Page 17 - News

Person adding soil to a potted herb plant on a wooden table with banana peel and eggshells nearby.

How to Make Homemade Fertiliser for Healthy Plants

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Keeping plants attractive and healthy requires more than regular watering. Replacing nutrients is also an essential part of plant care,...

Scientist in lab coat studying a preserved squid in a jar with squid images and DNA notes on the table.

Vampire Squid: the New Species That Wasn’t New

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

For more than a century, the vampire squid held an almost solitary position on the tree of life as the...

Hedgehog next to overturned and upright terracotta pots in a garden with flowers and grass.

A Wild Garden Corner for Hedgehogs and Fewer Slugs

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Before the age of immaculately mown lawns and crisply defined borders, many people simply left a wild corner at the...

Man hanging CDs on a fruit tree in a garden, with a basket of green apples nearby and birds flying above.

How to Protect a Guava Tree from Birds with CDs

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Keeping hungry birds away from a home orchard is a recurring challenge for anyone growing fruit in the garden. Fortunately,...

Person planting seedlings in soil in a garden bed with a gardening thermometer nearby on a sunny day.

When to Plant Tomato Plants: The Three Green Signals Rule

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Many amateur gardeners know the scenario: the sun is blazing in April, the young tomato plants look strong, impatience wins...

Scientist examining soil and plant roots in mountainous terrain with digital microbes and roots illustration.

How Plants and Microbes Share Nitrogen in Alpine Heath

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Plants draw the resources they require from the soil, with nitrogen near the top of the list. A fertile garden...

Person relaxing on balcony with a cup of coffee near colourful flowering plants and flying butterflies and bees

Pentas: the easy-care Egyptian starcluster for bees and butterflies

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Many people welcome spring with the same ambition: more flowers, more butterflies, more bees – and less effort on the...

Hand planting seed in soil of terracotta pot on wooden table with watering can and plants in sunlight.

How to Use a Toothpick to Water Ferns at Home

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

For people who grow ferns at home, uncertainty about the right time to water is a common concern. A plant’s...

Person fertilising blue hydrangea plants in a garden using organic orange granular fertiliser next to a wooden crate.

Dried Orange Peel for Hydrangeas: A Simple Soil Helper

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Yellowing leaves, limp flowers and little growth: hydrangeas often look like this when their position is unsuitable or the soil...

A wild boar stands on a city pavement near an open notebook with a DNA sketch and blood sample tubes.

Urban Wild Boar in Berlin and Barcelona Form Distinct Genetic Groups

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Urban wild boar living in major European cities are not merely a continuous extension of populations in neighbouring countryside. Researchers...

Hands picking ripe mulberries from a potted mulberry tree on a sunny balcony with two colourful birds nearby.

How to Grow a Mulberry Tree in Small Spaces and Attract Native Birds

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Growing a fruit tree at home brings renewed energy to any urban setting. Cultivating species such as the mulberry tree...

Woman sitting on carpet playing with a small brown dog surrounded by name cards in a cosy living room.

10 Twilight Saga dog names for your pet

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Choosing a dog’s name is a meaningful and memorable occasion, with almost endless possibilities to consider. For fans of the...

Woman gardening barefoot in a patio flowerbed with purple heather while another sits nearby in a deck chair.

Red Field Thyme: A Fragrant Lawn Replacement That Deters Mosquitoes

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

If you are thinking of mosquito sprays, buzzing by your ear and itchy bites, you are on the right track....

Person wearing yellow gloves handling a cardboard box near a centipede, flashlight, and broom on wooden floor

How to avoid centipedes and protect yourself at home

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

A forgotten piece of wood in the garden, a damp stone or even a rarely used drain can conceal an...

An adult and child planting a variety of seeds in a raised garden bed outdoors.

Old vegetable varieties: rediscovering flavour in the garden

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Growing old vegetable varieties today is not merely following a trend. Many packets of seed carry a family story, a...

Hands watering a small plant in a pot on a windowsill surrounded by flowering African violets.

African violets: March care for continuous flowering

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

African violets can look rather unremarkable during winter, yet from spring onwards they can become true flowering machines. A few...

A spider with an elongated tail catches a moth mid-air on a green leaf with blurred foliage background.

How Slingshot Spiders Turn Their Webs into Spring-Loaded Weapons

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

A tiny spider can turn a few strands of silk into something resembling a spring-loaded weapon. Rather than merely waiting...

Person mixing compost with hand fork in a wheelbarrow in a sunny garden setting.

Make Your Own Potting Compost: A Peat-Free Alternative to Bought Compost

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Anyone who genuinely wants to future-proof their flower beds has long been choosing a different approach. Bought potting compost may...

Person harvesting ripe red tomatoes from a home garden in the sunlight with a crate of tomatoes nearby.

How to Grow Really Good Tomatoes: 19 Small Steps

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Many amateur gardeners face the same frustration every year. The good news is that the supposedly “difficult” vegetable is rarely...

Person organising garden tools on a wooden shed wall with sunlight streaming through an open door.

How to Make a Vertical PVC Holder for Garden Tools

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Whenever Júlia needed pruning shears, a spade or a rake, she would usually begin by searching around the garden. The...

A bioluminescent fish emitting light near a glowing jellyfish in dark ocean water with light trail in background.

How Bioluminescent Animals Light Up the Deep Ocean

Gareth Whitfield • October 2, 2026

Between 200 and 1,000 metres below the ocean’s surface, sunlight fades rapidly until it is almost absent. Yet this environment...