Living in the UK: Some Tips on British Gardening

As summer approaches and the weather warms up, how is your garden or lawn doing? Gardening is a popular hobby for many Brits. On a sunny weekend, you may see your neighbours busy gardening, weeding, pruning and so on. Are you already one of these busy bees, or are you still a bit of a novice when it comes to taking care of your garden or lawn? In this issue, we will share some gardening tips, so that anyone interested can also take part in this very British activity!

1. Choosing your plants:

Starting with Flower-Bulbs: As the name suggests, bulbous plants have fat rhizomes that are shaped like spheres. Common varieties of bulbous plants include tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. After their first blooming and withering, you can prune the withered blossoms and keep the leaves. This will allow the leaves to continue to absorb nutrients so that the bulbs can continue to grow healthily. After the leaves wither, you can cut off the stem above the soil, let the bulbs "hibernate" under the soil for a while, and wait patiently for them to bloom again next year. The planting period of each bulbous plant is different, so it will surely help with your garden plans to factor that in. Some people prefer to plant them in a line on the side of the road, where the soil is looser and drainage is better.

Apart from bulbous plants, you can also find many other kinds of plants in British gardens. You can easily find out the information about your favourite species, the ways to cultivate them, and their soil requirements on the Royal Horticultural Society website. 

If you prefer trees: Some Hong Kongers have planted trees in their gardens to commemorate their new beginning in the UK. In this regard, a tree is indeed a fitting memento, as it will take root and gradually grow up, just like how new migrants settle, bit by bit, in a new land.

Of course, if you want to plant trees in the garden, you will have to plan for available space, soil quality, drainage, sunlight and other factors. The good thing is, no matter how big (or small) your garden is, there are plenty of options for you. On the Royal Horticultural Society website about small garden trees, you can find the right shrubs or small trees for your garden by various factors, such as flowering period, fruits, foliage colours.

If you have a big enough space, you can consider planting cherry trees, and look forward to an annual festival of blossoms that herald the coming of spring. The maple tree is also a good choice. Maple trees start to sprout new leaves from mid-April to early May, then they will don a dense crown of leaves in the blink of an eye. They provide shades from the summer sun, and in autumn they add a magical touch to life with their red and yellow foliages. 

However, as autumn is the rainy season in the UK, your garden floor will become slippery when it is covered with wet fallen leaves. So, do prepare a rake or a broom to sweep them up - which is a really good (and free) exercise!

2. Caring for the lawn

Is this a flower or a weed? Seeing dandelions and other little white and yellow flowers blooming on grasslands is a picturesque experience, however, in the eyes of many Brits, these beautiful flowers are actually weeds! They spread easily by the wind, and can compete with other garden and lawn plants for nutrients and water. 

So, if your children love blowing those little pom-poms (seeds) of the dandelions to help them to take flight, well… your neighbours may not find it amusing to have these little pom-poms landing on their gardens or lawns.

Weed control: There are many weed control products on the market, you can use them during springtime to control the growth of weeds. Or you can uproot the weeds directly by hand, or use a shovel to dig them up. If you choose to use herbicides, please familiarise yourself with the instructions first. Because some herbicides are only suitable for use on walls or brick floors, so if you use them on the lawn, the lawn will turn yellow or even die. For a healthier and more environmentally friendly option, you can use organic or natural herbicides, which are increasingly popular with gardeners since they have lower levels of toxicity and they break down more quickly, leaving no residual effects in the soil. 

Mowing the lawn: The lawn will grow fast during the summertime, and it will need mowing every two weeks or so. That is why, on sunny weekends, you can easily hear the sound of lawnmowers resounding in the neighbourhood. After mowing and weeding you can also aerate the soil then fertilise and seed it with grass seeds. So your lawn will grow lusher and greener! It is also a good idea to clean the garden fences, the paths, and outdoor floors (deckings) regularly, to de-moss them and maintain them properly. 

3. The importance of planning

Timing and location: When making plans for your garden, you can plan according to different factors such as flowering periods, colours, sunshine and wind direction. Enough space should be reserved, so that when the plants get bigger the garden will not become overcrowded. 

Inexpensive irrigation systems: The water bill in the UK is not cheap. If you want to grow plants in your garden or lawn, you may wish to consider installing  a rainwater collection tank. Just place this tank in the right place, and you can easily collect rainwater from the roof and the rain gutter to water the plants for free. Some plants even prefer rainwater and don’t thrive with tap water.  (To start small, you can also learn how to make a free waterbutt here from Northern Ireland Water.)

Other tips: 

Gardening Centre: To get all your gardening-related supplies is easy if there is a gardening centre near where you live. These days, gardening centres are about so much more than just gardening tools and plants. As many gardening centre staff are very knowledgeable and helpful, they are also a good source for free advice about what plants to buy for different types of gardens (sunny gardens, shady gardens, etc), care of plants, and what to do about garden pests!

Useful Information: 

• The British Council: Wonder how to talk about gardening with your neighbours in English? Here is a brief introduction to gardening terms by the British Council. 

• The Royal Horticultural Society: A comprehensive website about the species, methods to cultivate and nurture them, and different factors for keeping your plants healthy and thriving. A must-read for anyone planning a new garden or lawn! 

• BBC’s The Gardeners’ Question Time: A popular radio programme for gardeners across the UK. In the programme, experts will share their gardening stories and tips, and also answer questions from the audience about gardening. If you have questions about how to properly nurture your garden, you can also send your questions in too! 

• BBC’s Gardeners’ World: This BBC show (and website and magazine) is also an amazing source of information on developing your garden. You can watch their shows on BBC iPlayer, or subscribe to the magazine, to stay up to date with the latest gardening news.