Pets and plants don’t always go together. My ‘Border Terrorists’, Ogmore and Dylan, are notorious for chomping foliage. Whilst they mainly graze on Dog Mercury and other outdoor weeds, they have also unleashed their rasping tongues on my once elegant Bamboo Palm ( Dypsis lutescens), leaving it looking as though it has been attacked by a giant slug. Fortunately, Bamboo Palm is entirely non-toxic to pets, but other plants are best kept away from your furry friends. Our panel of Thompson & Morgan pooches and pussycats have put aside their differences and got together to guide you through the best pet-friendly plants.
Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.
Go native and plant the ultimate wildlife hotel! Winter is the perfect time for hedge planting, and if you seriously want to put conservation into action, planting a native hedge is an easy and effective way to help some of our most threatened UK species.
For most of us, large trees and woodland patches are beyond the scope of our modestly sized gardens, but native hedging plants function as mini woodlands which are absolutely teeming with wildlife. Supporting up to 80 per cent of our woodland birds, 50 per cent of our mammals and 30 per cent of our butterflies, the benefits of hedgerows to wildlife are indisputable. However, in some parts of the UK, up to 50% of hedgerows have disappeared. This is where gardeners can step in and make a real difference.
So, get planting your Hedgerow Hotel! Here is an introduction to just some of the wonderful guests who will be eagerly waiting to check in.
Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.
That is the question asked by many a gardener, their watering can hovering over a stubbornly mute Aspidistra which refuses to reveal whether it’s thirsty or not! “When did I last water it?” you ask yourself. “Last week? Last month? ….Last year?” At this point you are pondering the possibility of encroaching dementia as your watering recollections have merged into a dense fog. “How often am I supposed to water this thing anyway?” you wonder, dashing to look it up on Google. “Every week”, “Every other week”, “Every few weeks”; the answers are as varied as the water stains on your furnishings which you are now eyeing up crossly. Clearly, your inability to divine your Aspidistra’s needs must be down to an absence of those mystifying ‘green thumbs’ and you splurge a glug of water into the saucer ‘just for good measure’ before stomping off to quench your own thirst with a cuppa.
Sounds like a familiar story? Well, sit back, enjoy your tea and I will attempt to clear the muddy waters around this critical topic.
Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.
Houseplants function as living décor, making your home look beautiful. They also introduce nature into sterile indoor environments, injecting mood-boosting natural greenery. Finding creative ways to display your plants is the fun part, but before you do that, it is essential to consider the living conditions which plants require. The most important of these is light.
Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.
This guide to decorating with houseplants shows you how to get creative with plant shape, texture, colour and size. Plants breathe life into sterile spaces and which houseplants you select and how you arrange them will affect the dynamics of your space and create different moods.
Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.
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