Latest news with #BarnsdaleGardens
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Scottish Sun
I spruced up my bland decking & gave it va-va-voom for summer with a HUGE Temu buy you can nab for just £8 down from £50
A YOUNG woman has shared how she gave her bland decking a mega makeover, without having to break the bank. So if you want to spruce up your outside space but don't have much cash to splash, then you've come to the right place. 3 A DIY enthusiast has added style to her garden with a bargain buy from Temu Credit: tiktok/@amy_betsie 3 Not only this, but she also shared the trick she swears by to get rid of leaves in an instant Credit: tiktok/@amy_betsie 3 Amy's outdoor rug is "absolutely huge" and looks "stunning" Credit: tiktok/@amy_betsie Amy Betsie, a content creator from the UK, was able to transform her decking thanks to a bargain buy from Temu. And while she paid £50 for the luxe product, it has now been reduced down to less than £9 - yes, you heard that correctly. Posting on social media, Amy gave her followers a close-up look at her garden, before and after its makeover. Not only did she hoover her decking to get rid of leaves in an instant, but she also added colour with a huge geometric rug. She said: 'So as per usual, I have to go in and tidy up the garden like I have to do weekly, because that tree is the bane of my life. 'I am so not ready for the bee loving people to come into my comments and tell me how much they love nature and bees. 'You might love nature, but I don't love that tree - I love it to look at, I don't love it to tidy up every single week. 'Honestly, it sheds all year round - summer, winter, spring and autumn. It is a joke." Amy then questioned: 'Does anybody else hoover their garden by the way? I feel like if you've got decking, it's a necessity to hoover your garden.' Following this, the brunette held up her purse-friendly find as she beamed: 'So this is the rug. I got it from Temu. I hate my new build garden being overlooked so found a 5 METRE privacy fence to block out nosy neighbours for under £30 'It was between £50 and £60 which I think was a bargain because the size of it is absolutely huge. 'It takes up the majority of my garden and I just feel like with my garden, because it's completely decked, it's so bland.' 8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots. Tricyrtis A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'. Penstemon I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes. Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata' With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade. Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue' A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period. Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem' If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers. Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange' A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days. Rosa 'Noisette Carnee' A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November. Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel' I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade. As she showed off her garden, which she completed with some rattan furniture, she continued: 'So I decided to get this just to spruce it up and give it that little bit of a va-va-voom, which I think it absolutely did.' Thrilled with her rug, the gardening enthusiast shared: 'It is stunning.' Whilst the exact rug Amy bought has now been discontinued, there are a number of strikingly similar geometric rugs that have been reduced on the Temu website. That rug is gorgeous TikTok user While some of the reversible outdoor rugs were once priced at £151, £50, £44 and £21, the cheapest option is now just £8.91, which we think is a real bargain. Such rugs are great for adding style to a decking or patio, without breaking the bank. The outdoor rugs are said to be 'lightweight and portable', 'easy to clean' and are even suitable for picnics in the park too. Not only does Amy's decking now look fabulous, but it's perfect for hosting events with friends and family - and we're sure any eagle-eyed neighbours will love it too. Social media users react The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @amy_betsie, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly amassed 40,900 views, 356 likes and 24 comments. Social media users were impressed with Amy's bargain buy and many eagerly raced to the comments to express this. Garden features that add the most value to a house A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property. carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK. And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed. Shed - 82% Patio or paving - 76% Secure fencing, walls or gates - 72% Outdoor lighting - 66% Sturdy decking - 62% Water features eg. fountain or pond - 58% Modern garden furniture - 54% Artificial lawn/grass - 40% One person said: 'Love it.' Another added: 'That rug is gorgeous.' Whilst a third commented: 'Always hoovering my deck and outdoor rugs!' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
The Sun
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Lidl slashes the price of its sell-out hanging egg chair this week making it among the cheapest around
