Monday, January 20, 2025

Gardening and Botany Magazine

Rafflesia arnoldii – The Stinking Giant

Deep in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, a strange and spectacular flower blooms. It’s massive, it’s beautiful, and… it smells like a decaying carcass. Meet Rafflesia arnoldii, the world’s...

gardening jobs

to do in the garden this month

Prune Apple Trees

Pruning is an essential task for maintaining healthy, productive apple trees. Proper pruning shapes the tree, improves fruit...

Dividing Snowdrops: A Step-by-Step Guide

Snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) are a cherished sight in late winter, heralding the arrival of spring with their delicate...

Latest Questions

garden advice and solutions

more jobs

to do in the garden this month

Winter Compost: Digging Out and Spreading for Healthy Garden Borders

Winter is an excellent time to dig out your compost heap and spread the rich, organic material on your garden borders. This seasonal task...

How to Keep Your Pond Ice Free

Winter poses unique challenges for garden ponds in the UK, as freezing temperatures can threaten aquatic life and disrupt the delicate pond ecosystem. Keeping...

Do not walk on frosty lawns

Walking on a frosty lawn can significantly damage it due to the nature of how frost affects grass blades and the soil underneath. Here’s...

When should I prune my Wisteria?

Wisteria, with its cascading clusters of violet, blue, or white flowers, is a favorite climber in UK gardens. However, without proper care, it can...

Flowering now

What's in flower this month

your garden

garden advice and insiration

Growing Winter Vegetables: A Beginner’s Guide

Winter gardening offers the opportunity to enjoy fresh, homegrown produce even in the colder months. By selecting the...

Top 5 Winter Greenhouse Options for Hobbyist Gardeners

A greenhouse can be a game-changer for any gardener, especially during the winter months. It provides a warm,...

Traditional Winter Gardening Techniques from historic Estates

Winter is often seen as a quiet time in the garden, but for gardeners on historic estates, it...

Allotment Planner 2025

MonthWhat to PlantKey TasksJanuaryNone (focus on planning and soil preparation).Plan crop rotation, order seeds, clean tools, improve soil.FebruarySow...

Guide to Companion Planting on Your Allotment

Companion planting is a traditional gardening method that pairs plants strategically to support their growth, deter pests, and...

Fruit or Berry, Do you Know The Difference?

Fruit or Berry, and the Surprising World of Legumes Today, we’re going to explore some surprising truths about everyday...

Is your bee hotel killing solitary bees?

Solitary Bees: Champions of Pollination and Why Bee Hotels Can Be Harmful Solitary bees are some of the most...

Is your Leylandii going brown?

Leylandii going brown is usually a sign of stress or poor health caused by specific environmental or biological...

The Surprising Truth Behind the Smell of Freshly Cut Grass

The scent of freshly cut grass is one of the most recognizable and nostalgic smells of summer. For...

Can You Grow Oranges in the UK?

Growing oranges in the UK can be challenging due to the cooler climate, but it’s possible with the...

Prune Apple Trees

Pruning is an essential task for maintaining healthy, productive apple trees. Proper pruning shapes the tree, improves fruit...

Force Rhubarb: A Gardener’s Guide

Forcing rhubarb is a traditional gardening technique that produces tender, sweet stalks, perfect for early-season pies, crumbles, and...

understanding gardening

botany and horticulture

Where Do Tropical Plants Come From?

Here’s the list of where tropical plants come from for UK gardens, along with the specific Asian countries they originate from: Banana (Musa basjoo) –...

Boosting Seed Germination with Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide (Hâ‚‚Oâ‚‚) has earned a reputation as a versatile tool in gardening. Beyond promoting seed germination, it can be used to treat diseases,...

Understanding Worm Casts: Nature’s Soil Builders

Worm casts are one of nature’s most fascinating contributions to soil health and plant growth. But what exactly are they? Are they the same...

Understanding Plant Photosynthesis and Respiration

Plants are the backbone of life on Earth, not only providing food and oxygen but also playing a crucial role in maintaining the planet's...

The Carbon Cycle: A Journey Between Earth’s Systems

The carbon cycle is a continuous process that describes the movement of carbon through Earth's major systems: the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. These...

Traditional Gardening Techniques

Double Digging What It Is: Double digging is a soil preparation technique where you dig two spades deep into the soil, loosening the soil structure...

What is so special about John Innes Compost?

John Innes compost is a trusted name in gardening, renowned for its consistency and effectiveness. This soil-based compost range has been a staple for...

Conifers Uncovered: Soil Impacts, Pests, Diseases, Pruning, and Best & Worst Varieties

Welcome to Local Gardener, where we dig into the joys and challenges of gardening! Today, we’re tackling conifers—those iconic evergreens that bring beauty and...

The World of Plant Types: Understanding Nature’s Diversity

Welcome to Local Gardener, the podcast where we explore the fascinating world of plants, gardening, and everything green. Today, we’re talking about plant types—how...

PLANT HISTORY

the fascinating story of plants

The crazy world of bananas

The history of bananas traces back thousands of years to Southeast Asia, where the banana plant (Musa species) is believed to have been first domesticated. The earliest records suggest...

Earth’s Oldest Forest : The Gilboa Forest

The Gilboa forest, nestled in the hills of upstate New York, holds an extraordinary claim to fame: it is home to the remnants of the oldest known forest on...

Welwitschia mirabilis – The Immortal Desert Wonder

Imagine a plant that has been alive for over a thousand years, growing in one of the harshest...

The Permian Period and Beyond

The Evolution of Plants After the Carboniferous: The Permian Period and Beyond The Carboniferous Period, spanning from approximately 359...

The Carboniferous Period: A Golden Age for Plants

The Carboniferous Period (359 to 299 million years ago) was a transformative time in Earth’s history, particularly for...

The Age of Plants – The Devonian Period

We’re going back in time to one of the most transformative chapters in plant history—the Devonian Period, also...

When Mushrooms Ruled the Earth

We’re stepping back in time, way back, to a period in Earth’s history when fungi ruled the land....

The Ginkgo Tree: Living Fossils and Symbols of Resilience

The ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba), often called a "living fossil," is one of the most remarkable plants in...

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