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UK households urged to tackle common weed problem 'before it's too late'

UK households urged to tackle common weed problem 'before it's too late'

Daily Mirror2 days ago
Gardeners are being urged to complete this one gardening job in August to prevent bigger tasks in the upcoming seasons - and it will only take a few minutes from your day
Weeds can quickly take over your garden space during the summer, which is why gardeners must tackle them immediately. The sooner, the better. August is a crucial month for gardening, as it marks the last month of summer and the arrival of a much colder autumn season. Transitioning from hot temperatures to colder ones can affect gardens as much as it affects humans.

Gardeners' World has made it much easier for gardening experts and aficionados by releasing a monthly checklist. Just a heads up, it's a long list. The site wrote: "Clear weeds from cracks in paving and driveways before they get established.'


UK households urged to spray washing up liquid across their gardens
"Remove problem lawn weeds, digging them out," they also added. Although this can be completed throughout the year whenever needed, what a perfect excuse to do two jobs in one go.

One thing that's for sure is that weeds are an inescapable aspect of the British outdoors. Some of the most common ones are the dandelions, daisies and spiky milk thistles. Although not all plants are at risk, some weeds can cause damage to your hard-worked outdoor areas.
One of the problems posed by weeds is that they grow in dense patches, sucking all the nutrients from the soil, leaving other plants, such as grass, with barely anything to hold on to.
Weeds also tend to grow between pavements and driveways, which can cause damage to the structure. Therefore, removing them from the garden should be done to prevent them from seeding and expanding elsewhere. Also, to ensure that your patios remain as tidy and organised as possible.
On the other hand, weeds can also be beneficial for our gardens, but they have to be managed strategically depending on the season. For example, different weeds can improve soil health and provide nutrients and habitat for wildlife. Some of the benefits listed by weeds are their high levels of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, which are essential for plant health, as explained by Gardening Know How.
With the summer temperatures, brighter and longer days, now is the best time to complete these tasks. Indeed, it might require some time from your busy schedules to complete, but there's no better feeling than a beautiful garden during the summer.
As we enter the final stages of summer in the UK, now is the time to get to it and complete some gardening tasks to enjoy our patios and even host a barbecue party, am I right? Happy gardening!
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Top Cold Water Tropical Fish 2025: These are 13 of the most colourful fish that thrive in unheated tanks
Top Cold Water Tropical Fish 2025: These are 13 of the most colourful fish that thrive in unheated tanks

Scotsman

time7 hours ago

  • Scotsman

Top Cold Water Tropical Fish 2025: These are 13 of the most colourful fish that thrive in unheated tanks

From garden ponds filled with Koi Carp to the humble goldfish bowl (although, goldfish need far more space than a bowl can offer) –Britain is a nation of fish lovers. Around 10 per cent of British households own pet fish – that means they are the third most popular animal after cats and dogs. There's loads of choice when it comes to adding fish to (well prepared and correctly set up) home aquariums , with pet shops offering a bewildering range of interesting finned friends. One think you should be aware of is that while many of the most popular fish, such as the Neon Tetra, need a heated tank, others are more than happy to chill in a cold water aquarium (although you'll still need a filtration system to keep them in tiptop fishy-shape). Here are 13 amazing species of fish perfect to populate an unheated aquarium. 1 . White Cloud Mountain Minnow Another species native to China, the White Cloud Mountain Minnow is pretty much extinct in its native habitat, due to a compbination of pollution and tourism. Thankfully, they look likely to live on forever in aquariums. Small, peaceful, and great for beginners, these minnows enjoy cooler water. They're schooling fish with subtle beauty and do best in groups with live plants and gentle currents. | Canva/Getty Images Photo Sales 2 . Goldfish Probably the world's most popular aquarium fish, the Goldfish comes in a whole array of sizes, shapes and colours (not only gold, but also combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black). Don't be tempted to pop one on a tiny bowl, these fish may be hardy but still need plenty of space and filtration to thrive. Originally from China, these are the perfect cold water fish for beginners. | Canva/Getty Images Photo Sales 3 . Rosy Barb The Rosy Barb is a fish that is equally at home in a tropical or cold water aquarium. Colorful and lively, they and are relatively easy to care for and are a schooling fish - so best buy a few. Originally from southern Asia, they're active swimmers needing space and some plant cover. | Canva/Getty Images Photo Sales 4 . Hillstream Loach Looking for something more unusual for your cold water aquarium? The Hillstream Loach could be your fish! Unusual and eye-catching, they resemble miniature stingrays. These algae-eaters love fast-moving, oxygen-rich water and do well in cool temperatures with plenty of rocks and hiding spaces. Originally from South, Southeast and East Asia, there are around 202 subtly-different species of Hillstream Loach, although your local petshop will probably only have a couple. | Canva/Getty Images Photo Sales

