The gardens on the verge of collapsing completely - with subsidence linked to tramworks being blamed
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Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Gardening expert shares 'last opportunity' to do important job before the weekend
As July draws to a close, gardening enthusiasts should be making the most of the warm weather and summertime tasks before the month is up - there's one essential job to tackle in your garden July is coming to an end, and it's been an absolute scorcher for much of Britain, with sweltering temperatures making it perfect weather for getting outdoors. But this blazing hot spell may have left your garden looking rather worse for wear and crying out for some TLC. There's still time to get stuck in and tackle a vital gardening job before the month comes to a close. Pim Dickson, a horticultural expert at Fothergill's, has pinpointed some critical eleventh-hour tasks that gardening enthusiasts should strive to finish in the next few days. For those eager to see more flowers flourishing in their borders, one specific chore should be top of the list. The gardening specialist recommends taking time to examine your plants, particularly searching for faded blooms that require cutting back. It comes after UK households warned not to make one huge mistake in the garden next week Pim advised: "Take a wander around the garden with a pair of snips in hand and just remove any blooms that have finished flowering. "This will not only tidy things up but also greatly extend the flowering season by encouraging more blooms to appear". Deadheading proves worthwhile throughout the growing season, but for plants like chrysanthemums or geraniums that enjoy a late burst of colour, July represents the optimal moment for this technique. This weekend offers a perfect opportunity to check over your shrubs and shower them with some tender loving care if required, reports Birmingham Live. Pim explained: "If you have any early flowering shrubs that finished their displays, then now is the last opportunity to trim them back. "This way they'll look nice and tidy for the summer holidays and still have time for their new growth to mature and put on the very best displays next year." How to deadhead your plants: You'll need to remove the bloom along with its stem to maintain your plant's finest appearance. However, for plants with thick, sturdy or fibrous stems, it's advisable to use secateurs, scissors or a knife for deadheading. Simply trim away the spent flower, ensuring you position the cut just above the next bud or leaf on the stem.
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Europe is hit by more weather extremes
Extreme weather is wreaking havoc across Europe, pushing emergency services to their limits as wildfires, heatwaves, and storms sweep across the continent. Blazes have erupted in Portugal, Greece , and Spain , while tornadoes have struck tourist hotspots in parts of Spain and Switzerland. Thousands of firefighters have been battling a dozen wildfires raging in northern Portugal and central Spain through the night and into Wednesday, in the largest wave of blazes in the Iberian Peninsula so far this year following weeks of summer heat. 'There was a huge effort during the night, so now we have a somewhat calmer situation,' Civil Protection Commander Helder Silva told reporters, cautioning that shifting strong winds and a difficult terrain meant their work was far from over. 'It's a very large wildfire in areas with difficult access,' he said. Further north, a blaze has been raging since Saturday in the Peneda-Geres national park near the Spanish border, enveloping nearby villages in thick smoke that led to orders for residents to stay at home. Portuguese firefighters managed to control two large fires that started on Monday in the central areas of Penamacor and Nisa. Authorities said the Penamacor blaze had destroyed 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest. In Spain's central province of Avila, shifting gusts of wind hindered efforts by firefighters and a special military unit, emergency services said. Residents in the village of El Arenal, about 100 km (62 miles) west of Madrid, were advised to remain indoors due to heavy smoke. In Mombeltran near Avila, farmer Blas Rodriguez fought back tears as he walked among scorched trees, his olive grove devastated by the fire. 'This land belongs to my father. It burnt 16 years ago but the olive trees were spared from the fire... this time there is no way to save them, everything is completely burnt,' he told Reuters. In the western province of Caceres, the fire has affected 2,500 hectares, prompting evacuations from homes scattered across the Caminomorisco area, authorities said. Hot and dry summers are common across the region, but more intense heatwaves have contributed to destructive wildfires in recent years amid fast-rising temperatures around the globe. Meanwhile, in Greece a large wildfire is currently ripping through a forest area between Kanali and Monolithi in Preveza. The fire started at approximately 2pm local time (12.00 BST) and quickly grew. Shortly after the blaze erupted a 112 message was sent to residents of the area warning them to be alert and ready to evacuate if necessary. Residents have complained that emergency aircraft were slow to intervene, resulting in the fire growing in size and destroying a protected area, local media reports. Roughly 40 firefighters are working to tackle the blaze with, 16 vehicles, 4 aircraft and 1 helicopter at the scene. Water tankers and local government machinery are also helping to extinguish the blaze. Strong winds are reportedly blowing at the site, which makes the work of the Fire Department difficult. The fire has disrupted traffic on the National Highway from the Monolithi Junction to the intersection at Kanali. It isn't just wildfires wreaking havoc across Europe, but storms and tornadoes too. In Majorca, dramatic footage taken over the weekend shows a tornado striking a beach, sending sand and towels hurtling into the sky as tourists run for cover. Meanwhile, in the Alps, a sudden plunge in temperature caused snowfall overnight in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie. And, in Switzerland on Tuesday, a fisherman captured a video of a spectacular waterspout spiralling high into the clouds over Lake Constance. It comes after raging wildfires engulfed Turkey outside the country's fourth-largest city - forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Flames ripped through the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey overnight on July 26, shining a threatening red glow on the night sky. It marks the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer - as destinations in Greece and Cyprus have also fallen victim to aggressive wildfires amid unseasonably high temperatures. The governor's office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people were safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed off as surrounding forests burned. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, likened the scene to 'an apocalypse'. Turkey has been hit by dozens of wildfires every day since late June - with Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli revealing fire crews across the country approached 76 separate blazes yesterday alone.
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Evening closure of Isle of Man Mountain Road for drainage work
A section of a major route between the Manx capital and the north of the island will be closed for two and a half hours on Wednesday A18 Mountain Road will be closed from the Creg Ny Baa to Brandywell between 18:30 and 21:00 daytime closures of the entire road until 17:00 are already in place every weekday, in order to complete works ahead of the Manx Grand Department of Infrastructure said Wednesday's additional evening closure would limit the stretch of road required to be closed on the following two days. The evening closure would allow for the completion of works to improve drainage near the 32nd Milestone ahead of racing in August, the department Beinn Y Phott will remain accessible from the north and west throughout the closure the works are successfully completed, the subsequent closure of Mountain Road would be reduced from its full length to just the section between Ramsey and the Bungalow for the remainder of the on the route and the Snaefell Mountain Railway will remain open on both addition, the department said Friday's road closure would be lifted early if the remaining works on the northern stretch of the road were completed ahead of schedule. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
