and are perfect for providing winter interest when the availability of winter flowering plants is somewhat limited. They’re a great source of food for any pollinating insects at the beginning of spring, especially bees which need all the help they can get, and they are also popular because of the attractive evergreen foliage. This foliage is also, depending on the variety, sometimes…
Astrantia, also known as Masterwort is a very strong herbaceous perennial that’s quite tolerant of most soil types. As long as it is moist it can do well in just about any other conditions, but they prefer partial to light shade and are perfect for cottage gardens. It has a very long flowering season that runs from the beginning of summer all the way through autumn, making it a delightful addition to your garden. One…
The Black-Eyed Susan, also known as Rudbeckia or Cornflower, it’s a very popular perennial or annual plant because of its large, bushy collections of colourful flowers that bloom between July and October, with the bright yellow with black central cones being the most popular. They have daisy-like flowers that surround the conical disc for which they have become so popular. You can find varieties that are annuals, biennials, and even perennials that you can grow…
The Black-Eyed Susan, also known as Rudbeckia or Cornflower, is a very popular plant and is not to be confused with the Black-eyed Susan vine which is a climber. It is well known for having bushy and colourful yellow flowers with a black centre from around July until around October. These look very similar to daisies but have a cone in the middle. You can find varieties that are annuals, biennials and even perennials with…
The climate in the UK brings a lot of inconsistent weather and usually, it brings a lot of rainfall with it. Many gardens in the UK have a big problem with drainage so if your garden is among them, there are steps you can take to greatly improve the soil and help drainage. You could install new drains (which is probably more affordable than you think) and it just takes some hard work, however, improving…
Astilbes are valuable plants that bring with them a lot of texture and colour to shady areas of your garden where other plants don’t necessarily grow. They are very well known for their lace-like ferny green foliage as well as the plumes of feathery flowers that are produced from the end of spring through the summer. You can find a variety of sizes, including smaller dwarf varieties that reach around 20cm in height for the…
Astilbes are generally not too difficult to grow in pots and containers, as long as you have a semi-shady area in your garden and a good quality soil-based compost to help retain moisture. They add a delightful splash of colour and you can find compact, dwarf varieties if you are simply filling a small space or using a smaller container. Alternatively, there are taller cultivars if you want something a little taller. How to grow…
Astilbe plants offer a range of stunning colours and can turn an otherwise boring back garden into something surrounded by plumes of brightly coloured flowers and lace-like foliage. Best of all they also grow in moist soil in a shady position where not much else will thrive. These plants vary in size and colour so there are some varieties that are shorter, about 20-30cm and others that are perfect for adding a vertical back drop…
