Woman's Weekly Living Series August 2021

This issue is a real celebration of the garden in summer. Check out seaside-themed gardens to inspire ideas for your own outdoor space on page 33. Discover the 10 best compact varieties of dahlia on page 16. Then there’s our ultimate RHS Chelsea Flower Show guide on page 47, telling all you need to Discover your own t he 10 outdoor best compact s pace on varieties page 33. of dahlia on page 1 6. Then t here’s our ultimate RHS Chelsea Flower Show guide on page 47 , telling all you need t o know about t his year’s September show!…

JOIN THE GREAT BRITISH GARDEN PARTY Join Mary Berry and the National Garden Scheme (NGS) by hosting your own Great British Garden Party this summer. This major event is a chance to celebrate the importance of everyone’s gardens and to raise vital funds for nursing and health charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and the Queen’s Nursing Institute. Mary, who’s President of the National Garden Scheme, said, ‘You can invite people at any time of day. It could be afternoon tea, a glass of prosecco in the evening or even a plant sale by the gate.’ She has opened her own garden for the charity for more than 20 years and became President of the NGS in 2016. ‘There is something quite special about visiting a garden,’…

Cosmos Cosmos is a wonderful hardy annual that has a fresh, feathery foliage that allows the petals to float among its neighbours. Plants are quick-growing and keep on flowering as long as they are deadheaded, until the first frost of autumn. Some selections are well suited to pots, and these more compact varieties like the ‘Sonata’ series with single red, pink or white flowers on stems just 30cm tall, tend to flower earlier than taller varieties. For intermediate height, ‘Antiquity’, rich crimson and pink, and ‘Xanthos’, a lovely yellow, both grow to 60cm. Valuable for the back of the border are ‘Sensation Mixed’ at 1.2m tall and ‘Cupcakes White’ with petals fused together to form a cup. Look in garden centres for larger potted plants in summer. Cosmos are stalwarts…

The Government has made a decisive move to phase out the use of peat by 2024, as announced by Environment Secretary George Eustice this May. Most gardeners will have used peat as a component in potting compost and, although generally the volume in compost continues to fall, there’s still a lot of peat in use. In fact, peat-based compost sales increased by 9% during the pandemic. The voluntary approach to eliminate peat from garden centres in England by 2020 set out a decade ago failed to meet its target. Therefore, more positive steps have been taken to introduce a complete ban. There’ll be a chance for gardeners to have their input on steps to phase out peat and give feedback on their experiences of using peat-free compost during a public…

COTSWOLD GRANARIES HEDGEHOG FOOD Attract hedgehogs to your garden with a new food containing natural ingredients, including meat, whole maize, rice, yeast and linseed. The kibble has a crunchy texture that helps maintain healthy teeth and gums. Available in three sizes from 265g for £3.19, from garden centres or at wildlifeworld.co.uk; 01666 505333. NATIONAL TRUST ‘GET ME GARDENING’ TOOLS There’s a new range of garden tools and accessories to encourage youngsters and smaller children to garden. Made to last, it includes a bucket, £11.99; watering can, £14.99; gloves, £7.99, and trowel and fork set, £9.99, from garden centres and at burgonandball.com FLOPRO SOFTFLO ADVANCED GUN The right watering kit is essential in summer. The SoftFlo Advanced Spray Gun has one-hand on/off control that includes a gentle flow to water direct…

ROSE ‘CUTIE PIE’ Beautiful things do come in small packages and this miniature rose is perfectly proportioned for a table-top pot or sunny border. Low growing, up to 40cm tall. £9.99, crocus.co.uk HEUCHERA ‘FRILLY’ A fun variety with interesting frilly and ruffled foliage, ranging through warm shades of amber to red. The bushy habit is ideal for containers, patios and sunny borders. H: 30cm. From £9.99, dobies.co.uk CLEMATIS ‘MANJU’ An unusual variety with double creamy white flowers is ideal for growing up a trellis or pergola, plant in well-drained soil in sun or part shade. H: 4.5m. £10, hayloft.co.uk…