Header image: Melburnians admire the first primrose to arrive in the colony, transported by a Wardian case, in Edward Hopley’s A Primrose from England, circa 1855. [Bendigo Art Gallery, Gift of Mr and Mrs Leonard Lansell 1964]
07.08.2023 - 11:44 / blog.fantasticgardeners.co.uk
In their original environments, invasive plants are restrained by their natural adversaries, with whom they co-evolved. However, when they are introduced to a new environment without these natural enemies, some plants can flourish and spread uncontrollably, ultimately becoming invasive.
Classical biological control corrects this imbalance. It involves using specialised living organisms to manage pest populations, specifically invasive plants. By identifying the most harmful natural enemies from the invasive plant’s original range and releasing them as biocontrol agents into the invaded habitats, the plant’s deleterious effects can be minimised in an environmentally sound, long-lasting, and cost-efficient manner.
Several non-native invasive species have taken root in the UK and are causing significant negative impacts on our surroundings, economy, and daily activities. Although it is usually not illegal to grow them in your own garden, they can do real damage if allowed to escape into the wild or disposed of in a careless manner. These plants spread vigorously, making control costly and difficult. Fines and regulations apply to anyone who fails to follow the law. See the most invasive plants in the UK for yourself:
Initially introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant due to its attractive white blossoms that bloom during the warm spring and summer months, Japanese knotweed is now widely distributed across various habitats such as riverbanks, roadsides, railways, and abandoned land where it can spread unrestrictedly.
Despite the fact that the plant cannot propagate through seeds and spread through its root system, its roots are sturdy and rapidly expanding. This invasive weed can significantly reduce property value by up to
Header image: Melburnians admire the first primrose to arrive in the colony, transported by a Wardian case, in Edward Hopley’s A Primrose from England, circa 1855. [Bendigo Art Gallery, Gift of Mr and Mrs Leonard Lansell 1964]
Gardening for some provides the daily bread, for others, it’s an escape from reality and for you, it might be your favourite hobby. Nevertheless, a garden decorated to your own preferences will act as a source of inspiration and will provide you a place to gather up your thoughts.
A butterfly garden (or butterfly habitat) is a place dedicated for butterflies to feed and hydrate. It also helps butterflies find shelter, as many of their natural habitats are being lost due to human activities and urbanisation.
Have you ever wondered which flower best reflects your personality? Fantastic Gardeners just made a quiz which aims to define exactly your inner soul flower, based on your answers in a quest-like scenario. Let’s dig deep into psychology!
Outdoor Christmas decorations are key in creating a cheerful and festive ambience during the holiday season. Whether you’re going all out, making your house and garden the envy of the street with elaborate light designs and displays, or you just want to welcome your guests with a simple hand-made wreath and some soft candle glow, we offer you suggestions on how to decorate a garden for Christmas to lift spirits and make warm memories during the cold days and nights.
What brings the biggest joy to a person is seeing they helped someone be happy, too. In Fantastic Gardeners’ case, it was the creation of a spot for the children of the Acol Nursery school to play, explore and feel more homely. In our previous session we set the stage for the stars of the show to appear – it was already March and it was high time for flowers to march forward.
Yes, we’re talking about mint! The breath-saving, tummy-taming, taste-boosting mint. At Fantastic Gardeners, we love this refreshing plant, and why wouldn’t we? It is fragrant, easy to grow, and has many beneficial uses in culinary arts, medicine, and cosmetics.
With spring coming to its peak, we at Fantastic Gardeners decided to take a look back at the beginning of this jolly and fresh season and at one recent good deed. The Acol Nursery in London reached out to us back in February with the little asking to help them get their outdoor gardens in order.
The abundance of beautiful and well-grown houseplants gives a special sense of comfort at home. Apart from being pleasing to the eye, some house plants have the ability to purify the air quality.
If you’re anything like us, then you love your dog and want to include them in as many of your daily activities as possible. Every dog owner has experienced the joy, frustration, and laughter caused by our four-legged friends who decide to help us complete a task and, in most cases, create even more chaos as a result.
Most of the time, overgrown or sick trees are simply a nuisance, an eyesore in your otherwise impeccable garden. Sometimes, however, they can also mean trouble and your best course of action will often be to contact a specialist.
With the massive industrialisation, intensive agriculture, and expansion of urban areas that has occurred in the UK since the 1950’s, we have lost 96% of the wild meadows which once dotted the landscape.