Sunflowers are amazing plants and imagine what kids must think when these bright yellow flowers peer down on them from above. They are bigger than life! Have fun growing sunflowers and make this great ‘Sunflower Garden’ for your favourite gardener as a gift that just keeps on giving! This is all that is needed […]
There are many vegetables and herbs that will grow really well from seed, especially if planted into pots. In fact, plants like coriander, rocket, radishes and beans are especially good to grow from seed as they are fast to germinate and give very quick results. Growing from seed is really quite easy. Just make sure […]
Grasshoppers are fantastic to watch as they hop from one leaf to another with their enormously long legs. They have wings as well which allow them to go great distances but what is most remarkable is the ‘song’ that the male grasshoppers make by rubbing their back legs together. Apparently this is to help them […]
HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM Snails can be as tiny as 3mm long to over 3cm long. They are gastropods which in Latin means ‘gastro’ for stomach and ‘pod’ for foot. They protect their soft body with a hard shell which they can retreat into in danger and in hot weather. Snails have two pairs of tentacles. Their eyes […]
Ladybirds may appear to be beautiful and harmless but, in fact, they are ferocious predators with a voracious appetite for sap-sucking insects. Aphids and other sap-sucking insects are common in our gardens, feeding in large colonies on the plant juices of the new buds and shoots on roses, fruit trees and other plants. You can tell there […]
Vegetables, herbs and flowers can be grown in pots on a balcony or on the patio. All they need is at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, a steady supply of water and good quality potting mix. It’s easy to plant the same vegetables or flowers in each pot but you could try mixing them […]
HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM Aphids are tiny, soft insects with six legs. They come in many colours including white, green, black and brown. Although they do have wings, most of the time you can see them living in clusters on young shoots, buds and leaves. Aphids attack a wide range of plants but especially rose buds and […]
The easiest way to grow vegetables and flowers is to start with seedlings from the local garden centre. They are already strong enough to cope in the garden and will grow so quickly that you will be harvesting the vegetables or flowers in no time. Read the label on the seedling punnet or the Smarty Plants […]
Just like you keep growing and your shoes get too small for your feet, a plant’s pot gets too small for it as it grows. When this happens, the roots take up so much room that there’s no space left for water and nutrients. This is called being ‘pot bound’. Plants can also be repotted when they are brought home from a […]
HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM The caterpillar of the white cedar moth (Leptocneria reducta) is about 4cm long and very hairy. They have a brown or black head and their body is mostly black with small brown or grey markings on them. They are often seen climbing the outside walls of the house, around the windows […]
