Latest news with #Digitalispurpurea
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Garden pro's £3 B&Q plant blooms now to the end of summer & self seeds for free flowers next year – the bees love it
BLOOMING MARVELLOUS Garden pro's £3 B&Q plant blooms now to the end of summer & self seeds for free flowers next year – the bees love it GARDENING and creating outside spaces with wildlife in mind is now essential going forward. And Rebecca Bevan, who works for the National Trust - has just written a book called Nature Friendly Gardening. 3 Rebecca Bevan and her dog Rusty - in a wildflower meadow 3 Nature Friendly Gardening by Rebecca Bevan (National Trust Books, £20) is out now 3 Foxgloves are native plants that grows well in gardens and seeds itself around. Credit: Getty She said: 'Even the smallest outside space contribute to a mosaic created by the gardens across the neighbourhood. "Your garden could be providing the overwintering spot for the newts that breed in your neighbours pond in Spring, while their tree is the nesting spot for the blue tits which clean your roses of aphids. 'Even if all you have is a patchy lawn, you may well be hosting a healthy population of soil-dwelling grubs, which in turn might be helping to support blackbirds or starlings. 'If it's lumpy with anthills, so much the better - ants make up the majority of the diet of the beautiful green woodpecker, which is resident in Britain all year round.' Her seven top tips for nature gardening are: PLANT A FLOWERING SHRUB OR TREE Even the tiniest tree will have more flowers on it than a whole border of small plants. It uses the empty vertical space in a garden and hopefully provides places for birds to perch or even nest. PLANT LESS POTS AND HANGING BASKETS Put more perennial plants directly into the ground. Plants growing in soil need no extra water, feed, pots or potting compost and will last for years. Rebecca's favourite Perennials include... Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) – A native plant that grows well in gardens and seeds itself around. Popular with bumblebees. B&Q is currently selling Mr Fothergill's Oh Sow Simple Foxy Mix Foxglove flower seeds. Marjoram – (Origanum vulgare) Loved by pollinating insects, tolerant of sun or shade and almost any soil and useful in salads and cooking. Lungwort – (Pulmonaria officinalis) Great in shade with attractive spotty foliage for many months and flowers in early spring which are great for bees. Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) Very structural plant which flowers in late summer and has seed heads that last through winter. Sea holly (Eryngium) Great for a dry, sunny spot, these lovely spiky flowers attract many insects and their long-lasting seedheads are popular with birds. CHOOSE A FEW NATIVE WILDFLOWERS Hedgerow plants like cow parsley and red campion look great in gardens where you can admire them up close and they will attract native creatures. Kate steps out for 1st time since pulling out of Ascot to meet NHS staff & plants 'Catherine's Rose' in hospital garden DITCH THE WEEDKILLERS Especially on your lawn. Every weed is a wildflower which can help boost biodiversity. Clover and daisies in lawns can also keep them greener in dry weather. Less lovely weeds can be easily removed with a handfork or patio weeder for between paving slabs. MOW YOUR LAWN LESS OFTEN Once every 3 weeks will allow the grass to get lusher and some wildflowers to bloom. STOP TAKING WASTE TO THE TIP Stop taking your garden waste to the tip. Make a compost heap to recycle the nutrients and feed your soil or just make a pile for creatures to live in. LOOK AFTER YOUR SOIL It's a complex system of micro-organisms which recycle nutrients, help keep in air and water and feed plant roots. Too much digging or trampling can hurt it so keep it covered with perennial plants and stick to the paths. Also in Veronica's Column this week... Gardening news, top tips and win a Hydria Cascade water fountain NEWS! I was honoured to be a judge on the Robert Dyas Nominate Your Community Space competition - and the winner has been revealed. Volunteers from Day Drive Community Garden in Failsworth, Manchester plan to transform an unused garage site – to provide healthy food for those without easy access to it, offer workshops to empower individuals with new skills, and create a calming social hub in an otherwise urban environment. The retailer's nationwide competition encouraged people to nominate a green community space in their local area, which had the potential to be transformed for the mental and physical health of their community. The prize was £2.5k worth of gardening equipment and was part of Robert Dyas' ongoing Plant & Pause campaign, now in its third year, which encourages the nation to garden their way to better mental health. NEWS! A new YouGov survey, commissioned by Stiga - has shown that more and more people across the UK are embracing gardening - recognising that it's a fulfilling hobby that nurtures both nature and wellbeing. The survey found that 52 per cent of female respondents enjoy interacting with wildlife such as birds and butterflies, compared to 39 per cent of men. Whilst 29 per cent of men enjoy mowing the lawn versus 17 per cent of women. And although all ages enjoy gardening - it's the over 55s who claim to get the most out of it. WIN! Two Sun Gardening readers can get their hands on a stunning Hydria Cascade water fountain. To enter visit or write to Cascade Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. July 19, 2025. T&Cs apply JOB OF THE WEEK It's all about deadheading this week - to ensure future on tying in climbing plants. Train cucumber plants upwards and pick courgettes before they get too big and turn into marrows. For more gardening tips and news follow me @biros_and_bloom
