19 of the Best Sunflowers for Pollinators
19.06.2024 - 15:57 / jparkers.co.uk
It’s official, the UK is a nation of gardeners! With recent Census figures showing that 87% of UK households have a garden, many Brits are now beginning to embrace their green thumbs.
But where is the gardening hobby showing the greenest shoots? We’ve discovered the best UK cities for gardeners, based on factors such as average hours of sunlight, access to private gardens and the number of local gardening groups per capita.
Here are the results:
The Top 5 UK Cities for Gardeners
#5. Southend-on-Sea
The coastal city of Southend-on-Sea is known across the country for its golden sandy beaches.
But according to our findings, it should also be known for its lush green gardens. With 99% of households in Southend-on-Sea having access to a private garden according to Census figures, the joint-highest figure in the UK.
Those in Southend with a garden can also enjoy ample sunlight to plant perennials and nurture vegetable seeds to their hearts desire, with an average of 1,884 hours of sunlight a year.
Overall, Southend-on-Sea scored a total of 167 out of a possible 200 in our study. Giving it the well-deserved title of the fifth best city in the United Kingdom for gardeners.
#4. Salford
(Ordsall Hall gardens, Salford)
When it comes to flexing those gardening muscles, Garden Needs, a group that supports the local community through horticulture, which J.Parker’s proudly partners with.
The city is also home to several locations which offer gardening inspiration, such as Ordsall Hall’s famous gardens and the RHS Bridgewater Garden.
Scoring 168 out of a possible 200, Salford is the fourth best city for gardeners in the UK, our findings show.
Living in Salford and wondering where to start? Check out expert tips for gardening in the North.
#3.
19 of the Best Sunflowers for Pollinators
KATIE CHARLOTTE FIEDLER
Edimentals is a new term for growing flowers and vegetables together. Gardens today are often too small to have a separate ‘veg patch.’
Today much attention is paid to the development and organisation of leisure activities for kids in the family. The bulk of entertainment activities are intellectual and mobile games. If the family has a dacha or a homestead plot, you can organise active entertainment. This is very useful not only for children, but also for adults. The latter today prefer to spend most of their free time at the computer and other gadgets. One of the favorite ways to brighten up leisure time is gambling. In many states they are legalised. The most popular in different countries around the world, including the UK, are free 20 no deposit casino. To prevent children from getting addicted to gadgets, it is necessary to diversify home leisure time with active, exciting games.
Certain sounds fill the heart with the joys of summer, but the season's undisputed high note has to be the sizzle of a garden barbecue. Beyond clear blue skies, and an excellent potato salad recipe, what more could a griller want besides first-rate barbecue tool sets?
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) is one of the easiest plants to find in the wild, since its strong, sweet scent hangs on the air. Native to most of Europe, it is a common sight and smell in our woodlands and hedgerows in summer, twining itself around trees and scrub and luring a wide variety of wildlife. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon describes Titania's sleeping place as 'quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine'. It is certainly a plant fit for a queen, since each of the flowerheads resembles a crown of cream and gold, formed of a ring of tubular blooms.
Hydrangeas are a beautiful addition to any garden. They are a much loved shrub with a wide range of varieties. The Hydrangea is an ideal choice for the gardener who wants a long flowering period, with beautiful displays of colours and busy flower heads. They look amazing in containers and offer a timeless elegance to your garden.
19 of the Best Prickly Pear (Opuntia) Varieties
Love the minimalist architectural plant trend but only have a small space for styling indoor greenery? There’s no need to lug in a 6-foot specimen tree to add bodacious botanicals into your home, because even the smallest planters can make a big impact when intentionally pairing striking foliage with a unique vessel. Think the graceful curves of a sphere planter paired with round rosy fronds, or curating a juxtaposition of a bonsai-esque statement plant with delicate saucers—the combinations are endless!
17 of the Best Fireblight Resistant Pear Varieties
There is much to love about passion flowers (Passiflora spp. and cvs., Zones 6–11). There are over 550 different species in the genus; some are shrubs and trees, but the ones that are most familiar to gardeners are the tropical-looking, tendril-bearing, climbing, flowering vines. These are the passion flower varieties that fall into my category of favorites. Some of these beauties even produce deliciously complex-flavored, fragrant, sweet-tart fruit.
My fondest memory of childhood summers is picking red raspberries from my family’s small patch. The wonderful flavor and fragrance of these berries led me up and down the rows until I reached my saturation point. Now that I’m an adult, my own garden holds a prominent place for raspberries. In fact, for 10 years I grew raspberries commercially and sold them to area restaurants.