Greenfingers with Alan Titchmarsh

Horticultural inspiration, accomplished gardener, talented novelist and much-loved presenter, Alan Titchmarsh, talks about the most common mistakes we make in our gardens.

Ialways say, as a golden rule, prevention is better than cure, so with that in mind here are my top seven gardening mistakes… and how to avoid them!

Firstly, you can have too much of a good thing! Less is more when it comes to good gardening, and if you cram too much together it’ll look a mess, or worse still, die! Another big error is over- and under-watering. Be regimented about your watering routine and a adjust it depending on rainfall to ensure your garden is nicely hydrated at all times. Next, always ensure what you’re pulling up are weeds and not slow-developing flowers. We can sometimes find ourselves being particularly ruthless with what grows in our gardens, so remember, everything grows at a different rate and sometimes the most mundane of plants will flourish to become the most beautiful… but only if they’re left in the ground! Another big thing is failing to prepare your soil. Give your plants a chance by ensuring the soil they’re in is in good condition. A simple testing kit will let you know if you need to re-compost, add fertiliser, or simply switch to a different soil type. You should also steer clear of what I call ‘the bullies’! Japanese knotweed and Russian vine are particularly unruly and will literally undermine not just your flowers, but nearby buildings too! And the same goes for our animal friends. Sure, we may like to see a hedgehog, bird life, even the odd fox, but the best gardens are those that manage to protect the f food supply present! My final piece of advice is to try to spread the love around your garden. Few of us have an endless budget with which to run riot in our green spaces, and it’ s better to do a little at a time across the board than blow it all in one part of the garden, leaving the rest of it looking forlorn and bereft. Remember, no two gardens are the same, in much the same way that no two gardeners are the same, and you’re never going to get it right all the time. The most important thing is to be organised and put the effort in – if you do that, the rewards will v very often follow close behind.

Refresh your furniture... without buying new!

FINISHED

If your furniture is looking a bit tired, it could be the perfect candidate for a makeover! Whether you fancy having a go yourself, or commissioning Hilary & Alice to create a masterpiece for you, here are 5 simple steps to follow:

BEFORE

Cleaning

No matter how good your paint is, if there’s dirt underneath then it won’t stand the test of time, so thoroughly clean the piece inside and out. Autentico Omniclean is great for stubborn dirt or really old furniture, as it gets rid of any smelly nasties, or a simple sugar soap solution will do if things aren’t too grotty. Remember to rinse with clean water and allow to dry completely before starting to paint.

Preparation

Give your piece a thorough ‘key’, which means scuffing the surface with fine sandpaper to break the shiny surface and give the paint something to stick to. We use the Autentico Versante range, which is a high quality paint designed for furniture – but it can also be used on walls if you want to create a feature wall to match your furniture. Next, fix/repair any issues – glue joints, fill holes, replace runners etc. Also tape up any areas you don’t want paint to get into, such as drawer edges and glass.

Paint

Apply thin coats of paint for a smooth finish, and make sure your brush strokes are all in the same direction. For a more rustic finish, apply the paint in all directions. It’s always better to apply an extra coat thinly than slap on too much paint in one go. Leave 4 hours between coats if your paint has a wax/sealer in it, to allow it to cure.

DURING

Detail

Once you’ve finished painting, decide on the detail to make your piece extra special. We stock a wide range of decoupage papers, transfers, metallic paints and leaf, wallpapers, paint inlays and more to make your piece ‘pop’! Simply changing the door knobs can make a huge difference to the end result...we stock lots of these too!

Wax or varnish

Some furniture paints require a finishing product to seal it. Do this right at the end as once you’ve waxed your masterpiece it’s difficult to make any changes afterwards.

If you've got a piece of furniture you'd like the H&A team to paint, email a picture to hello@ hilaryandalice.co.uk for a quote. They also host a range of workshops where you can learn the techniques for yourself. Full details at hilaryandalice.co.uk/ workshops/. The shop is open Mon-Sat in Mere Street, Diss.

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