In Yorkshire we are lucky to have several gardens designed using the theme of a Himalayan Garden. The Hut near Ripon at Grewlthorpe is  ‘The Himalayan Garden’ with all the plants you would expect in such a setting including
14.07.2023 - 05:55 / balconygardenweb.com
Check out these Master Gardener’s Tricks to Improve Beneficial Insects in Garden! Discover proven techniques from seasoned gardeners to create a thriving ecosystem that supports beneficial insects and promotes a healthy, vibrant garden.
The first step to improving beneficial insects is to provide them with an assortment of plants to feed on and find shelter. Aim for a diverse selection of flowering plants that bloom at different times throughout the year.
This diversity will not only enhance the visual appeal of your garden but also improve beneficial insects in garden, including bees, butterflies, and ladybugs.
What Attracts Beneficial Insects
Excessive pesticide use can have detrimental effects on beneficial insects. Chemical insecticides not only kill harmful pests but also harm beneficial insects in the process.
Whenever possible, opt for organic pest control methods, such as neem oil or insecticidal soaps, which are less harmful to beneficial insects. Here are some key points to consider.
While many beneficial insects are active during the day, some are nocturnal and play a crucial role in pollination and pest control.
To attract these nighttime beneficial insects, incorporate plants that release strong fragrances in the evening. These fragrances act as signals, guiding the nocturnal insects toward the blooms and helping them locate food sources.
Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects at Night
Many beneficial insects overwinter in the garden, seeking shelter and protection from the cold. By providing suitable overwintering sites, you can ensure a healthy population of beneficial insects in the following seasons. Here are effective overwintering sites you can go with.
How to Set Up Overwintering Site for Beneficial Insects
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In Yorkshire we are lucky to have several gardens designed using the theme of a Himalayan Garden. The Hut near Ripon at Grewlthorpe is  ‘The Himalayan Garden’ with all the plants you would expect in such a setting including
Britain has some of the best gardens in the world. The choice of which to visit is far larger than this selective list but at least it gives you somewhere to start planning this years outings.
In the cold wet winter it is a good time to plan where to visit as the year improves. The South West is the obvious place to start your visiting tour of gardens containing exotic plants.
China is one of the great destinations for visiting gardens. The influence over garden design and the vast array of plants and flowers is secondary to the investment in time and dedication demonstrated in so many great locations. This is just a selection of those you may consider visiting if you can make the journey..
Peace is not just the absence of war it can be a reflection of a personal inner tranquility. To many gardeners peace may be a state of harmony with nature. It is a theme of several ‘hard landscape’ projects and sculptural works as shown by the selection of Peace gardens below.
Holland Park has some Zen like features but fails my Zen test. The classic elements of a successful Zen are stone, sand or gravel, water, plants and space. Then there is a question of balance between yin and yang. Cramped or cluttered gardens inhibit the flow of spirit so space is potentially the key ingredient of a Zen garden.
Some animals can be a real pest in the garden. Their crimes include eating the wrong thing, digging in the wrong area, turning grass brown with urine and leaving a dirty mess. Some chose your favourite plants to damage as I know from some aggressive over fed pigeons in my own garden. In my experience the worst offenders are rabbits, cats, mice, deer, pigeons and dogs including foxes. Rats cause concern but have not caused direct damage in my garden.
I was picking the Czar plums to make more jam when a wasp was disturbed from eating it’s lunch. Wasps go for my plums just as they are at their sweetest best. My problem was I couldn’t see which plums had a wasp in the fruit if they were above head height or facing away from my hand. The resulting sting set me on the trail of other stingers in the garden.
For over 25 years I have gardened a rockery or rock garden on a triangular patch of poor soil. I progressively scrounged and collected a range of granite, limestone and sandstone rocks and added them piecemeal. I aspired to growing alpine plants and recognised good drainage and shelter from winter wet weather would be key but that is as far as my planning would go. For the first couple of decades I was busy at work and wasn’t able to put in the effort of looking after small but hardy alpines.
Not what you would expect for a garden called ‘The Phoenix Garden’ in the middle of Tottenham Court Road near Crown Point. It isn’t a phoenix from the ashes of a great fire or a WW11 bomb site at but was built on a disused car park in the 1980s. It may be part of an overflowing burial ground for St Giles-in-the-field church back in the 1600s and is reputed to be the last surviving Covent ‘Garden’. The entrance is located in St Giles Passage
Today we’re off to the Mohawk Valley in central New York State to visit Lee’s beautiful garden.
Part of Tom Massey's