Latest news with #TheIns&Outs
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Pro garden designer reveals 69p hack that will kill green flies without using any nasty chemicals to harm your plants
The remedy can be found in your kitchen WASH THIS Pro garden designer reveals 69p hack that will kill green flies without using any nasty chemicals to harm your plants Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IF your garden is looking a bit of a mess and you want to ensure it looks fresh, you've come to the right place. It turns out that there's a nightmare pest that may be living in your garden - and it could be the reason why your grass and plants are ruined. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 You may spot aphids clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular Credit: Getty 2 Pollyanna Wilkinson, right, shared how to banish the pest without harming your garden Credit: The Ins & Outs Podcast Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap. But while there's no need to be alarmed, it's best to identify the problem as soon as possible - and luckily, a gardening whizz has come to rescue with a wallet-friendly solution. Speaking on her podcast, The Ins & Outs, Pollyanna Wilkison responded to a listener who had written into the show how to banish the common pest from their birch tree. The gardening designer said: ''We're getting a lot of questions about how to get rid of aphids and it's a tricky one. ''Because on the one side, I want to say to you aphids are actually amazing forage for loads of really important insects - ladybugs, hoverflies, parasitoid wasps all eat aphids. ''They will be eaten by these guys if you leave them alone.'' However, if you're dealing with ''an absolute infestation'', there's something you can use - and it's already in your kitchen. According to Pollyanna, green-fingered Brits can use washing-up liquid - which you can snap up for around 65p from your local supermarket. The £14.50 Wickes buy people are swearing by to get rid of weeds on their driveway for GOOD She explained in the podcast: ''The best thing you can do is put some washing-up liquid in a spray bottle and spray everything. ''That's not going to hurt anything. ''Whatever they breathe through, it blocks it and then they die.'' Keep pests out all summer IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know. Hornets and wasps - hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay. Moths - acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent. Flying ants - herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents. Mosquitoes - plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass. ''We're not here for the pesticides - the washing-up liquid will do it absolutely fine.'' The gardening whizz also recently shared the common decoration she hates - hanging baskets. 'Hate them. I effing hate hanging baskets. 'And the reason I hate them is much the same reason that I hate small pots.' She shared the first reason for this is that she doesn't think they are 'very attractive as a vessel.' Pollyanna explained on the episode: 'You can tend to see the plastic inside because it's got a plastic liner, because otherwise, obviously the water is going to go through. 'And I don't like seeing plastic in the garden. 'And also the body of soil that a hanging basket holds - unless it's those amazing ones outside the Ritz, which are just the most extraordinary thing I've ever seen, but those are the sides of a beach ball - it's just, it's this tiny little dish of mud.'
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
I was so fed up of pulling out weeds in my garden – a £6 buy stopped them growing in the first place & improves my soil
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GARDENING expert has revealed how to drastically reduce the time spent trying to get rid of weeds. Pollyanna Wilkinson shared her must-try tips for thriving borders without hours of work. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Pollyanna Wilkinson, pictured with Jojo Barr, shared tips for getting rid of weeds Credit: Instagram/the_insandouts_ 3 Wilkinson said all of her clients complain about removing weeds from their gardens (stock image) Credit: Getty Wilkinson spoke about managing weeds with Jojo Barr in an episode of their podcast The Ins & Outs. The conversation began when listener Tiff complained about the amount of time spent working on her garden. 'We recently bought a house and have inherited a large garden with well-established borders and a south-facing garden next to a field,' Tiff said. 'The garden brings me endless joy and I love nothing more than filling my house with lots of gorgeous flowers all year round, very lucky. 'However, all my husband and I seem to do is weed and repeat. 'Any top tips for keeping weeds at bay, is wood chip any good or is it just a matter of keeping on hoeing?' Wilkinson said all of her clients hate weeding but it's impossible to avoid the tedious task. She revealed there are two effective ways to minimise how often it must be done. New borders will have more weeds than 'very established' ones because of the way weeds germinate. 1. Fill your borders 'The number one thing I say is just to make sure there are enough plants in your borders so the weeds don't have enough space to thrive,' she said. 'It drives me wild, you just can't get rid of it' pro gardener reveals the nightmare weed every UK home is at risk of 'A lot of people make the mistake of having quite gappy borders and then basically you've just got a soil bed sat there waiting for weeds to seed into them 'You can also look at having plenty of ground cover as well. 'It's about choosing the right plants, you're not just choosing things that are rising out of the soil and the soil beneath is bare. 'Make sure you've got things like hardy geraniums or grasses or oh my gosh so many different things pachysandras, vincas and all sorts of ground covers to basically drown them out.' 2. Add mulch Wilkinson said the next step is having a 'nice, thick layer of mulch' to suppress the weeds by stopping the seeds from getting light. She advised against using wood chips in favour of using a material that's finely ground. 'I prefer to use something like mushroom compost as a mulch, or basically anything really nice and fine,' she said. 'We don't want the big chunky like play bark that you put in a kid's play area on your borders, that's not the dream. 'Think how long that's going to take to break down and add anything to the soil as well." Mushroom compost can be purchased from garden centres and online. 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. Woodland Horticulture Mushroom Compost 60 Litres, for example, is £5.99 from Tates of Sussex Garden Centres. As for what mulch does, it "suppressed weeds, improves the soil, and helps with moisture level"s so there's a myriad of reasons to use it.". Wilkinson said many people use a membrane fabric to suppress weeds but they aren't a good option for plant borders because of how they rot. 'When you're trying to dig plants, if you're trying to put bulbs in a border it's an absolute nightmare,' she said. 'So, no I would much rather you do a nice thick layer of mulch than this cutting out of holes and putting things in.'