American mum in UK can't believe three things about British schools
American mum in UK can't believe three things about British schools

Daily Mirror

time10 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

American mum in UK can't believe three things about British schools

An American mum who's recently moved to England has shared the three things that has shocked her the most about the British school system and how it differs to the US The UK is often described as having a good education system, often ranking among the top countries in the world for education across numerous different categories. ‌ Every country has its different rules and customs when it come to school, and the UK is no exception - meaning our education system can be confusing to people who went to school elsewhere. One of these people is mum Molly, who recently moved over to Birmingham from the US with her family and is now sharing the culture shocks she's noticed since arriving - such as having to navigate the education system for her son. ‌ Taking to TikTok, Molly went on to share the biggest surprises that have caught her off guard since she moved across the pond. ‌ "So, I'm navigating the British school system for the very first time and here's three things that I just find wild as an American," she said at the start of her video. She then went on to share her list. Religious state schools The first thing on her list was that state schools in the UK can be religious. To this, she clarified through her shock: "What? A school that is designated for the public, not a private school, can give priority to students based on religion. ‌ "Now, I understand the history of it, that like the idea that the public could have an education, you know, hundreds and hundreds of years ago," she said. "But the idea that if you want to go to school in your neighbourhood, [...] but you can't get in because kids from further away will have priority because they belong to the faith of the school. "Blows my American mind," she said. "Public schools in America, you just can't discriminate on the basis of religion. Fascinating." ‌ School uniforms "Second for me is uniforms," she said. "I know that statistics are like overwhelming, like 95% or something of schools in the UK wear school uniforms and it's so embedded in the culture to wear school uniform. "I didn't growing up, you know it's way less normalised in the US," she continued, giving 'smart shoes' as an example of the 'formal nature' of going to school in the UK and adding that it's all very new to her. Walking to school "And lastly, this is something I'm really excited about, is the number of children in the UK that can walk to school is just like so much higher than in the US," she said. ‌ She went on to say that there are multiple reasons why her child and most kids in general in the US were unable to walk to their schools. This included issues with infrastructure and the ways neighbourhoods and roads are laid out, making it more difficult - especially for younger kids - to walk to their schools and back home. "The idea that you can walk to school is just like so exciting to me. I'm really thrilled about it for my kid," she said. Several Brits soon took to the comment section to share their thoughts and experiences about the school system, with one viewer sharing: "I was always told that one of the reasons we had to wear uniforms was to stop discrimination against people who are poorer based on their clothes." Another person said: "Most of the country went to a CofE school and we're still on the road to atheist! They're not religious schools in the standard sense that people might think. Singing some hymns is basically it." "I work in Catholic school in Bham. Our demographic more non-Catholic than Catholic. it's really not what you think," a third person wrote.

