Page 14 - News

Scientist in lab coat examining plant roots in dry soil with notebook and moisture meter in farmland.

Why Plants Stop Taking Up Water in Dry Soil

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Plants may look peaceful and motionless, yet water is continually moving within them. It passes out of the soil, through...

Woman in boots planting colourful flowers in a sunny garden bed surrounded by plants and gardening tools

6 affordable plants for lazy and inexperienced gardeners

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Yes, it can be done – provided you choose the right plants. Many beginners impulsively plant everything that catches their...

Woman hanging reflective CDs and ribbons on a balcony railing with potted plants around her in daylight.

Keep pigeons off your balcony: one simple trick brought peace

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

She tried one simple trick – and suddenly, there was peace. Anyone living in a city will know the issue:...

Woman planting a small red rose bush in a garden bed surrounded by colorful flowers on a sunny day.

Natural Fertilisers for Rose Bushes: How to Encourage More Flowers

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Rose bushes need fertile soil, regular watering and balanced feeding to produce strong buds throughout the year. The most useful...

Young man feeding a large fluffy dog a treat outside on a wooden deck next to a bowl of dog food.

Bouvier des Flandres: characteristics, temperament and care

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

The Bouvier des Flandres, also referred to as the Flanders cattle dog, is a breed from the Flanders region, an...

Underwater scene with red-tipped tube-like creatures surrounding a glowing, erupting vent.

Giant Tube Worm: How Riftia pachyptila Lives Without a Mouth

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

More than 2,000 metres below the surface, where sunlight never reaches and superheated water rises from volcanic cracks, an animal...

Woman wearing a straw hat tending to flowering plants in a sunny garden with a labelled plant pot and trowel nearby

Gaura instead of roses: the easy-care perennial for months of flowers

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Anyone hoping for a garden full of abundant flowers instinctively thinks of roses. Yet the reality of powdery mildew, pruning...

A colourful bird with iridescent blue and green feathers spreads its wings on a mossy tree branch next to a brown bird.

Why Birds-of-Paradise Transform During Their Mating Dances

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

In some of New Guinea’s forests, finding a mate can demand a remarkable transformation. Males from several birds-of-paradise species raise...

Person picking ripened berries from a potted plant on a balcony table with watering can and notebook.

How to Grow Pitanga in a Small Pot

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Pitanga, also known as Surinam cherry, is a small, fragrant fruit native to Brazil. Its flavour combines sweetness, sharpness and...

Person sprinkling plant fertiliser near pink lilies in a sunlit garden with a watering can and calendar nearby.

Oriental Lilies: The Right Fertiliser for Spectacular Blooms

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Oriental lilies are considered the divas of the flower bed – fertilise them incorrectly and you will get plenty of...

Close-up of a sea cucumber with tentacles extended on a sandy seabed surrounded by coral and small shells.

How a Sea Cucumber Expels Its Organs and Survives

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

When threatened, a sea cucumber can employ a strategy that seems impossible: it ejects some of its own organs and...

Hands trimming green onion leaves in a terracotta pot on a sunny kitchen windowsill with gardening tools.

How to Grow Chives at Home for Continuous Harvests

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Growing fresh herbs at home can make everyday cooking healthier and more rewarding. Knowing the right methods to speed up...

Honeybee collecting nectar from a purple flower with a butterfly and bird in a sunny garden.

How Ultraviolet Light Reveals a Hidden World to Animals

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

An apparently ordinary flower may contain designs that no human can see with the naked eye. To a bee, however,...

Person harvesting ripe strawberries in a garden with pruning shears and a watering can nearby.

Four Simple Spring Steps for an Earlier Strawberry Harvest

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Act wisely now and you may often be picking before your neighbours do. Every year, many amateur gardeners ask why...

Person sketches crocodile skeleton in desert landscape with red rocks and distant mesas under blue sky.

Tainrakuasuchus bellator: the armoured reptile discovered in Brazil

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

At first glance, it could easily be mistaken for a small predatory dinosaur. Yet a fossil found in Rio Grande...

Two green caterpillars on a wet leaf amid forest floor litter and moss in sunlight with a beetle nearby.

Four insects with surprising defence and hunting mechanisms

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

An insect may fit on the tip of a finger yet conceal a defence or hunting mechanism capable of startling...

Person watering green plants in pots with a metal watering can in a sunny garden setting

Best Time to Water Plants in Your Garden

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Keeping a garden attractive calls for considered care that extends beyond selecting the plants to grow. Choosing the right time...

Person kneeling on grass gently petting a medium-sized brown dog outdoors in a park.

Petting Dogs: How to Avoid Causing Discomfort

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Petting dogs can be an important form of social contact, but touching an animal does not automatically make the experience...

Woman in a straw hat watering plants and tending purple and white agapanthus flowers in a sunny garden.

How to grow agapanthus for abundant flowering in sunny gardens

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Growing hardy ornamental species can turn any outdoor area into a true natural display. Among the best choices for sunny...

Great white shark swimming near a scuba diver underwater with an antique pocket watch and treasure chest on the sea floor.

How Long Can a Greenland Shark Live?

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

Long before factories, locomotives and industrial cities existed in the form we recognise today, some Greenland sharks may already have...

Hands repotting a tall cactus in a terracotta pot on a windowsill with other small potted cacti and gardening tools.

What Does a Lateral Shoot on a Cactus Mean?

Gareth Whitfield • October 3, 2026

When a cactus suddenly starts producing a lateral shoot, many people wonder whether it signals a problem or is simply...