10 Mistakes Realtors Always Notice at Open Houses

Discover the secret to a flourishing garden by pairing your tomato plants with companion plants that offer mutual benefits. From pest control to nutrient enhancement, the right Plants with Tomatoes can elevate your tomatoes from good to great.

Clematis have done really well here this year, despite a slightly later start for some. C ‘Duchess of Albany’ (above), flowering for the first time, is a real beauty and I welcome her with open arms.

When you've finally decided to sell your home, the process of doing so can be challenging and confusing. Whether it's going through numerous open houses or waiting around for the right offer (or any offer) to come in, speed up the process by following some of these real estate expert tips to sell your home faster.

The list of to-dos when it comes to selling your house might already seem daunting, but there’s one place where sellers should pay particular attention if they want to grab the attention of prospective buyers—and it starts with the yard. “When it comes to selling a home, first impressions matter,” says Realtor.com Executive News Editor Clare Trapasso. “The front yard is generally the first thing that prospective buyers see when visiting a home, so sellers should make sure that it oozes curb appeal.” That means a freshly cut lawn with trimmed hedges and weeded flower beds. Dead plants and spent blooms should be removed so all that’s left is a neat and welcoming home with a yard that doesn’t scream money pit.

Hailing from South Africa, agapanthus can be evergreen or deciduous; the deciduous varieties are the most hardy in this country. The evergreen varieties grow in the southern Cape in milder areas, so will need frost protection in the UK – or they can be grown in pots and brought inside.

Helianthus annus ‘Sonja’

The British have a bit of an obsession with the Mediterranean. It's tantalisingly close, yet sufficiently different that the moment the EasyJet tyres hit the tarmac, we feel transformed and instantly a bit more glamorous.

Chlorophytum comosum ‘Vittatum’ — available from Hortology

As far removed from an English cottage garden as you can travel, the passion flower (Passiflora) is one of the most theatrical and exotic of plants. The weird and wonderful blooms are embellished with many showy parts that together remind you of peering into a kaleidoscope as a child: in the centre, the anthers, stigmas, and ovary protrude over the filament rays, which are marked with circles of incredible colour.

Want to know about the Most Common Succulent Growing Mistakes Every Beginner Makes? We have listed them accurately one by one, so check them out.

Fresh from wondering where my writing career is going, I thought it might be fun to revisit some of the places it has been. In 2007 I was just starting out as a freelance writer, having been made redundant from my job as a techie. I’d been blogging for several years, and was slowly getting published (and paid!) online and off.

On Saturday we managed to build the remaining 4 raised beds for the back garden, which is now nicely symmetrical. They’re made from (eco-treated) half sleepers, which are not light – building a raised bed means a lot of heavy lifting. Even so, it was the weather and not the effort involved that has slowed us down. We’d been waiting until the garden dried out!