The AnswerBank Articles

Herb Garden Guide

We all use herbs and spices in our cooking. A lot of the time we can settle for dried herbs out of convenience – but sometimes the difference between a fresh herb and one from a pot is vast. With your own herb garden you have access to all your favourite herbs, fresh, right on your doorstep. Assuming they are wel...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Climbing Plant Guide

For those of us who have little room for hundreds of flower beds climbers can be a great way to get a colour into the garden. All climbers use vines to grow upwards when there is something of enough strength to support them.  The reason that these plants use vines is that in the wild they are engaged in a race to ...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Paved Garden Path Guide

For those of us who prefer garden design and landscaping with clean lines then brick, tiled or vertically defined paths may be the best option when it comes to garden paths. This suits any gardener who is attempting to keep their garden looking clean, stylish and minimalistic. If your garden has a focus on pristine law...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Stone Garden Path Guide

A garden path is the way we control how our garden is viewed. It encourages anyone in the garden to follow certain routes and see the garden from predetermined points. They also offer a divide in the garden, allowing separating lines and contrasts between each side to be drawn. Garden paths come in many styles, and no...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Sustainable Garden Guide

The best way to design a garden which is low on water consumption is to use the landscaping practice of Xeriscaping. Aside from the issue of pronunciation the biggest question surrounding Xeriscaping is, of course, what is Xeriscaping Xeriscaping is a form of sustainable and low maintenance gardening or landscaping d...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Ornamental Grass Guide

Ornamental Grass Guide While most of us may feel that we are in a constant war with grass – the lawnmower being our main weapon – some find grasses to be perfect for a stylish edge in their garden. They can offer a great accompaniment to brighter blooms with their subtle and delicate colours and flowers....15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Security Warning Over Untrimmed Gardens

For most of us the summer months mean endless mowing the lawn and weeding and never seeming to get time to just sit in the garden and enjoy it. However, for many people in the UK their garden is where they spend most of their time, forever trimming and pruning and planting to create the perfect green space. With an in...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Green Fingers Can Put Thousands On the Value Of Your Home

Tidying up a scruffy garden can add as much as £8,600 to the value of your home claims new research, but most people are missing out by failing to exercise their green fingers. Two thirds of homeowners missed out on the premium when they moved home last year, passing up a potential £5.9 billion in total. Th...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Gardeners' Investment Unprotected

The increasing popularity of garden makeovers and the concept of the ‘outdoor room’ means that Britons are now spending over £4 billion a year on plants, pots, furniture, garden tools and other garden items, yet many do little or nothing to protect their investment against the rising tide of garden cr...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Gardens Make Or Break In Home Sale

Having a garden is so important to many homeowners that they would give up additional rooms in order to get one, says a new survey. Two thirds of homeowners say that they would give up a utility room for a decent outside space, while more than half would go without an extra bathroom or bedroom. The supply of propertie...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Homes 'May Be Damaged By Planting Trees'

Many of us find trees a lovely sight in this ‘green and pleasant’ land. And what better way to appreciate them then to have a few in the garden. Some people are planting trees to offset their carbon foot print and do their bit for the environment. Whatever the reason it is clear from new research that we ne...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Have you got a mouse about the house

Mus domesticusYou have Well, lucky, lucky you! No wonder Walt Disney chose this sweet, shy, moustache-twitching little furry fellow as his inspiration for Mickey Superstar. And we've all been00:00 Mon 25th Nov 2002

Tell me about the yucca plant, please

The yucca is a succulent, tree-like plant native to southern North America, Mexico and parts of the Caribbean - in other words, the hot bits! It thrives in drought and blossoms with creamy clusters00:00 Tue 23rd Jul 2002

Building a garden wall

With summer coming, now is the time to get to work in your garden. A new wall can make all the difference, whether it is used to separate your property from your neighbours or as an internal feature.00:00 Tue 30th Apr 2002

With the temperatures rising should we be starting to think about the garden pond

A. This isn't the time to start clearing out debris or changing the water, that should be done in late autumn or early winter when things are dormant. But the pond is starting to come alive now00:00 Sat 20th Apr 2002

Is solar heating just for the environmentally conscious or is it viable for most households

A. While we are dragging well behind many of our European counterparts (there are 60,000 homes in Holland that generate electricity by way of solar panels, for instance) solar heating is no longer00:00 Sat 20th Apr 2002

Is Chelsea the biggest flower show of the season

A. No, although it can certainly lay claim to being the most famous, probably in the world. The biggest is actually the Royal Horticultural Society's Hampton Court Flower show. It is held at the00:00 Sat 20th Apr 2002

Why has bamboo become so popular in our gardens

A. The first bamboos came back to this country with the planthunters and merchants who opened up the Far East, particularly Japan and China. The early introduction commonly made their way on to00:00 Thu 21st Mar 2002

Garden spring clean

It may not feel like it, but when the clocks go forward this weekend it is officially British summer time. With spring just about sprung it might seem a bit premature to start thinking about those00:00 Thu 21st Mar 2002

What is the National Trust for

A. Its exact role and direction in 2002 is the subject of much debate at the moment. However, basically its core functions are, as they describe it themselves, 'to preserve and protect the00:00 Thu 21st Mar 2002