I tried orange squash from Lidl, Asda, M&S & 6 more – £1 bottle was better than Robinsons
I tried orange squash from Lidl, Asda, M&S & 6 more – £1 bottle was better than Robinsons

Daily Mirror

time13 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

I tried orange squash from Lidl, Asda, M&S & 6 more – £1 bottle was better than Robinsons

I tried orange squash from Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S and compared them against Robinsons orange squash to see if any lived up to the same standard or surpassed it. Orange squash is an essential drink that most British households will stock in their kitchen cupboards. It enhances water's flavour and ensures children consume adequate fluids, especially now that the weather can be humid. ‌ Nevertheless, with a bottle of Robinsons costing £2.50, expenses can rapidly accumulate if you're purchasing this product frequently, just like other items you may use daily, like butter and, more typically, toilet paper. ‌ Most supermarket own-brands hover closer to the £1 price point — so is that additional £1.50 or thereabouts genuinely justified, or are you simply paying for the brand name? ‌ These were the queries I aimed to resolve, and to accomplish this, I sampled orange squash from Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S and measured them against Robinsons orange squash to determine if any matched the same quality or exceeded it. Regarding how the beverages were prepared, 15ml of concentrated squash was blended with 135ml of water. Robinsons Beginning with the market leader in squash, we have Robinsons, for numerous decades linked with Wimbledon. It boasts a brilliant orange hue that remains bright even when watered down in a glass. ‌ Presentation, naturally, excels here, expertly crafted, attractive colours, everything you'd anticipate from the leading brand, but it's the flavour that matters, so let's examine that. Robinsons takes pride in producing squash that delivers "real fruit" taste; nevertheless, it possesses a somewhat synthetic flavour. Rating: 7.5/10 ‌ Aldi Moving on to Aldi, a supermarket brand renowned for its budget-friendly pricing, this juice was the joint-third cheapest of all, costing just 89p. Aldi's double-strength 20% fruit squash in the bottle bears a similar hue to Robinsons—a vibrant and fresh orange that induces thirst. Regrettably, it slightly missed the mark in terms of taste. While still palatable, it wasn't as memorable as the leading brand, and certainly left less of a lasting impression, tasting noticeably cheaper in quality, which, considering the price, is perhaps to be expected. Rating: 5/10 ‌ Lidl Lidl's own offering at 89p appears almost identical in colour to the classic Robinsons in the bottle, a real burst of bright orange. However, this one did lack the sweetness you get from Robinsons, but it still makes a decent alternative. Rating 6.5/10 ‌ Tesco Next in line is Tesco, which surprised me with its performance. For just 45p, you can't really grumble too much about this one. Whilst not bursting with flavour, there is plenty of it, and it doesn't overpower either, which can often be an issue with double-strength versions of squash. Rating: 6/10 Asda Asda's orange squash is notably cheaper than Robinson's and all the other brands, retailing for the same price as Tesco. Unfortunately, it didn't taste as good. ‌ Perhaps it had a slightly unfair advantage because I tried it further down the list, but in comparison, it tasted like vaguely flavoured water. It completely lacked the punch of orange squash, despite claiming to be double strength. Rating: 3/10 Sainsbury's I am convinced the 49p Sainsbury's bottle of orange squash is identical to the Tesco version. Both have the same packaging, minus the branded sticker, and have the same level of sweetness and fruitiness. ‌ Rating: 6/10 ‌ Morrisons This 99p orange squash from Morrisons looked more like long-life orange juice rather than an enticing hydrating drink. But once combined with water, the appearance improved. The flavour wasn't the most intense, and it was on the sweet side, but it's still good value for money and does the job while saving a lot compared to big brands. Rating: 5.5/10 Waitrose Expecting big things from the £1.30 Waitrose orange squash, I was sadly disappointed. It was sweet, but lacked flavour. I found the Waitrose squash to be a bit lacking in its orange flavour, not leaving the same fruity aftertaste as the ones from M&S and Robinsons. ‌ Rating: 6.5/10 M&S Made with 20% real fruit. M&S' £1.10 squash has one of the largest portions of real fruit, which probably explains the higher price tag, although it is still cheaper than a bottle from Waitrose or the market leader. This one has a more grown-up, authentic flavour and ­colour than some of the other squashes on the market. It's not too sweet, which may not appeal to little ones as much, but adults may prefer this version; I definitely did. Plus, it does away with sweetener-style aftertastes. Rating: 10/10

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