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Gardeners warned over 'essential' job for August to get garden looking good

Gardeners warned over 'essential' job for August to get garden looking good

Daily Mirror20 hours ago
If you're growing these popular plants in your garden this month then don't forget one important gardening task that will help your outdoor area look as good as possible
As your plants bloom over August, gardeners are advised to complete one task to make sure their garden remains lush and healthy.

With the warm weather and long, bright days, many Brits are spending more time in their gardens: planning barbecues, outdoor lunches and even just settling down on a chair with a great book. It also means that many of us are attempting to make our gardens look as appealing as possible.

After all, there are few things better than being able to enjoy a gorgeous nature-filled view every time you step outside. A great way to do this is by exercising your green thumb and planting different kinds of flowers. Some of the most popular and easiest flowers to grow in the UK include lavender and roses.

Roses bring with them vibrant blooms, a delicious scent and connotations of romance. Meanwhile, lavender also carries a sweet fragrance and is known to attract pollinators – which can further boost your garden.
However, while both flowers are relatively simple to take care of, experts say there is one important task that should be completed in August in order to keep them looking neat and healthy.

Pruning is one of a gardener's most common tasks, and roses and lavender are no exception. Both flowers benefit greatly from being trimmed back during the summer.
This is because pruning helps with far more than simply keeping your flower borders looking crisp. By cutting away dead, wilting or excess blooms and leaves, you help redirect energy and resources back to the plant.

This can encourage your flowers to produce fresh blooms and can lead to a more vibrant appearance. In turn, it will help your garden maintain a lush summer look.
Another important benefit of pruning is that it can help curb disease by cutting away afflicted parts of the plant. This way, you can help stop the spread.
As reported by Country Living, senior gardener at Bowood country estate Phil Nichols advised: "Cut back rambling roses by about a third to help manage their growth." He added: 'Lavender can be trimmed back slightly beyond this year's flowers to keep the plant compact."
He also recommended continuing to feeding your flowering plants during the summer to supply them with energy. In particular, he suggested that seaweed feed is a good option at this time of year.
Another important task that Phil recommended getting stuck into is deadheading, which includes most annual and perennial plants. Deadheading involves removing dead flower blooms to encourage further blooming.
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Gardeners warned over 'essential' job for August to get garden looking good
Gardeners warned over 'essential' job for August to get garden looking good

Daily Mirror

time20 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

Gardeners warned over 'essential' job for August to get garden looking good

If you're growing these popular plants in your garden this month then don't forget one important gardening task that will help your outdoor area look as good as possible As your plants bloom over August, gardeners are advised to complete one task to make sure their garden remains lush and healthy. ‌ With the warm weather and long, bright days, many Brits are spending more time in their gardens: planning barbecues, outdoor lunches and even just settling down on a chair with a great book. It also means that many of us are attempting to make our gardens look as appealing as possible. ‌ After all, there are few things better than being able to enjoy a gorgeous nature-filled view every time you step outside. A great way to do this is by exercising your green thumb and planting different kinds of flowers. Some of the most popular and easiest flowers to grow in the UK include lavender and roses. ‌ Roses bring with them vibrant blooms, a delicious scent and connotations of romance. Meanwhile, lavender also carries a sweet fragrance and is known to attract pollinators – which can further boost your garden. However, while both flowers are relatively simple to take care of, experts say there is one important task that should be completed in August in order to keep them looking neat and healthy. ‌ Pruning is one of a gardener's most common tasks, and roses and lavender are no exception. Both flowers benefit greatly from being trimmed back during the summer. This is because pruning helps with far more than simply keeping your flower borders looking crisp. By cutting away dead, wilting or excess blooms and leaves, you help redirect energy and resources back to the plant. ‌ This can encourage your flowers to produce fresh blooms and can lead to a more vibrant appearance. In turn, it will help your garden maintain a lush summer look. Another important benefit of pruning is that it can help curb disease by cutting away afflicted parts of the plant. This way, you can help stop the spread. As reported by Country Living, senior gardener at Bowood country estate Phil Nichols advised: "Cut back rambling roses by about a third to help manage their growth." He added: 'Lavender can be trimmed back slightly beyond this year's flowers to keep the plant compact." He also recommended continuing to feeding your flowering plants during the summer to supply them with energy. In particular, he suggested that seaweed feed is a good option at this time of year. Another important task that Phil recommended getting stuck into is deadheading, which includes most annual and perennial plants. Deadheading involves removing dead flower blooms to encourage further blooming.

Store potatoes properly to stop them from sprouting by using one fruit
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A lifestyle guru called @lifetips669 took to TikTok to share a series of fruit and veg hacks, with one in particular getting people talking for all the right reasons A lifestyle expert has revealed several crucial fruit and vegetable hacks - particularly one that stops your spuds from going sprooty. ‌ TikTok user @lifetips669 shared a video showcasing various clever tricks to maximise your grocery haul. They began, saying: "Vegetable vendors will never tell you these food storage tips". Explaining their potato preservation method, they said: "Potatoes bought in bulk go bad. Potatoes and apples are good friends. Storing them together prevents sprouting". ‌ The technique appears to have scientific backing, as pairing the two items reduces their ripening speed. It comes after Brits are told to never put one banned item in garden bins as you could face punishment. ‌ According to Tasting Table, apples release ethylene, a naturally occurring gas which "can slow down or halt potatoes' sprouting process". The site also suggests avoiding keeping potatoes in warm conditions, instead placing them somewhere "cool, dry and dark". Although, you shouldn't pop them in the fridge as chilly temperatures can "trigger the potato's starches to transform into sugars, which can become carcinogenic when cooked." However, be cautious as ethylene from apples can produce the reverse impact on other produce, particularly onions, melons, broccoli, and peaches. Their heightened ethylene sensitivity can accelerate ripening, making them go off more quickly, reports the Express. In another clever hack, @lifetips669 suggested popping prawns into an empty mineral water bottle, then filling it with tap water. "Tighten the cap and freeze it," they advised. "This way it stays fresh for a year". The TikTok user then proposed storing broccoli in water to "extend its freshness", and claimed that keeping onions in tights ensures they will "last a long time". More tips followed, with @lifetips669 suggesting applying tape to the top of tomatoes to extend their edible lifespan to two weeks, and placing two garlic cloves on a cut watermelon before sealing it with cling film to ward off bacteria. And just like spuds, @lifetips669 revealed that bananas bought in bulk "mould quicker". To tackle this, they suggested wrapping a bag around the stem so they'll "still be perfect" when you fancy eating them later on. One grateful TikTok user responded: "Wow I'm so encouraged and happy, thanks a lot for this info." Another echoed the sentiment, adding: "Wow additional knowledge. Thanks for sharing the tips".

Dunelm shoppers say 'it's easy to fall asleep' in £50 garden chair set
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