Gardening expert issues warning about plants that should NEVER be seen in your garden - and shares the most trendy ones to have this summer
Never mind the celebrities in their floral frocks and shirts, it was the plants that were the stars at last week's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Every year breeders introduce dazzling newcomers you will want to take home and grow in your garden, patio or on a balcony right away.
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The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Wedding guest dressing has turned tacky thanks to celebs like Georgia Steel – boob-bursting dresses belong in Benidorm
WEARING white as a wedding guest used to be a cardinal sin and the ultimate insult to the bride. But nowadays there's a far worse style crime. 8 8 8 Gone are tailored trouser suits, chic two-pieces and glamorous, ankle-skimming gowns. Instead, you're more likely to spot looks you would find on the strip in Benidorm. Think bum-skimming Lycra mini-dresses, skimpy bra tops, or dresses with sky-high thigh slits and boob-baring cut-outs. One of the things I love about a wedding — aside from dancing to Come On Eileen and drinking a headache-inducing amount of champers, — is getting dressed up. I'm talking sophisticated dresses, stylish hats and fascinators and killer heels for the girls, and sharp suits for the blokes. The novelty of getting spruced up to the nines makes the special day all that more exciting and memorable. Passing judgement on others' outfits while you wait for the bride to make her entrance (which, admit it, we all do) is a big part of it, too. I'm out of the 'going to a wedding every other weekend' age bracket now — and what a relief, because the looks that seem to be trending wouldn't be out of place in the queue for an Oceana nightclub. Across social media, scantily-clad twenty-somethings share their wedding outfits with pride — while I gawp, with prejudice. A quick Google search for 'wedding guest outfits' produces dozens of brands' standalone pages dedicated solely to this category. But as you scroll through the likes of Club L, Oh Polly and River Island, you'll find that the dresses and gowns — yes, Gen Z wear full-on gowns now — are better suited to the Love Island finale than a wedding in your local country house hotel. And, like most trends, we have celebrities to blame. When Dani Dyer wed footballer Jarrod Bowen last week, guest and fellow Love Islander Georgia Steel was slated for wearing what looked like a revealing white dress to her pal's big day. After Georgia posted a snap on TikTok of the lace-trimmed Miss Circle number she wore, the trolls came out in force, bashing her for picking what was in fact a 'soft beige' dress. 'Wearing white to a wedding?' questioned one, while another waded in with: 'Way too bridal for a wedding.' And Georgia isn't alone. Two months ago, White Lotus actress Sydney Sweeney came under fire for the 'inappropriate' dress she wore to her Anyone But You co-star Glenn Powell's sister's wedding. She chose a cleavage-baring corset-style dress from V Chapman in a very pale blue. Fans thought the colour was an issue. Comments included: 'That is not an appropriate shade of blue for a wedding' and 'The number one [rule] of a wedding is don't wear anything close to white.' 8 8 8 Personally, I take no issue with guests wearing white at a wedding. As long as they aren't also wearing a long veil (cropped veils on fascinators are allowed), who cares? Especially during summer, when every other dress on the high street is some shade of white. No one at the wedding is going to mistake someone else as the bride. It's the bride's name on the invite and her kissing the groom — so no need for the unnecessary uproar. However, what I would take issue with is the plunging neckline and lingerie-style basque of Sydney's outfit and, in Georgia's case, the fact her lacy dress is practically see-through. Don't get me wrong, Sydney is a knock-out, and if I looked like that, I'd be wearing sexy numbers, too — just not to a wedding. As one person commented online: 'Kinda tacky to wear to a wedding. C'mon Syds, you can do better.' And she can. The woman is an ambassador for designer brand Miu Miu, for crying out loud. Raid something from their archives that's less underwear-like and more sophisticated. But it's not just Sydney. Kendall Jenner wore a heavily cut-out black gown to her pal's wedding, which sent the internet into meltdown due to its slashed fabric that barely covered her nipples. And her sister, Kylie, has also faced outfit-shaming from keyboard warriors. Don't get me wrong, Sydney is a knock-out, and if I looked like that, I'd be wearing sexy numbers, too — just not to a wedding Clemmie At Hailey and Justin Bieber's wedding, fans accused her of trying to steal the bride's limelight by wearing a gold, floor-sweeping gown with peek-a-boo cleavage and a hip-high slit. On X, one critic wrote: 'If someone tries to pull a Kylie Jenner move like this at my wedding . . . they will kindly be escorted out with a red wine stain down the front of their dress.' Ouch! But then Hailey wore a backless white dress to a friend's big day in 2023, which broke all the so-called wedding rules for looking just like a bridal gown. When it comes to these codes, they're subjective and are dependent on the wedding location. If you're lucky enough to be a guest at a ceremony abroad in a hot country, sitting in a long-sleeve, high-neck, polyester dress at noon is going to give you heatstroke. And wearing a tailored pencil midi dress to sit on a bale of hay in a field will make you stick out like a sore thumb. I get it. I've been there myself and it's a minefield. But if in doubt, aim for a more demure style. Don't copy the under-boob and pelvis-flashing looks of young celebs — think more of the women who have nailed the guest brief. Keep it classy Cast your mind back to happier times when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married. Amal Clooney, in a yellow, capped-sleeve midi-dress by Stella McCartney, was crowned best-dressed guest in attendance. Bold, but without being in danger of over-shadowing the bride, it was perfect. 8 8 Another flawless guest at a royal wedding was Demi Moore. She battled gale-force winds in a burgundy dress and matching veiled hat — again, by Stella McCartney — when Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in 2018. And she looked incredible. Cindy Crawford's daughter, actress Kaia Gerber, also got it right when she wore a classy, long-sleeved dress from Reformation to a friend's 2018 wedding in Miami, Florida. At the time, the navy, slit-leg frock retailed for £180, proving that even supermodels with designer brands at their fingertips can look amazing in high street buys. A big emerging trend on the high street this wedding season seems to be minimal frocks with slinky scarves, which are intended to be worn draped down your back, not wrapped around you like a winter woollen. They create a sense of elegance without having to have your boobs and bum out. So if you are heading to someone's nuptials this summer, keep it classy, girls. Underwear as outerwear and flesh-flashing cut-outs are for the weekend, not for a wedding.
