News
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Potatoes win second Chelsea Gold
A Chelsea exhibit without a single decorative bloom has again charmed judges into awarding a Gold Medal. In 2015 potato aficionados Morrice and Ann Innes took the first-ever Gold Medal for a potato display in the show’s history – and…
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Heligan Sows Britain’s Lost Crop
Turn the clocks back over 100 years. Heligan gardeners turned the clocks back over 100 years earlier in the month as the iconic estate prepared the ground for a summer of spectacular blooms. Visitors and staff alike watched in awe…
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Great British Bee Count
19th May – 30th June Thousands of people are expected to take part in the Great British Bee Count 2016 (19 May-30 June), which launches today, and is backed by TV presenter Michaela Strachan. The Great British Bee Count is…
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Sunshine & crowds for Westland at the Balmoral Show
Northern Ireland’s (NI) largest agricultural event. The SUNSHINE and the crowds were out for Westland Horticulture this week at Northern Ireland’s (NI) largest agricultural event, The Balmoral Show. This is the first year that Westland have attended the show, which…
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Gardener’s tales of Beatles filming at Chiswick House gardens 50 years ago
50 years since The Beatles filmed two ground breaking music videos in Chiswick House grounds. It was 50 years ago today … May 20th, 1966, that the four most famous people on the planet strolled into a public park in…
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Carry on barbecuing…
Nothing, apparently, will deter British determination to get out into the garden now that it’s Bank Holiday season A survey of 2,000 people by cleaning technology specialists Kärcher has found that over 80% will persevere with barbecue plans regardless of…
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Growing season now 29 days longer
The average UK growing season has increased by nearly a month in the last few decades, according to new Met Office figures The Central England Temperature record shows that during the last 10 years the plant growing season has been…
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‘Super-sized sleepless slugs’ on the march
Alarming media reports of a new generation of ‘sleepless’ slugs predict a 10% increase in slug populations this summer. ‘Sleepless’, it turns out, doesn’t actually mean that the slugs are feeding 24/7, but that they didn’t hibernate. Last year’s wet…
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Giant pumpkin challenge
A horticulturist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex has been entrusted with growing the most expensive pumpkin seed in the world Thompson & Morgan Horticultural Director Paul Hansord bought the single seed at auction in February for £1,250 –…
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Help get Britain buzzing!
Friends of the Earth needs people to take part in The Great British Bee Count – Britain’s biggest bee survey Taking place this year from May 19 to June 30, people are being asked to get out into gardens, allotments,…
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Join the butterfly count
Butterfly Conservation is recruiting gardeners for its Garden Butterfly Survey for 2016 Its dedicated website allows you to record the butterflies that visit your garden over the course of a year. You can create a free account, submit your sightings,…
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Bare all for gardening
Weather and neighbours permitting, World Naked Gardening Day takes place on May 7 According to its promoters, gardening is second only to swimming on the list of family-friendly activities that people are most ready to consider doing nude. ‘Morever,’ they…
