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The Potted Blog
Notes from Robin on growing in small flats — opinions, mistakes, and what's actually worked.
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Winter Hanging Baskets and Window Boxes: What to Plant Now
What to plant in winter hanging baskets and window boxes, which plants cope with a British winter, the right compost and liners, and how to look after them until spring.
- Seasonal
Wind Damage in the Garden. What to Do Before and After a Storm
How to protect pots, hanging baskets and balcony plants before strong winds, and how to assess and deal with wind damage safely afterwards, including the damage that isn't obvious.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, courtyards, balconies and small gardensDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 7 min - Edible
How to Keep Potted Herbs Alive Through a Wet British Winter
Why winter rain and waterlogged compost kill more potted herbs than cold, how to rescue a pot that is too wet, and what rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, mint, chives, parsley, tarragon and basil each need until spring.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, balconies, doorsteps and windowsillsDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 7 min - Seasonal
Don't Leave Your Halloween Pumpkin Out for the Hedgehogs
Why Halloween pumpkins can upset hedgehogs, why dumping them in woods does more harm than good, and how to compost, reuse or feed them to birds safely after 31 October.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Small gardens, patios, courtyards and shared outdoor spacesDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 9 min - Seasonal
What to Do with Your Summer Pots Now They've Finished Flowering
How to deal with summer containers in late October, from bedding that has finished to pelargoniums and fuchsias worth saving, what to do with the old compost and whether to replant or store the pot.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, courtyards, balconies and small gardensDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 8 min - Seasonal
England's Drought Has Deepened. What Does Severe Drought Mean for Gardeners?
Severe drought has been declared in parts of six English counties. What the declaration means, why autumn rain will not fix it quickly, and what gardeners should do this autumn.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, courtyards, balconies and small gardensDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 8 min - Seasonal
How to Collect Rainwater in a Small Garden
How much rain a small roof actually collects, how to choose and fit a water butt where space is tight, and how to use stored rainwater safely and well.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, courtyards, balconies and small gardensDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 8 min - Seasonal
What Can You Still Plant and Sow in Mid-October?
What is still worth sowing and planting in mid-October, organised by where you grow, and which of it will give you something this winter and which is for next year.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Windowsills, pots, balconies and small bedsDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 8 min - Seasonal
What Should You Cut Back in October — and What Should You Leave?
Which plants to cut back now, which to shorten and which to leave until spring, with roses, lavender, rosemary, hydrangeas, perennials and plants in pots.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, courtyards, balconies and small gardensDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 8 min - Houseplants
The Heating's On. Are Your Houseplants in the Wrong Place?
Once the heating comes on, the spot that suited a houseplant in July may not suit it now. How radiators, cold glass, draughts and falling light change a room, and where to move things.
LIGHT 2 of 3SPACE IndoorsDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 8 min - Seasonal
A Hosepipe Ban Is Tightening in October. What Does That Mean for Your Pots?
South East Water has tightened its hosepipe ban in Sussex and ten companies still have restrictions in force. Here's what that means for pots in autumn, and why now is the time to think about next summer.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, courtyards, balconies and small gardensDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 8 min - Seasonal
Don't Wrap Every Pot Just Because It's October
October doesn't mean every container needs wrapping. Check the plant, the pot and the forecast before deciding what actually needs winter protection.
LIGHT 3 of 3SPACE Patios, courtyards, balconies and small gardensDIFFICULTY easy✓ TESTEDREAD 7 min
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