The AnswerBank Articles

Why do standard household light bulbs blow

A. The thin tungsten filaments in a standard light bulb aren't designed to last forever. Although bulbs are meant to be perfectly sealed air will get in somewhere over time, the filament will get00:00 Tue 10th Jul 2001

Why have floor rugs become so fashionable again

A. The advent of cheap and affordable carpets saw a decline in the number of rugs in the average home. However, with the realisation that carpets can harbour all sorts of allergy-causing mites and00:00 Tue 03rd Jul 2001

We ve just moved into a new house with a very over grown hedge. How should we trim it and when

A. That depends. Evergreen hedges should be tacked in mid-late spring whereas deciduous ones, ones that shed their leaves in winter, need to be dealt with in winter. Try to stick to these times,00:00 Tue 03rd Jul 2001

They re not usually private enough to use, so what s the point of beautifying a front garden

A. Apart from just wanting to have something pleasant to look at as you pass through the gate to the front door, there are good practical reasons. By choosing the right plants you ensure privacy from00:00 Tue 03rd Jul 2001

How popular are garden tours

A. They've come a long way since that pre-Alan Titmarsh hardy perennial of a TV gardener Percy Thrower first offered tours of Westcountry gardens from the Imperial Hotel in Torquay. Themed00:00 Tue 26th Jun 2001

Can we sit back and relax in the July garden

A. Just about. July is one of the best months in the garden, plenty of colour, good weather (touch wood) and all that earlier hard work paying dividends. However, July is also the month to00:00 Tue 26th Jun 2001

How popular is solar heating in Britain

A. Although we are still lagging quite a way behind our European counterparts, solar heating is on the rise here, partly driven by government and EU funding. Homes account for about a third of our00:00 Tue 26th Jun 2001

Is Chelsea the only major gardening event the RHS hold

A. By no means. Chelsea is held in May which, if you think about it, is very early for the majority of plants, both common and rare. Chelsea is as much about garden design and high society as it is00:00 Tue 19th Jun 2001

What is the best way to kill flies in the house

A. Fly sprays are generally pretty lethal, but the pungent chemical aroma, plus the fact that many contain organo-phosphates, which have been linked to health problems, make them increasingly00:00 Tue 19th Jun 2001

What does NCCPG stand for

A. NCCPG stands for the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens. Q. How long has it been going and what does it do A. The NCCPG was set up in 1978 with the expressed00:00 Tue 19th Jun 2001

Is it possible to grow fruit or vegetables from the seeds and pips of things we ve eaten

A. Yes, perfectly possible. There are three kinds of gardener; the ones that don't have the time to raise things from seed and buy the plants ready germinated from the garden centre, the enthusiasts00:00 Tue 12th Jun 2001

Do all climbing plants need supporting

A. There are basically three types of climbers; self supporting, climbers and twiners and those that have no natural means of support at all and need to be trained. The latter two need quite a lot00:00 Tue 12th Jun 2001

Why is air conditioning so common abroad and in our cars, but not in British homes

A. Basically because of cost. Installing a fully integrated air conditioning system into a home or office will set you back around 20,000. Let's face it, in this country we may moan and groan when00:00 Tue 12th Jun 2001

Summer s here. Can I put my feet up yet

A. To some extent, but not completely. All being well, it should be one of the most rewarding times in the garden. With most of the donkey work over it's about tweaking and fine tuning to help get00:00 Tue 05th Jun 2001

So how can you keep window boxes and containers watered while your away

A. The first and cheapest option is to find a friend or neighbour who you can trust to look after your precious containerised plants while you're away. Failing that, you can make life easier before00:00 Tue 05th Jun 2001

Is stained glass back in fashion

A. Yes, with a vengeance. Like quarry tiles, brass taps and enamelled baths before them, stained glass in the home became victims of the drive for modernity during the 1960s, 70s and early 80s. It00:00 Tue 05th Jun 2001

Where does our obsession with the patios come from

A. The concept of the outside room may be fairly new-fangled but we Brits have really been going patio mad since the late sixties. Patio is a Spanish word for outside seating area and the concept00:00 Wed 30th May 2001

What is trompe l oeil

A. Trompe l'oeil translates from the French as 'tricking the eye'. Basically it is the art of decorating interiors with murals of landscapes and views, animals or even household items that look00:00 Wed 30th May 2001

Why do plants produce scent

A. It is basically another way of attracting pollen spreaders, and not just insects. Colour is the usual vehicle to draw these agents, but where that is lacking the plant uses smell and that is why00:00 Wed 30th May 2001

How do plants survive in walls or between paving slabs

A. Many old style boundary walls are basically banks of earth clad with stones, so if plants can get established between the stone they can root in the soil. The same applies to paving slabs that00:00 Tue 22nd May 2001