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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mirror
Alan Titchmarsh says hanging baskets last longer if you add one ingredient
A hanging basket offers a colourful welcome at your front door when you return home, or can be used as a handy mini herb garden – Alan Titchmarsh recommends a cheap addition that will make plants last much longer Hanging baskets can provide a splash of colour outside your front door, but the downside is that they require a huge amount of water compared to other garden displays. With heatwaves coming around seemingly every other week, hanging floral displays need more care than ever. On his new YouTube channel, Gardeners' World expert Alan Titchmarsh has shared three new ideas for hanging baskets, including a drought-resistant design based around succulents. However, the most essential tip for preparing a new hanging basket, he says, involves a cheap addition that can be bought for a few pounds at any garden centre. He explains that water-storing crystals are a game-changer for hanging baskets: 'You can add them to the compost, sprinkle them in, work them in with your fingers, and once water hits that, they expand and they become a kind of gel. They stop the hanging basket drying out.' Gardeners have also been advised to use old sponges for similar reasons. 'The funny thing about hanging baskets is they divide the population,' Alan says. 'You either love them or loathe them.' They're generally made of plastic-coated wire, or in some cases lightweight plastic, and lined with materials such as materials like coco coir, jute, or moss. Alan recommends getting a good sturdy wide-framed one, and standing it on top of a bucket to keep it steady while you add your plants. Alan chops holes in the coir mat to allow a few plants to peep through, as: 'Otherwise, you end up looking at a load of wire and coir rather than plants.' While ordinary peat-free compost is perfectly fine, Alan recommends getting some specially-formulated trough and basket compost. Mixing some water-storing crystals in with your compost will increase the longevity of your plants, so you don't end up returning from work on a hot day to find your plants dried out. As you then plant your first batch of plants, around the edge, you can use the pieces of coir that you've cut out to fill in any remaining gaps. He lists a number of plants that do well in hanging baskets, including ivy, which can create a decorative trailing border, and bacopa Megacopa Blue. Bacopa is a popular choice for baskets, with attractive bluish-purple, five-petalled flowers that cascade attractively over the rim of the basket – lasting several months from June right up until October. He also recommends Diascia Flying Colours Appleblossom, which has pink blooms that also flourish from summer to early autumn, and Million Bells, also known as Calibrachoa, featuring small, pleasing, petunia-like flowers. But Alan's most interesting recommendations are for his all-succulent basket: 'They have their own in-built supply of water in these fleshy leaves and they can go without water for days.' While succulents might seem a bit unexciting, there are flowering varieties such as Echeveria. Echeveria is a comparatively easy plant to grow, doing well in bright but indirect light. They require comparatively little watering, but you should collect rainwater rather than filling your watering-can from the tap, because many succulents aren't keen on fluoride. The only thing you have to watch for with Echeveria is bringing it indoors before the first frost - it really doesn't like the cold.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Garden expert claims Monty Don's 'terrible' advice could pose risk to you and your pets
Gardening expert Simon from the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel has taken aim at Gardeners' World host Monty Don, for advice he claims is 'terrible' Gardeners are constantly inundated with advice on the dos and don'ts of horticulture, from planting, to pruning, to mowing. But, according to Simon from the Walking Talking Gardeners YouTube channel, much of this guidance is "terrible,". Simon has taken a swipe at Gardeners' World's Monty Don for offering what he claims is scientifically inaccurate advice. Monty had suggested that gardeners delay mowing until July to help pollinating insects by letting the grass grow. However, Simon rejects this advice, stating: "These plants are wind-pollinated. They do not produce pollinating insects." He added: "The only way it would be [true] is because if you've got a load of weeds in your you've got weeds in your lawn, well, that's down to you." He acknowledges that while long grass can indeed provide a habitat for insects, not all of these insects are desirable. He explains: "One of the creatures that perhaps you would not like to have in your garden are ticks... They love the long grass. The longer you leave it, the happier they are. Your pets can be covered in them; biting, sucking all the blood out of them." Ticks pose a threat not just to our pets, Simon warns, but also to humans, as they can transmit a variety of serious illnesses including Lyme disease and the potentially fatal tick-borne encephalitis. He goes on to say that if you're genuinely keen to help pollinating insects during spring and summer, you should "get rid of your lawn and put in a wild flower meadow". Simon points to another hazard of letting grass reach its maximum height - the peril posed by grass seeds: "They're little sticky, sharp, horrible little things that if you've got pets such as dogs and cats, they love to stand on them, and get infected paws." He warns that grass seeds can actually embed themselves in an animal's flesh, leading to ghastly wounds so severe he worries sharing images of the harm would see him "kicked off of the internet". "My next piece of terrible advice," Simon continues, "is to do with watering your tree ferns". Tree ferns, he explains, have developed to flourish in regions with extremely heavy downpours: "The whole being of this plant is to take in water and hold onto it as best as it can." He notes that some folk reckon gardeners must help tree ferns adapt to Britain's climate conditions: "You've got to toughen it up so that it can survive, and that meant you don't water your tree ferns through the crown." Taking aim at the horticulturists at RHS Wisley for being especially susceptible to this blunder, he states: "You can water [your tree fern] just at the base as you would do your regular plants. But really that is not what this plant requires to grow well. "If you don't give it additional water through the crown, that crown is going to start shrinking up. Year on year, you're going to get a reduction in that canopy." He cautions about the consequences of neglecting proper watering, leading to less lush foliage: "You will see smaller fronds, and fewer of them," and warns against following certain detrimental practices observed elsewhere. "Over time, your plant will look like all those other plants that they have at Wisley, who have some bizarre kind of management techniques that really ends up killing them all off."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC Countryfile's Adam Henson says 'I'll go back' as he hints at future away from show
Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has been a familiar face on our screens for more than 20 years, but has a very different life away from the TV cameras Adam Henson has dropped a mysterious hint about potentially stepping back from television if his "face doesn't fit one day". During a BBC Farmwatch broadcast, the presenter discussed his Cotswolds operation, revealing that 180 staff work at the Cotswold Farm Park in Cheltenham. It appears Adam's responsibilities have shifted over time, admitting his "hands are soft" and that his current duties involve "managing managers", with an 8am kick-off (considerably later than most farmers begin their day). Nevertheless, the Countryfile favourite clearly retains affection for traditional agricultural work. When questioned whether he missed that aspect of farming, he replied that he "always wanted" to be a farmer and continues to adore it. Adam remarked: "Yeah, you know, I grew up on a farm wanting to be a farmer, went to agricultural college, you know, travelled the world working on farms. It's something I've always wanted to do, and I still love it." He added: "So the telly world has taken me slightly away from that. That's a pleasure, but if my face doesn't fit one day, which I'm sure it won't, I'll go back to being a proper farmer." The beloved broadcaster has also featured on programmes including Gardeners' World, Springtime on the Farm and Lambing Live, sharing expertise from his farm since 2001. Adam is wed to spouse Charlotte, and together they share two grown-up children, Alfie and Ella. Nevertheless, his children have chosen not to mirror his professional journey and have instead embarked on completely different vocational routes. Adam was apparently motivated by his father to pursue the dual occupations of agriculture and broadcasting, explaining how he would telephone after every programme to provide encouragement or critique. Chatting to the Express, Adam shared how his father was "ahead of his time" by welcoming visitors to the farm and allowing guests to "bottle-feed a lamb or hold a chick". He commented: "While I was pulling on my wellies and chasing my dad out of the door to join him on the farm, my own children aren't interested in a career in farming." The 59-year-old disclosed that his daughter works as an events organiser in Perth, while his son is a financial adviser in Leeds. This means that when the tenancy expires in 12 years, he and Charlotte will relocate to a bungalow in Winchcombe. Nevertheless, it probably won't be too far removed from his former agricultural existence, as Adam observed that they will still have a few acres and he intends to keep "a few sheep and the dogs".
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
UK households urged to tackle common weed problem 'before it's too late'
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!
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Alan Titchmarsh shares top five drought-resistant plants every UK garden needs
As the British summer becomes increasingly hotter and drier each year, some green-fingered enthusiasts are considering transitioning to gardens that can withstand the changing climate. Following a third blistering heatwave in Britain, with forecasts of yet another spell of intense heat on the horizon, it's becoming clear that scorching summers are here to stay, prompting gardeners to prepare for drier conditions. With hosepipe bans looming in Yorkshire until winter, and other UK regions likely to follow, now is the time to contemplate creating a drought-tolerant garden. Gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh, known for his work on Gardeners' World and Ground Force, has taken to his YouTube channel to recommend several plants that can flourish despite stringent hosepipe restrictions: "I'm always looking for drought-resistant plants that can cope with less water," he remarks. The Sun Rose The delicate blooms of Cistus Pulverulentus Sunset, which Alan describes as looking like "they've been made from tissue paper," belie its hardy nature. "Cystus is a shrub which is semi evergreen," Alan says, "It's fairly low. It tends to make low mounds and in that respect, it's really useful, particularly in small gardens." Those delicate flowers come along in late spring and early summer, and while each one will only last a short time, it will soon be followed by another one. The Rock Rose Helianthemum "scrambles over rocks in a rock garden," Alan says, or it can provide an excellent decorative edge to borders. It's another low-growing plant, he adds: "It never grows much more than about nine inches to a foot high. And it can be studded with flowers of either white, yellow, pink or orange." The variation Alan picked, which is called "The Bride," features flowers that are white with a yellow centre, like miniature fried eggs. The Rock Rose thrives in really dry, arid, rocky conditions: "You don't need to grow it in a rock garden," Alan says "Just make sure that with all these plants, as well as enjoying sunshine, the soil is well drained." Stonecrop Sedum is a hardy long-lived perennial that, with a little care, will flower reliably for many summers to come. Alan picked out the Sedum Sunsparkler Plum Dazzled as his personal favourite. Despite thriving in warm, dry conditions, Sedum is known as "the ice plant," and Alan explains the remarkable reason why. "When you feel the leaves, even on a warm day, they're cold to the touch," he says, adding that they're a great asset in a sensory garden for children. They're also a good choice for late summer interest, Alan adds: "If you've got a garden that is always at its best in June and then it sort of fizzles out come the end of summer. The sedums are fab, flowering right the way through July, August, September on towards the frost." Sea Holly Alan says that Eryngium are really effective plants for a warm, hot, dry, sunny border. "They have really thick roots," he says, "and those thick roots are capable of drilling down and finding moisture where they need them." Unlike the previous entries in Alan's list, they can grow quite tall, meaning that Eryngium can be placed towards the back of a display. They're also an excellent choice, dried, to provide an indoor floral display during the winter. Lily of the Nile Agapanthus takes the number one spot in Alan's list. It's a much more forgiving plant than it used to be, he says: "They used to be quite tender. Hardier ones have been bred now. And the label on this plant claims it will go down to minus 12° C, provided that drainage at the roots is good." While you can find white varieties, Alan prefers the classic vivid blue of Ever Sapphire, which he says is set off particularly well when placed in a classic terracotta pot. It will thrive in well-drained soil that receives full sun, and as an additional bonus, Agapanthus is quite resistant to most garden pests.
