Latest Articles - jdlandscapeandgroundwork.co.uk

Person spraying liquid from a spray bottle onto moss growing along tiled balcony floor near a broom.

30p vinegar trick: clean patio moss without a pressure washer

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Many homeowners, fed up with the mess, reach for a pressure washer or costly specialist cleaners from the DIY shop....

Person wearing a straw hat tending a flowering bush in a garden bed outside a house.

Burglary Prevention: Four Thorny Plants for Your Garden

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Many people immediately think of an alarm system, cameras and an armoured front door when considering burglary prevention. Those measures...

Person preparing soil in a terracotta pot with a sponge on a wooden table on a balcony garden.

Old Sponges in the Garden and on the Balcony: Clever Reuse Ideas

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

A kitchen sponge usually has a short working life: after a few weeks of scrubbing, it is thrown away. Yet...

Person pouring steaming water from a pot onto moss growing between patio tiles in a garden.

Remove Patio Moss with Potato Cooking Water Instead of Chlorine

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Many people reach for chlorine bleach almost automatically in spring to scrub stubborn moss from paving slabs, wood or stone....

Person tending to a large orange flowering plant on a sunny balcony with gardening tools nearby

Tecomaria ‘Cape Town Orange’: Compact Shrub for Small Gardens

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Tiny terrace, narrow front garden or just a few square metres of greenery? With the right shrub, even a cramped...

Brown hen in a garden approaching a snake on a raised vegetable bed with a wooden coop in the background.

How Chickens Keep Snakes Away from Your Garden

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Many garden owners feel uneasy the moment they spot something slithering through the grass. Especially for households with children or...

Person scrubbing algae off outdoor tiled floor with brush on a sunlit balcony.

Clean Your Patio With Vinegar: The 1-Hour Spring Routine

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

When you open the patio door in spring, the view is often familiar: grey or greenish paving slabs, slippery deposits...

Hands wearing gloves pruning ripe lemons from a potted lemon tree with garden shears in sunlight.

Pruning Citrus Trees at the End of Winter for More Fruit

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Just as winter begins to ease, a well-timed prune can determine whether your lemon tree merely produces a few weak...

Young man tending to multiple potted plants on a wooden table near a sunlit window in a cozy room.

Houseplants Against Humidity: A Green Solution for Damp Walls

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Every winter, damp walls, musty air and nowhere to fit a condenser dryer? There is a surprisingly simple, environmentally friendly...

Person gardening next to a house, planting a shrub with red berries in a sunny backyard.

Burglary Protection: Four Thorny Plants for a Safer Garden

Gareth Whitcombe • October 18, 2026

Burglar alarms, cameras and security doors are the usual measures people think of for burglary protection. Yet many homeowners pay...

A person tending to a colourful flower garden with pink, purple, yellow flowers and ornamental grasses.

15 Perennials That Transform Your Garden This Spring

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

Many amateur gardeners see spring as the time to start again: new shrubs, a new border, a new plan. That...

Person scrubbing mossy garden patio stones with a brush, blue bucket, and green watering can nearby.

Remove Patio Moss with Washing-Up Liquid Instead of a Pressure Washer

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

When stepping onto the patio in spring, many people face the same problem: slippery green growth, damp joints and uncertain...

Glass jar with green garlic shoots on a wooden table in a garden with a person watering plants in the background.

Sprouting Garlic: A Natural Snake Deterrent for Patios and Beds

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

An overlooked kitchen leftover can now become an important form of protection around patios and garden beds. As the days...

Woman kneeling in garden pruning purple and white lilac flowers with watering can and plant pot nearby.

Lilac: the fragrant shrub that transforms your garden in spring

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

An unassuming shrub, a single spring day – and suddenly the whole garden smells different: richer, almost like a childhood...

Person in racing gear and helmet crouched behind a modified motorised wheelbarrow in a workshop.

Dylan Phillips and the Fastest Wheelbarrow on Earth

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

“Is it like, y'know, riding a bike?” “Um, it’s more like pushing a wheelbarrow. Except the wheelbarrow is trying to...

Hands tending to two fresh asparagus spears growing in soil with tools and a basket nearby

Asparagus: The Fatal Harvesting Mistake That Ruins the Entire Crop

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

In spring, the first asparagus spears push up through the soil – and this is exactly when amateur gardeners often...

Person watering flowering potted plant on a windowsill with gardening supplies nearby in natural light.

Hoya care: how to grow a thriving wax flower

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

Many people know the so-called wax flower only from photographs in plant forums. Yet in real life, it is one...

Bushes with bright red berries and pink flowers in front of a house with a brown roof and pavement.

Thorny shrubs against burglars: natural protection for your garden

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

Many homeowners initially think of an alarm system, cameras and a security door. Less well known is that carefully chosen,...

Person installing a wooden birdhouse on a tree branch with a bird perched nearby in a garden.

Tit Nest Boxes: The Small Detail That Makes All the Difference

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

It often comes down to an inconspicuous detail. Spring is becoming warmer, the breeding season is beginning earlier, and tits...

Person scrubbing outdoor stone patio tiles with brush, bucket of soapy water, and cleaning liquid nearby.

Patio cleaning: the 2-product trick with soda crystals and washing-up liquid

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

Rather than relying on a noisy machine, a straightforward blend of two everyday household products can do the job. As...

Person planting seeds in soil next to blue flowers with a small spade and green watering can nearby

Sow Nigella damascena in March for a flower-filled summer

Gareth Whitcombe • October 17, 2026

While many beds still look bare and dreary in March, this is already the time to create the foundations for...