News - Page 56

DIY Ideas: pressing flowers

You can press flowers easily which helps to keep their lovely colour and shape for years to come. Once you have pressed them, they can be used in decoration for things such as homemade cards or pictures for a personalised display at home or gifts for friends. Imagine being able to save some of your most precious flowers from the garden to have indoors all year? The process is enjoyable as well. There are a few different ways to press flowers so here is the book pressing method.

Guide to grow new plants from cuttings

If you enjoy plants, growing new plants from cuttings is a really easy way to enjoy getting even more plants for free. You can also divide plants and collect seeds which are all ways to make the most of what you already have and grow more of your favourites. Cuttings can be taken from many different plants and propagating in this way can have really good results, plus it is almost magical to see a new plant grow from a small cutting, so give it a go with our guide.

Top 7 Plants for Student Rooms

Universities have started again so you might as well add some greenery to your, or someone else's, student room. It's rather simple and easy, but plants definitely bring life into a place. Moreover, plants tend to purify the air and help you study better! Here are our top plants for student rooms.

Celebrate Apple Day by preparing delicious home-made apple juice

Apple Day is all about spreading awareness of the environment and the season of Autumn along with a big appreciation of apples which are harvested around this time of year. There are many ways to enjoy apples from simply eaten off the tree to an apple crumble but why not prepare a delicious homemade apple juice with the apples from your trees. It is simply a refreshing and nutritious drink which is easy and satisfying to make. Make one glass of apple juice in ten minutes.

Celebrate Apple Day by preparing delicious home-made apple juice

Outdoor Style: City Gardens

You can get creative and design your own city garden with a few tips and ideas. You do not need to be restricted if you have a smaller urban space because the options are vast with many products on the market made specifically for city spaces and many new varieties of plants available for containers and small gardens. There are so many ways to design a stunning outdoor space from urban jungle style to formal, compact planting, patios to decking and a hammock under a tree, these ideas should get you started to design your own city garden.

How not to make a mountain out of molehills

When you’ve spent long hours creating your perfect lawn, the last thing you want to see is a whacking great molehill spoiling your handiwork. So to help, here’s the lowdown on garden moles and what to do about them.

How not to make a mountain out of molehills

DIY Ideas: Make your own succulent wreath

Making a Succulent Wreath is not only trendy but they look great and are easy to make, with a little patience. You can get really creative and enjoy some fun time enjoying making your own wreath with your own choice of plants. When you have made it, you can display it at home or even give it away to friends or family as a lovely gift.

DIY Ideas: Make your own succulent wreath

Garden plant of the moment: Pieris japonica

Pieris japonica is a plant of many names. Also known as Japanese andromeda, flame of the forest or lily-of-the-valley bush, this striking evergreen shrub looks good all year round. With its attractive foliage and sprays of spring flowers, it’s a great low-maintenance shrub for shady gardens.

Garden plant of the moment: Pieris japonica

Planting winter bedding and spring bulbs

As autumn begins and the days get shorter, nothing beats a bit of colour in the garden to dispel the pre-winter blues. Now’s the time to fill pots and borders with winter bedding for flowers through the cold weather, and of course, it’s also time to start planting spring bulbs for a fantastic display next spring. Here’s our simple guide to planting spring bulbs and bedding.

Planting winter bedding and spring bulbs

Home trends: Freakebana

Have you heard of the new home trend Freakebana? The quirky way to decorate is becoming quite the hit. Freakebana is based on the Japanese art of arranging flowers named Ikebana which is a way of using seasonal plants off centre with form, line and colour. It is based on precision and minimalism with plants used as symbolism. Freakebana is based on this but rather than the precision, it is all about arranging items in a quirky style. If you try it, the look can become really quite eccentric with a mix of very odd items.

What to do in the garden in September?

With the rich colours of autumn starting to glow, September is an especially lovely month for gardens. While the warm weather lasts, it’s time to gather in the harvest and start preparing the garden for the colder months ahead, as well as planning for the joys of another spring.

Houseplant of the month: Large-leaved Ficus

Looking for a green houseplant that is not very demanding and grows quickly? The large-leaved Ficus offers a lot of beauty in exchange for occasional sips of water. Whilst Ficus are well known for strong indoor trees with lots of little leaves, they are also available with large leaves, giving the plant a robust look.

Houseplant of the month: Large-leaved Ficus