Galloping Round the Garden at the End of October

Leave the leaves is the new gardening mantra.

From erosion control to weed suppression, ground covers play an important role in the garden. They benefit neighboring plants by shading the ground, which helps keep soil cool and reduces moisture loss to evaporation. Many ground covers provide nectar to pollinators and shelter ground-dwelling insects and vertebrates. From an aesthetic standpoint, ground covers lend gardens a finished look. They can be used to emphasize focal points or to soften transitions between garden elements. Evergreen ground covers provide these services all year long, while creating a bridge from one season to the next. Here are a few fabulous evergreen ground covers for the Southwest.

Using manure in the garden can significantly enhance soil fertility and promote the healthy growth of your plants and veggies. Before learning when is the best time to put manure in your garden, let’s get a closer look at what is actually manure and what types you can find depending on your preferences. Below we also outline what flowers like and dislike manures and provide other useful tips, so keep on reading.

The Japanese art of growing miniature versions of beautiful trees is perfect if you wish to fill your home with stunning greenery without compromising space. Let us look at the 14 Oldest Bonsai Trees in the World to inspire you.

There is no other spring flower filled with as much color and optimism as the tulip. However, in order to create a dazzling seasonal display in the garden, you must give some careful consideration to planting your bulbs.

Both day and nighttime temperatures are dropping here, although nights have only been down to about 3°C so far. I note from my garden diary that I bubblewrapped the greenhouse this week last year, and the Coop soon afterwards; that certainly won’t be happening this year, but I am keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the next fortnight and if need be I will abandon other jobs on my job list and bubblewrap instead. The lower temperatures have certainly made an impact on leaf fall, as leaves are beginning to accumulate around the garden, and the witch hazels by the streamside (above) have become all but bare in recent days, although that is not the case with all of them.

These easy-to-make DIY Pot Painting Ideas can make your old pots look new! Try them out today and make your rooms colorful!

A GardenAdvice gardening course takes place in your own garden throughout the UK on a date to suit you and makes the perfect Christmas gift. We send one of our gardening experts to you.

Join our tailor-made tour of beautiful gardens in Kent and Sussex, full of early summer colour, and enjoy three nights at the four-star East Sussex National Hotel.

No prizes for guessing what some of the contents of today’s vase will be – blooms from my gifted rescue plant, Salvia ‘Mystic Spires’! With so many blooms and autumn closing in around the garden, it is not surprising I chose to grab them while I could. Having already taken some with me to the voluntary work I do, I added them to the remains of the previous posy I had taken there, stems of Chrysanthemum ‘Emperor of China’. They made a surprisingly pleasing combination, so I decided to replicate this at home, adding foliage of Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ and stems of Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’. My cornus, unlike those of Cathy at Words and Herbs in Bavaria, still retain their foliage, so I snipped all the leaves from the stems apart from the topmost pair.

The weather is cooling quickly, but there’s still time to prepare your home for the first frost. From HVAC mishaps to frozen pipes, a lot can go wrong in the winter months, costing you and your family money, time, and stress.

We’ve visited Susan Esche’s home garden before (A Garden Wedding, the Flowers, and the Deer), but today she’s taking us along to visit a public garden in Vancouver, British Columbia.