AS summer draws to a close, many gardening enthusiasts are eager to maintain vibrant and colourful gardens well into the autumn season.
Fortunately, experts have shared tips on how to keep your plants blooming without breaking the bank.
In fact, you might not need to spend any extra money at all.
Jo, founder of Beards & Daisies and author of the houseplant guide ‘The Unkillables‘ has shed light on how to make your garden bloom, as well as the best plants to invest in.
Whether you’re a seasoned plant enthusiast or just starting your indoor garden, Jo claims that the Peace Lily is a versatile plant that is more than just a pretty face.
Here, she revealed the 10 benefits of the plant, as well as a scrap hack to make your plants bloom like crazy.
Removes Toxins: Peace Lilies are effective at filtering harmful toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, ammonia, and xylene from the air.
These are commonly found in household items such as paints, cleaning products, and furniture.
Improves Air Quality: By reducing these pollutants, the Peace Lily helps improve indoor air quality, making it easier to breathe and potentially reducing symptoms related to poor air quality, such as headaches and respiratory issues.
Releases Moisture: Peace Lilies release moisture into the air through a process called transpiration.
This can help increase the humidity level in your home, which is particularly beneficial in dry environments or during winter when indoor air tends to be dry.
Low Maintenance: Peace Lilies are relatively easy to care for, making them ideal for both beginner and experienced plant owners.
They thrive in low to medium light and require minimal watering, typically once a week.
Durable: They are hardy plants that can tolerate some neglect, such as occasional missed watering.
Elegant Appearance: With their glossy, dark green leaves and white blooms. The white blooms are known as spathes, while the spiky structure inside is called the spadix.
Together, they function as a single flower.
Peace Lilies add a touch of elegance to any room. Their minimalist yet attractive appearance makes them a popular choice for home and office décor.
Blooms Indoors: Unlike many other houseplants, Peace Lilies can bloom indoors under the right conditions, providing year-round beauty.
Peace and Tranquillity: The Peace Lily is often associated with peace, purity, and healing.
It is a popular gift for comforting those who have lost a loved one or as a symbol of peace and calm in the home.
With September starting, so does autumn, and The Sun's Gardening Editor Veronica Lorraine has a few tasks to keep you busy as the summer sun winds down.
1. Starting thinking about Spring bulbs
Its early bulb time! As well as the more traditional daffodils, crocuses, alliums and bluebells, try snake-head fratillaries for something slightly different.
2. Remember the bees
Make sure you’re still looking after the bees with autumn flowering pollinators – like sedums, honeysuckle and asters.
3. Dig and enjoy your potatoes
Maincrop potatoes are ready to dig up – make sure you get them all so they don’t get slug damage.
4. Change your lawn mowing schedule
Raise the height of your lawn mower and start to reduce the amount of mowing you do. GIve it an autumn feed, especially if you didn’t get round to it in Summer and start to rake to remove thatch.
5. Plant out new perennials while the soil is still warm.
6. Take salvia cuttings
It’s as easy as cutting a shoot tip above a node and chucking it in a glass of water to see if it sprouts roots. Especially with tender Salvias which wont survive the winter.
7. Keep camelias well watered to make sure that buds form next year.
8. Keep on deadheading and watering your hanging baskets
They should keep going until the first frosts.
9. Get pumpkins Halloween ready
Remove any leaves shading pumpkins to make sure they’ll be ready for halloween – and make sure you keep watering them, they’re very thirsty.
10. Check on your pond
Net your pond to stop it filling with fallen leaves when the trees start to drop.
Absorbs Excess Moisture: Peace Lilies can help reduce mould spores in the air by absorbing excess moisture through their leaves.
This can help prevent mould growth in damp areas, such as bathrooms.
Boosts Mood: The presence of indoor plants like the Peace Lily has been shown to enhance mood, reduce stress, and increase feelings of well-being.
The process of caring for the plant can also be therapeutic.
Better Sleep Quality: By improving air quality and humidity, Peace Lilies can contribute to better sleep.
Placing one in your bedroom might help you sleep more soundly.
Jo states that “caring for your peace lily is wonderfully simple, making it a perfect choice for both novice and seasoned plant lovers.
“This resilient plant thrives in low to moderate light, so it’s happy in almost any room of your home.
“Watering is easy too—just give it a drink when the top inch of soil feels dry, and it will reward you with lush, green leaves and beautiful white blooms.
“Plus, the peace lily is forgiving; it quickly perks up if you happen to miss a watering.
“With minimal effort, you can enjoy a vibrant and healthy plant that also helps purify the air in your space.”
Gail Nacoste, a member of the Creative Gardening group on Facebook, credits her peace lily’s abundant blooms to the use of banana peel water.
In a recent post, Gail shared a photo of her flourishing peace lily, captioning it: “I’ve been using banana peel water to water my peace lily, and it’s been blooming like crazy with large flowers and rapid growth.
“I’ve started using it on my other plants too, and they’re all thriving!”
Gardening experts over at Toolstation have revealed the garden laws you need to be aware of not breaking.
While some of these laws could land you with a fine of up to £20,000 in extreme cases, a friendly chat with your neighbours can usually resolve any issues.
Tree removal and pruning: If you have a tree in your garden you want to get rid of you better think twice and do your research.
The gardening experts reveal: “If one neighbour wishes to remove or heavily prune a tree that the other neighbour values, disputes can arise over the impact on the view, shade, or privacy. “
While it might cause a row, if it is in your property boundary it is ultimately your choice, unless it has a Tree Protection Order on it.
“But, some trees may be protected by a Tree Protection Order which makes it an offence to uproot, top or destroy them, the experts warn.
The maximum fine for breaking this law is £20,000, so make sure you double check if it does have a TPO.
You can find out by contacting your local council for a map that shows this information. Alternatively, you can ask to speak with your local tree officer.
Property boundaries and fences: One of the main causes of neighbours falling out is through arguing over property boundaries and fencing.
To avoid this situation, the gardening pros recommend checking the deeds of your property to determine the correct boundaries
“Most of the time, it’s easy to determine who owns the fence as the fence posts will usually be on the owners side,” they add.
“Additionally, the height of fences or hedges can cause disputes between neighbours if one party feels the height has exceeded the two metre guidance.
“Hedges and fences should be no more than two metres high, and you could be asked by the council to take them down if a neighbour complains about the height.
“Luckily, standard fence sizes are less than two metres tall so you shouldn’t have a problem.”
Garden structures and additions: A pergola is the perfect addition to a garden if you want somewhere to relax in the shade.
But if it obstructs your neighbour’s view or violates local building regulations it could cause a dispute, as can sheds and other garden structures.
“If you’re not sure, have a chat with your neighbours to let them know what you’re planning and, if there’s an issue, get in touch with your local council who can give you more guidance,” advise the gardening experts.
Overhanging branches and plants: “When branches, vines, or roots from one neighbour’s tree or plant extend into the neighbouring property, it can lead to disagreements over potential damage to structures, blocked views, or the burden of maintenance,” reveal the pros.
However, it’s important to note you can only trim overhanging branches up to the boundary of your property otherwise, it could be seen as trespassing.
You can climb into the tree to carry out the work if needed, but only on your property and make sure to stay on your side of the fence if you don’t have permission to enter your neighbours garden.
