Woman's Weekly Living Series March 2021

FRESH AIR OR WELFARE Every time we bought a new houseplant we were comforted in the belief that the plants’ leaves would cleanse the air for us. But researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia, US, have found that houseplants don’t actually improve air quality by any great measure. They analysed 12 research studies, including the NASA Clean Air Study of 1989, and found that the experiments were undertaken in labs and did not represent a typical home where natural air flows from outside, through a room and back out again. To remove toxins, you would need at least 10 plants per square foot – an indoor forest! While the science may be disputed, many other studies agree that houseplants are beneficial, as they impact our physical and mental health. Not…

ECO-FRIENDLY POTS These new eco pots are made from discarded waste collected from waterways, then sorted, sanitised and given a second life as a beautiful pot or window box – so they prevent polluting plastic from reaching the sea. Adelyn planters, from £2.99, thegardensuperstore.co.uk. THE BARTLEY BURBLER Made from recyclable plastic and available in six colours, this charming 2-pint watering can from experts Haws has a detachable brass fine-spray rose that’s perfect for watering seedings. £7.99, haws.co.uk. GNAT’S YOUR LOT! Fungus gnats are the annoying little flies that seem to buzz by your face. They make a home in the moist compost of houseplants. To control an infestation, top up plant pots with Lava-Lite, a mulch made from natural pumice. 1ltr bag, £6.99, 3ltr bag, £11.99, from garden centres.…

1 TOMATO ‘VERANDA RED’ This cherry-sized tomato comes early in July, yielding a heavy crop, and is very flavoursome. Ideal for pots in a small space. Packet of six seeds £4.49, or plants from £5.99, suttons.co.uk. 2 POTATO-GROWING KIT Look forward to a bountiful crop of new potatoes. This kit comprises three different varieties ideal for raising in the containers provided. £9.99, from garden centres – see taylors-bulbs.com/stockists. 3 CHILLI PEPPER ‘HAVANA GOLD’ If you like mild chilli, go for this variety with a distinct habanero chilli flavour but with half the heat. Bushy plants become smothered in long, golden-orange chillies to eat raw or cooked. Packet of eight seeds, £2.99, thompson-morgan.com.…

‘In summer it’s wonderful to enjoy the scent of sweet peas It is tempting to plan a garden by first looking at the shape – square or rectangular, broad but shallow or long and narrow – and dreaming of the perfect layout. But while those considerations play an important part, there is a bigger picture to first bear in mind, one that extends to a garden’s boundaries and beyond. The smaller a garden, the greater the need to ‘borrow’ elements of the wider landscape in order to make a confined space seem roomier. Eyesores on the horizon can be blotted out by carefully placed trees, whereas those closer to home may be concealed by ploys such as fixing trellis panels atop fencing. Boundary fences, hedges and walls not only provide…

✣ Disguise walls and boundary fences with climbing plants or clipped shrubs to increase a sense of abundance. ✣ Give serviceable furniture a lick of paint – applying it also to fences and wooden structures will unify the whole. ✣ Ensure that any new landscaping materials you introduce will blend in with existing ones. ✣ Create flowing borders by repeating groups of three or five plants as accents along the length. ✣ Choose compact plants with more than one season of interest, creating maximum impact in minimum space. ✣ Ban vigorous, invasive plants that will crowd out others. ✣ Avoid a clutter of small, unrelated features that will have the effect of making a small space seem crowded. ✣ Choose a few well-placed, large features for interest. ✣ Do not…

1 CROCOSMIA X CROCOSMIIFLORA ‘SARACEN’ Pairs bronze foliage with golden-throated red flowers from midsummer to early autumn. Plant corms 4in (10cm) deep, in sun or semi-shade; divide clumps every 3-4 years. H: 75cm 2 EUCOMIS ‘SPARKLING BURGUNDY’ A pineapple lily that produces purple leaves and stout purple stems clad in blushed cream to pink flowers from July to September. Plant bulbs in well-drained soil, in sun, and apply a winter mulch in colder areas. H: 50cm 3 AGAPANTHUS ‘LOCH HOPE’ Erect stems are topped with masses of deep blue flowers from July to September. Plant in sun, in fertile, well-drained soil, or in containers. Protect with mulch in autumn in colder areas. H: 75cm-1m 4 TULBAGHIA VIOLACEA ‘SILVER LACE’ The variegated pale leaves look wonderful at the front of a…