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
Garden pro's £3 B&Q plant blooms now to the end of summer & self seeds for free flowers next year – the bees love it
GARDENING and creating outside spaces with wildlife in mind is now essential going forward. And Rebecca Bevan, who works for the National Trust - has just written a book called 3 Rebecca Bevan and her dog Rusty - in a wildflower meadow 3 Nature Friendly Gardening by Rebecca Bevan (National Trust Books, £20) is out now 3 Foxgloves are native plants that grows well in gardens and seeds itself around. Credit: Getty She said: 'Even the smallest outside space contribute to a mosaic created by the gardens across the neighbourhood. "Your 'Even if all you have is a 'If it's lumpy with anthills, so much the better - ants make up the majority of the diet of the beautiful green woodpecker, which is resident in Britain all year round.' Read More Gardening Her seven top tips for nature gardening are: PLANT A FLOWERING SHRUB OR TREE Even the tiniest PLANT LESS POTS AND HANGING BASKETS Put more perennial plants directly into the ground. Plants growing in soil need no extra water, feed, pots or potting compost and will last for years. Rebecca's favourite Perennials include... Most read in Fabulous Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) – A native plant that grows well in gardens and seeds itself around. Popular with bumblebees. Marjoram – (Origanum vulgare) Loved by pollinating insects, tolerant of sun or shade and almost any soil and useful in salads and cooking. Lungwort – (Pulmonaria officinalis) Great in shade with attractive spotty foliage for many months and flowers in early spring which are great for bees. Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) Very structural plant which flowers in late summer and has seed heads that last through winter. Sea holly (Eryngium) Great for a dry, sunny spot, these lovely spiky flowers attract many insects and their long-lasting seedheads are popular with birds. CHOOSE A FEW NATIVE WILDFLOWERS Hedgerow plants like cow parsley and red campion look great in gardens where you can admire them up close and they will attract native creatures. Kate steps out for 1st time since pulling out of Ascot to meet NHS staff & plants 'Catherine's Rose' in hospital garden DITCH THE WEEDKILLERS Especially on your MOW YOUR LAWN LESS OFTEN Once every 3 weeks will allow the grass to get lusher and some wildflowers to bloom. STOP TAKING WASTE TO THE TIP Stop taking your garden waste to the tip. Make a compost heap to recycle the nutrients and feed your soil or just make a pile for creatures to live in. LOOK AFTER YOUR SOIL It's a complex system of micro-organisms which recycle nutrients, help keep in air and water and feed plant roots. Too much digging or trampling can hurt it so keep it covered with perennial plants and stick to the paths. Also in Veronica's Column this week... Gardening news, top tips and win a Hydria Cascade water fountain NEWS! I was honoured to be a judge on the Volunteers from Day Drive Community Garden in Failsworth, Manchester plan to transform an unused garage site – to provide healthy food for those without easy access to it, offer workshops to empower individuals with new skills, and create a calming social hub in an otherwise urban environment. The retailer's nationwide competition encouraged people to nominate a green community space in their local area, which had the potential to be transformed for the mental and physical health of their community. The prize was £2.5k worth of gardening equipment and was part of Robert Dyas' ongoing Plant & Pause campaign, now in its third year, which encourages the nation to garden their way to better mental health. NEWS! A new YouGov survey, commissioned by The survey found that 52 per cent of female respondents enjoy interacting with wildlife such as birds and butterflies, compared to 39 per cent of men. Whilst 29 per cent of men enjoy mowing the lawn versus 17 per cent of women. And although all ages enjoy gardening - it's the over 55s who claim to get the most out of it. WIN! Two Sun Gardening readers can get their hands on a stunning JOB OF THE WEEK It's all about deadheading this week - to ensure future on tying in climbing plants. Train cucumber plants upwards and pick courgettes before they get too big and turn into marrows. For more gardening tips and news follow me
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Independent
Diarmuid Gavin: The best varieties of foxgloves to grow in your summer garden
It's hard to miss the striking spires of native foxgloves blooming across Ireland at this time of year. With their tall stems and nodding, bell-shaped flowers, foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) are a familiar sight in woodlands, hedgerows, coastal cliffs and even rocky hillsides. Their adaptability is remarkable — they thrive in acidic soil, semi-shade, and even seemingly inhospitable terrain.
