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Quick Answer: Moving Established Acer Trees Successfully The best time to move an established Acer is November through February, whilst the tree is dormant. Prune the root ball 6-8 weeks before moving by cutting around the tree with a spade to encourage fibrous root growth. Dig a root ball at least 40cm wide for every […]

Standing at your patio doors staring out at that wedge of green space narrowing away into a sharp point, you might be wondering what possessed the original planner to carve up gardens into geometric nightmares. Triangle shaped gardens are one of those design challenges that can make even experienced gardeners throw their hands up in […]

Quick Answer Yes, daffodils are hardy perennials that return and multiply year after year with almost no effort. Plant the bulbs between September and November, three times their depth, and let the foliage die back naturally after flowering rather than cutting it early, since this is what feeds the bulb for next year’s display. There’s […]

After presenting over 60 gardens on BBC Garden Rescue, viewers always ask me the same question: “How do you come up with designs so quickly?” The truth is, there’s a systematic process I use on every single project, the same one I teach in my online courses. Let me pull back the curtain and show […]

The Flamingo tree (Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’) is one of the most popular small ornamental trees in British gardens, and it’s easy to see why. With its stunning variegated pink, white and green foliage that resembles flamingo feathers, compact size, and RHS Award of Merit for reliability, it’s the perfect choice for small gardens, patios, and […]

QUICK ANSWER Peace lily leaves turning black usually indicates overwatering combined with cold temperatures, causing root rot. Move the plant to a warmer location (minimum 15°C), allow the compost to dry out almost completely, then resume watering only when the top inch feels dry. Cut off all black leaves cleanly at the base. New, healthy […]

Working out which direction a garden faces is one of the first things I do when I’m designing new gardens as a garden designer. I do this before anything else, and I am going to explain why every gardener needs to follow this step! After decades of designing gardens, this is the one thing that even […]

🌿 Quick Answer The best winter flowering plants for a UK garden are hellebores, witch hazel, Sarcococca, Daphne, Viburnum x bodnantense and winter jasmine, all of which flower between November and April. For the biggest impact, group fragrant shrubs near doorways and paths, then add early bulbs such as snowdrops and winter aconites beneath deciduous […]

Quick Answer January is prime time for pruning apple and pear trees, wisteria, roses, soft fruit bushes (gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants), grapevines, deciduous hedges and most deciduous trees whilst they’re dormant. The bare branches make it easy to see the structure, and plants won’t bleed sap or suffer from disease as readily as when actively growing. […]

Poinsettias are everywhere at Christmas, their vibrant red bracts brightening up garden centres, supermarkets and homes across the UK. But these festive favourites have a reputation for being tricky to keep alive, often ending up in the bin come January. The truth is, with a bit of knowledge about what poinsettias actually are and how […]