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Independent
How to design your dream garden this spring — and what to avoid
Spring is on the horizon, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to revitalise your garden. Whether you're planning a complete overhaul or just a few tweaks, award-winning garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson offers expert advice to make the most of your outdoor space. Wilkinson, author of How To Design A Garden, host of The Ins & Outs podcast, and an Instagram influencer with 400,000 followers, emphasises the importance of understanding your garden's unique characteristics. "One of the biggest mistakes people make is not spending enough time getting to know the garden," she explains. Before diving into design plans, Wilkinson advises taking the time to observe your garden's light exposure throughout the day, assess the depth of your borders, understand your soil type, and consider the overall shape of the space. Here, she offers some design tips to help you get the most from your outdoor space. Make your garden look wider 'If you have a long narrow garden, the worst thing you can do is run narrow borders down the side next to a strip of lawn because it's going to turn it into a runway and highlight that it's long and thin,' says Wilkinson. Instead, feature your highlights across the garden by planting into it and a deep border at the back which brings your depth of field forward. If you have paving immediately outside the house, bring plants up to that paving across the garden, she suggests. You could then create a gap through to a lawn, or position a path and planting in the middle of the garden as a focal point. 'We're trying to get you to move your eyes left and right, not down to the end. The trick is to bring the plants in.' Plant deep borders Make your flower borders as deep as possible because if they are under 60cm, you'll only get one row of plants, which can feel accidental, she advises. 'Ensure you can get at least two or three rows of plants, in which will give you a much more interesting garden in terms of seasonality, but will also give you more depth even in a smaller space.' Use large pots 'In courtyards or small gardens, get rid of your small pots because anything small in a small space feels like clutter. You're much better off going with one or three really generous pots, I'm talking waist-high,' she suggests. 'They can be narrow but if they are waist-high they feel intentional. 'And don't shy away from putting small trees into small spaces. For urban gardens we use a lot of cornus, crab apples and Amelanchier lamarckii.' 'Look at the light in the garden, which is something people can forget,' she advises. ' Focus on where the light falls at different times of day, because that is going to tell you what you can plant, as plants have different light needs.' The light will also have a bearing on where you will want to sit, she notes. 'Some people like to sit out in the sun in the middle of the day. A lot of people might prefer to sit in the shade. Also think about it at different times of the day. We may want to have somewhere for a morning coffee that's east-facing and a more comfortable area, like a sofa or bench, that is west-facing for evening sun or cocktails.' Consider how you want to use your space 'How do you want to use your space and what's realistic for your lifestyle? 'It depends on where you are in life. If you've got young kids or pets, you're going to use your garden in quite a different way to if you're older or don't have kids yet, and you're using it to entertain or to actually garden,' she observes. Make a list about what you want and what you can realistically do with the time available, Wilkinson suggests. 'Be strict with yourself, because if you've got a small space, it's more limited as to what you can do. 'Do one or two things really well. Maybe don't have a dining table outside. If you've got your kitchen right next to the house, you can still eat inside with the doors open. 'Instead, have something comfier, like a sofa or chairs out there, so that you've got more versatile space.' Look at landscaping 'A mistake a lot of people make is to put the patio right by the house and nothing else, so you've got this hardscape by the house. We try to find at least one extra place in the garden which is a destination away from the house. 'We can all be guilty of sitting near the house, looking at the garden, rather than being in the garden. You could have a seating area at the end of the garden. 'It might just be on gravel, a few slabs or even on grass, but you could be on a bench in the garden that enjoys sun at a different time of day, or tucked away under a really beautiful tree.' Repeat plant and cluster, always with perennials and also with shrubs, she suggests. Repeat plants such as clumps of salvias at intervals down a border, spaced between one and two metres apart depending on the size of your border, in clusters of odd numbers (such as three or five), using fewer species but repeating at intervals, to create a fluid scheme. If you can't move your shed to a spot where it is out of the eyeline of your main windows, put it to the back of the garden and plant hedging in front of it, which creates a fake boundary. You may want to also plant other things in front of the hedge. Create a spreadsheet or list of plants you like which will suit each season. Don't forget winter structure or autumn colours, she says. You want the garden to be interesting year-round, not just in summer. How To Design A Garden by Pollyanna Wilkinson is published by DK on February 6, priced £22.
