Dede Sophie

Calla lilies are a beautiful addition to any garden but to get the most out of your plants try to avoid these five mistakes when planting them. By following these tips you will ensure greater success and earlier flowering.  Calla lilies can bring an amazing tropical look to the garden and despite being able to survive a mild winter here in the UK, they will not be able to cope with an extended period of freezing conditions. Of course the garden retailers like to have Calla lily bulbs out for sale as early as February but do not be tempted to plant them outside yet as the chances are that they will rot in the ground before the weather warms up! So check out this video above to avoid wasting your money. If you would like to see more content like this then consider subscribing to our YouTube channel ‘Walking Talking Gardeners’. It is absolutely free and you can unsubscribe instantly at any time.

Germinating tomato seeds can always go wrong so check out these five (5) easy mistakes to avoid when growing tomatoes from seed. Get them wrong and you could lose a batch of seedlings, however these techniques are not just for salad crops these principles are relevant to the majority of seed grown plants. Timing is extremely important, because if you leave sowing your tomatoes too late then you risk not having enough of the growing season left to allow the plant to produced ripened fruit. Sow then too early and you risk having your seedlings damaged or even killed by late frosts! But it doesn’t stop there as the importance of having sterilized equipment and compost cannot be underestimated as you can easily lose a batch of seedlings to fungal infection. For more content like this why not consider subscribing to our YouTube gardening channel ‘Walking Talking Gardeners’. It is free to subscribe and you can unsubscribe at any time!

The wonderful Star Magnolia – Magnolia stellata is arguably the best of the early, small ornamental flowering trees in the business. Native to the stream-sides and moist, boggy areas of Japan largest island, Honshū, Magnolia stellata is one of the smallest of the magnolia species and is a great addition for the suburban garden. However its most noticeable and ornamental feature are its blooms. It flowers very early on in the spring making it one of the first trees to break flower bud, the flowers are large and conspicuous and it produces its blooms before the leaves break bud which all together make for a very striking show – hence its ongoing popularity. Although not from the Ericaceae family it will require acidic to neutral soil conditions so plant in a deep hole backfilled with ericaceous compost. Plant it in a sheltered position so that the blooms are protected from freezing wind and rain which can damage the petals. The soil will need to be regular damp but well-draine...