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Stained glass window among tributes to head teacher
A stained glass window has been installed at a school in memory of a head teacher who died last Ellesmere College Parents Society raised £1,600 to pay for an artist to create it as a tribute to Brendan group's co-chair, Helena Hepburn, said the idea came to them because they knew both Mr Wignall and his daughter "enjoyed creating beautiful stained glass art".It has been installed in a corridor which leads to the head teacher's office and she said: "Brendan would walk there every morning and evening. It's a busy thoroughfare for staff and the children so is the perfect place for a tribute." Brendan Wignall ran the independent school for 27 years and died from cancer at the age of 63 in January window is the final panel in a set of three, all created by artist Stephanie features a soaring raven and the panels reflect the story of St Oswald, who has a chapel and a boarding house at the school named after Hepburn said: "Everyone in the Parents' Society was keen to honour Brendan's memory with something that would be meaningful." Mr Wignall is also remembered at the school by a portrait, an oak tree and a cup for 'Excellence in Original Thinking'.Brendan's wife, Anne, said: "Those who knew Brendan and his curious mind won't be surprised that we have chosen to reward students for original thinking and I'm certain that Brendan would approve." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
37 minutes ago
- The Sun
The £3.99 Lidl plant you need in your garden – it has gorgeous big flowers until November & grows back bigger every year
THE delightful Dahlia is one of the UK's most popular flowers - and you can get yours for as cheap as chips. The classic British favourite is in full bloom now – and with a little bit of help, they're the gardening gift that will keep on giving until November. Lidl is selling the low maintenance Dahlia for just £3.99 in a range of stunning colours. Happy customers commented online: "Tubers bought in Lidl... can't wait for flowers." A second added: "I found the Lidl ones my best last year." A third user posted a photo of her flowering Dahlias and wrote: "One of the Lidl. Only one survived. All others were ruined by snails and slugs. This one is three years old and always leaving it in the soil for winter." Native to Mexico, dahlias are back in fashion, with gardeners growing them for big bold border displays or as cut flowers. With their vast colours and strong flower power, they're also a magnet to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, providing essential pollen for several months of the year. How to look after dahlias During the summer, the perennial plants like regular feeding and watering, and if given the right care, will grow again next spring-summer. Dahlias favour warm, sunny, sheltered spots with free-draining soil. However, going into winter, dahlias need specific treatment to survive, and it's called 'overwintering'. Trying out Lidl's new weeding tools When to lift and store dahlia tubers When the green foliage has been damaged by frost, you want to dig the tubers up. If the frost is late, dig the tubers by late November. If you live in a climate where temperatures rarely drop below freezing and the soil is well-draining, dahlias can be left in the ground. If you choose to leave them in the ground, add a thick layer of mulch around the base to protect the tubers. If the dahlias are in pots, or you don't want to risk leaving them in the ground because of freezing temperatures, then using a shovel, dig the tubers out - but be careful not to damage them. TOP TIPS FOR GROWING DAHLIAS How to keep Dahlia's growing for longer Use chicken feed and growmore to get them going - rose food is a good substitute. Grow from tubers not seed - you get more flowers. Water and deadhead daily. The new buds are solid to the touch - don't cut these off. Plant up the plugs in early April. In late April put overwintered tubers into compost, store in a greenhouse/windowsill/polytunnel, water once a day. Don't harden off, and when they get to 30cms - 50cms high - second week in June, get them in the ground. Plant randomly rather than colour coordinated - if you plant randomly the display is better. To encourage bees - grow the collarette-type of dahlia. Remove any soil from the tubers and let them dry out for a few days in a cool, dark, frost-free place. Make sure to check for any rotten or damaged areas and cut them off. Dividing dahlia tubers Dahlia tubers grow bigger each year, and this presents a gardener with the opportunity to divide them and have more plants. To divide dahlia tubers, using a clean, sharp knife or saw, cut them apart. Note - this should be done in late autumn or early spring only. 2 Lidl shoppers can pick up gorgeous flowering plants that will brighten your outdoor space from late spring all the way through to autumn, meaning you'll get plenty of bang for your buck. The bargain superstore is also stocking large perennials for just £4.99, and Hibiscus plants for only £6.99, which will add colour and height to any patio or garden display. And for those looking to spruce up their indoor space, Lidl also has a fresh selection of houseplants and stylish ceramic pots in-store now.