LIDL shoppers are in for another chance to pick up the popular hanging egg chair as it returns to the middle aisle once again. The sell-out garden item is one of the cheapest available in the lead up to summer. Customers can pick up the Livarno Home Hanging Garden Chair for just £149.99, and Lidl Plus members can knock an extra £20 off. The stylish seat returned to the chain retailer over the bank holiday weekend, but shoppers may want to hurry as it has been cleared from shelves in the past. And the £129.99 deal is only available until Saturday, May 10. This chair features a cushioned seat and a stable powder-coated steel frame. According to the product description, the item is "durable, easy-care, UV resistant, and weather resistant". It also has a safety handle for getting on and off with ease, and comes with a three-year warranty. The chair has a maximum weight capacity of 110 kilograms and a wide-set base for your comfort. A similar buy is available from B&Q, but at significantly higher price point. The Maeria Dark Grey Hanging Egg Chair is currently available for £160. Asda's Hanging Egg Chair is available online and in-store for £249. I tried 'magic' Lidl garden hose - you need to get it, it's perfect for summer And Charles Bentley's Egg-Shaped Hanging Swing Chair is currently reduced to £279.99. While the Daals Rattan Patio Hanging Egg Chair sells for £299.99. Meanwhile, the GoodHome Omalos Beige Hanging Chair, which is online exclusive, is selling for £225. This item is also available from B&Q locations. And shoppers also rushed to buy the egg chair from the Online Home Shop, which costs just £130. Top gardening trends of 2025 Gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens has shared the top gardening trends of 2025. Matrix planting It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting. In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed. Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control. Chrysanthemum comeback I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as 'Innocence' and 'Cottage Apricot' would be spectacular within a matrix scheme. The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border. Blended borders For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year. The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing! Must-have tool My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else. It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said! Remember to compare prices It is important to remember to always shop around when buying something like this as you might find a cheaper alternative. Websites like Trolley and Price Spy let you compare thousands of products across different retailers to find the best price. Price Spy even lets you see how much an item has cost over time, so you can see if the current price is a good deal. A quick scan on the Google Shopping/Product tab will also bring up how much retailers are selling a certain item for.
The Sun
03-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Gardeners growing tomato plants can make them much sweeter with 65p Asda buy everyone has in their cupboards
A GARDENING hack has been revealed to make tomatoes sweeter with just one cheap household staple. The warmer days ahead present the ideal conditions for doing some gardening and growing tomatoes. 1 And gardeners have one simple trick that can be done to make tomatoes you grow even tastier and jucier. It is using one simple item that is probably already in your kitchen cupboard. Not only are tomatoes used in a variety of different dishes and cuisines, they are also known to be easy produce to grow. So as the summer arrives, you may be looking to add some juicy tomatoes to your salads, pastas, or stews. This can be done without having to splurge specialised fertilisers or work hard around creating optimal conditions for the plants. All you need is a sprinkle of baking soda, which can be added to the soil. Baking soda is understood to reduce soil acidity, which thereby makes it easier for tomatoes to absorb nutrients. On top of that, adding baking soda can also have the potential to control fungal diseases and weeds that grow around the plants. It can prevent common fungal infections like powdered mildew. Experts advise to sprinkle just a pinch of baking soda around each tomato plant once it beings to appear from the soil. This should be repeated once more when they are half grown. Grow your groceries - how to grow tomatoes from tomatoes! Adding too much, though, could inadvertently poison the tomato plant, so it is important to control the amount. And this hack will not cost you more than £1 from a grocery store. Asda is selling their 200g pack of BAKE by ASDA Bicarbonate of Soda for just 65p. Any leftovers can be used to do some baking of bread, cakes, muffins, or cookies for a light and fluffy texture, as well as provide a variety of health benefits. Top gardening trends of 2025 Gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens has shared the top gardening trends of 2025. Matrix planting It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting. In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed. Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control. Chrysanthemum comeback I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as 'Innocence' and 'Cottage Apricot' would be spectacular within a matrix scheme. The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border. Blended borders For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year. The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing! Must-have tool My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else. It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said!
