GREEN FINGERS
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EXPERTS CHRIS COLLINS Former Blue Peter gardener and now Head head of Horticulture horticulture at organic charity Garden Organic UK KATIE RUSHWORTH Garden designer and presenter on on ITV’s ITV’s Love Love Your Garden
My outside space looks a bit dull and I’d like to brighten it up as soon as possible. Any ideas? Chris says: Hanging baskets are the best way to achieve instant colour. Simply buy potted plants and ‘de-pot’ into the basket, then water and watch them grow. All you need is a wall that’s not completely in the shade, a basket, hook and bracket (or a basket made for balconies). Start now with pansies and herbs, which tolerate frost well, or, in May, mix
U P C YC L E D T I N P L A N T E R S You’ll need: empty tin cans, hammer, nails, newspaper, spray paints, picture hooks or velcro strips, plants
1 Clean the tins, remove any labels and dry completely. Use a hammer and a nail to make a few small holes in the base for drainage. 2 Put them on newspaper in a well-ventilated area and spray-paint each can. If you’re using different colours, use fresh paper for each to avoid colour contamination. 3 Spray each tin with multiple light layers, letting them dry between sprays, to get a better finish and fewer runs. If the can has a nice design, you could give it just a light coat of paint so the design shows through. 4 If you’re using picture hooks, make a hole in the side of the dry tins for the hook with a hammer and nail. Nail the hook to the wall in your desired place. Velcro strips may work on a sheltered, smooth wall. 5 Put your plant and soil in the tin before attaching securely to the wall.
petunias, edibles such as tomatoes and strawberries, and herbs such as basil and parsley. 1 Line a wire hanging basket with sustainably sourced moss, then add soil (use a loam compost, which is soil-based to absorb the nutrients). 2 Start potting your plants in the centre, still in their soil as you bought them, and ensure the foliage sticks through the wire basket, so they grow outwards. 3 Repeat the process, so you’re planting in layers. Plant some on top, too. Add seaweed pellets for fertilizer. 4 Check your basket once a day to see if it needs watering – if the soil sticks to your fingers, there’s enough moisture.
What can I plant in March for colourful flowers by summer? Chris says: A cheap, simple and effective way is to sow hardy annuals in late March. They’re colourful, can stand light frost and also attract butterflies and bees to your garden. Look for packets marked HA for hardy
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Sunflowers
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annual. Popular choices include sunflowers, poppies and baby’s breath – clusters of tiny white or pink flowers on slender stems. Prepare the ground by digging over with a fork, raking and firming with your feet – then plant in lines, so you can tell them from weeds when they germinate. Remember to water, and support them with stakes as they grow, if needed.
Pot Cornflowers Poppies marigolds
My houseplants keep dying – what am I doing wrong? Chris says: The most common cause of poorly houseplants is too much or too little water. In the summer they’ll drink quite freely – a good guide is to ensure the soil is damp, but not soaking wet. Most plants don’t like being in bright direct sunlight, either. Houseplants like to grow together, so opt for three or four types in the same pot. Go for a tall central one, such as a rubber plant, surrounded by smaller
Baby’s breath
plants, such as a peace lily. When it gets colder, avoid watering too much – once a month will be enough, so the soil is slightly damp. And avoid putting plants by radiators – sudden changes in temperature cause leaves to drop or brown.
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For more inventive garden tips, visit tescoliving.com/home-and-garden
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