Month: September 2025

Organically dealing with the cabbage aphid

Cabbage aphids, scientifically known as Brevicoryne brassicae, are a common pest for gardeners cultivating brassicas, such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. These small, waxy, grey-green insects feed in dense clusters, sucking the sap from leaves and stems. This feeding…

How to deadhead dahlia plants

It can be tricky to tell the difference between a spent dahlia flower and a new bud, but learning to identify them is key to successful deadheading, which encourages more blooms. Here’s how to distinguish between the two: New Bud:…

Provide water for wildlife

Providing fresh water in your garden is one of the easiest and most vital tasks you can undertake. A dry spell is always possible. Even as autumn approaches, natural water sources such as puddles and small streams can be scarce….

If only gardeners understood slugs

Slugs often get a bad reputation in the garden, but their behaviour is actually a reaction to how gardeners keep things tidy. In the wild, like in woodlands and other natural areas, slugs are not pests. Instead, they play an…

Time to pot up prepared Hyacinths

Planting prepared hyacinth bulbs is a simple, rewarding process. It brings the promise of beautiful, fragrant blooms to your home, often in time for Christmas or late winter. Prepared bulbs have been pre-chilled, which mimics the natural cold period they…