The Sun
30-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Home Bargains is selling a £4.99 gadget that'll keep your plants blooming all through summer
FANS are rushing to Home Bargains as a £4.99 wonder garden gadget hits the shelves. It doesn't matter whether you have green fingers or not, this super budget friendly item is sure to keep your plants blooming all through summer. 3 3 The Jardin Mechanical Water Timer could make a perfect garden rescue product - and it's less than a fiver. With temperatures reaching highs of 26C today, and figures expected to hit 29C tomorrow - it's important to prepare. You can keep your plants thriving with this timer, operated by an easy comfort dial. And, there's even a manual watering option too for instant access to your tap. It boasts easy installation features, as well as a five to two hour timer settings to make sure your garden receives the perfect amount of water. The tool can be attached to sprinklers and hose pipes, making it adaptable to a range of outdoor set ups. Shoppers may also be interested to lean the water timer has watertight solutions with tried and test durability. I has a 3/4" BSP Tap Connector, which can be fitted with 1/2" & 3/4" hose connector - but this is not included. A description by Home Bargains reads: "Make watering your garden a breeze with the Jardin Mechanical Water Timer! "Just a twist of the comfort dial sets your timer from 5 to 120 minutes, plus you can easily switch to manual mode whenever you need instant access to your tap." Grow your groceries - how to grow tomatoes from tomatoes! This comes as shoppers went wild for a "really good quality" Home Bargains garden buy that adds a touch of glam for less than £20. The discount retailer has shoppers yet again racing to stores, this time for a gorgeous rattan planter. The large black and beige mixed rattan planter costs just £19.99 and is designed to withstand the unpredictable UK weather. Made from sturdy plastic instead of wood, it can withstand rain as well. Fans also adored a "lush" Home Bargains solar light that will give gardens a glow up - and it's only £2.99. Bosses at the discount retail chain promise the ombre rock solar stake light will bring "elegance and charm" to your garden. They say: "Enhance your garden with the Firefly Ombre Rock Solar Stake Light! This stylish light automatically turns on at dusk, casting a cool LED white glow for a refreshing atmosphere. "The easy-to-install design makes setup a breeze, and the rechargeable battery is included, so you're all set to enjoy its soft, energy-efficient lighting. "Add a touch of elegance and charm to your outdoor space with this beautiful solar stake light!" The colourful garden decoration is priced at just £2.99 for an individual rock - with your colour picked at random. Alternatively, you can snap up the pack of three for £7.99, which could save you 98p. Top gardening trends of 2025 Gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens has shared the top gardening trends of 2025. Matrix planting It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting. In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed. Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control. Chrysanthemum comeback I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as 'Innocence' and 'Cottage Apricot' would be spectacular within a matrix scheme. The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border. Blended borders For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year. The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing! Must-have tool My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else. It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said!
The Sun
30-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Shoppers go wild for ‘really good quality' Home Bargains garden buy that adds a touch of glam for less than £20
HOME Bargains has been sending shoppers into a frenzy this spring with their garden range. And the shop's popularity shows no signs of slowing down as fans go wild for a new garden buy to add a chic touch to their garden. 2 The discount retailer has shoppers yet again racing to stores, this time for a gorgeous rattan planter. The large black and beige mixed rattan planter costs just £19.99 and is designed to withstand the unpredictable UK weather. Made from sturdy plastic instead of wood, it can withstand rain as well. One shopper who purchased a few of the plant pots was so impressed that she decided to share her bargain find on social media. Alison Tribe took to the Facebook group, Extreme Couponing And Bargains UK, sharing a snap of her latest purchase. She said: "Lovely new rattan planters, Home Bargains, £19.99. "Had different sizes, all different prices, really pleased with it to add different blooms to the garden." In the image she shared, she had already gotten to work and filled the plant pots with some gorgeous purple Scabiosas. The plant pots were the perfect addition to add a touch of glam to her garden and matched her egg chair perfectly. While the plant pots are currently in stores, they are yet to be placed on the Home Bargains website. Avid gardeners in the Facebook group, which boasts over 2 million members, were quick to take to the comments of the post. Many loved the stylish addition to Alison's garden and couldn't wait to get their own. One person wrote: "Are they plastic? They are pretty." Alison replied: "Yeah, really good quality." 8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots. Tricyrtis A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'. Penstemon I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes. Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata' With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade. Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue' A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period. Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem' If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers. Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange' A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days. Rosa 'Noisette Carnee' A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November. Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel' I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade. Another commented: 'Saw these today, they look lovely! Thanks for posting." "They are lovely," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "These are well nice."
