Lidl is selling faux olive trees to add a decorative touch to your home – they're cheapest around & look incredibly real
SHOPPERS are rushing to get their hands on a faux olive tree from Lidl.
The budget retailer is offering affordable ways to bring a touch of the Med into your home.
Advertisement
5
The Livarno Home Artificial Olive Tree is selling for £20 at Lidl
Credit: LIDL
The
Lidl claims the small tree is a "detailed replica with natural colours".
It stands 118cm tall and comes in a pot with an 18cm diameter.
Meanwhile, Ikea is selling a 149cm
Advertisement
Read more on plants
"This artificial plant is made of plastic, of which at least 50% comes from recycled materials," the Swedish retailer claims.
On the pricier end is Dunelm's version, costing £100.
For those after a statement piece, Costco is offering a
Advertisement
Most read in Fabulous
The product description reads: "This exceptionally realistic Olive tree will thrive perfectly anywhere, every season."
5
Lidl's Artificial potted plant, in/outdoor Olive tree costs £25
Credit: ikea
5
Dunelm's Artificial Olive Tree in Woven Basket Plant Pot is priced at £100
Credit: Dunelm
5
Costco's Artificial 6.5ft Olive Tree in French Crock Planter costs £150
Advertisement
Five Lidl rosés you need this summer, according to a wine expert - a £6.99 buy is as light & crispy as £22 Whispering Angel
But if you'd prefer the real thing, you can always plant an olive tree.
Though native to the Mediterranean,
Sunlight and shelter
Olive trees do best in a sunny, sheltered location.
They can tolerate intense sunlight and drought.
But they typically struggle in extreme cold and high winds.
Watering
Advertisement
Water potted olive trees regularly from mid-March to late October.
Water your tree until water comes out of the bottom of the pot.
In hot, dry weather, you may need to add more water.
Reduce watering for younger trees, and stop watering established trees in the winter.
Drainage
Ensure your tree has adequate drainage.
Pruning
Prune the tree back each year to encourage good leaf growth.
Winter care
Wrap your tree over winter to keep the harsh wind out.
Give your tree extra protection if cold snaps are forecast.
Fruiting
Advertisement
Olive trees need at least three months a year of cold weather to flower and fruit.
Temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, along with a fluctuation in night and daytime temperatures initiate the fruiting process.
5
Lidl is a German discount retailer
Credit: Alamy
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
I DIY'd a 18ft dream pool in my back garden – it should have cost £40K but I saved a fortune & it looks so good
A SAVVY mum has revealed that rather than break the bank on her dream swimming pool, she decided to DIY it herself. Instead of splashing £40,000 on a deluxe 18ft pool for summer, Natalie Ward, 39, who lives in a detached house in Woking, nabbed bargains from Amazon, Costco, Halfords and even Facebook Marketplace to glam up her garden and create her own luxury chill space. 9 A DIY fan has revealed that rather than paying professionals to build her a £40,000 swimming pool, she DIY'd her own on a budget Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 9 The "wonky" garden was in need of some TLC Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 9 And Natalie wanted a pool for her children to enjoy on hot days Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 Now, Natalie has The entrepreneurial strategist, who is Managing Director of Embur, a high-quality, affordable activewear brand, spent less than £3,000 on her Not only do the other kids from her road come round to enjoy the pool, but it saved her £37,000 by doing it herself and costs less than £1.80 a day to keep it warm too. Now, Natalie has revealed all on her pool transformation to Fabulous, as she explained that while her husband and children gave her a hand during the process, she did the majority of the project herself. Read more pool stories Natalie acknowledged that in February 2025, she decided to transform her garden and put in a pool, as she told us: 'I was on holiday in Spain and I watched this lady on Youtube build her own pool. That kind of planted the seed in my head. I was like 'she can do it, surely I can.' 'I spent the best part of 18 months researching all different things - insulation, pumps and heaters. All this stuff. 'If we did the block liner and everything else, we were looking at around £5,000, which we didn't have or didn't want to spend. 'So this seemed like a much more affordable option that wasn't one of the pop-up pools with the poles. We wanted something that was more semi-permanent and could just stay there for the next eight to 10 years. Most read in Fabulous 'Where we live, we know people who've got pools and it costs £30,000 to £40,000, depending on size and whatnot. We've spent under £3,000.' The DIY process As a result of her 'wonky garden', she began by hand digging her space to create a flat area for the pool. Mum shares the £64.99 paddling pool that won't leave you puffed out blowing it up & it's perfect for the warm weather She was then offered a digger to help, which made the process much simpler. Following this, the The kids and even young neighbours got involved too, as Natalie highlighted: 'They were excited. They just wanted to dig and make a mess. 'There were points where [children from our road] were grabbing things from the garden and putting them in skips and, you know, trying to earn their swim. 'It was chaos and they loved every second of it.' Most popular DIY jobs homeowners love to do Paint walls New carpet Paint fence Paint ceilings Wallpapering Paint skirting boards New light fitting Re-grout/replace bathroom tiles Hang curtains/blinds Paint/oil interior doors Paint a shed Paint stairs New plug sockets New hard flooring New front door Update kitchen sink Replace kitchen worktops Hang shelves Change/update doorknobs Paint/upcycle garden furniture Natalie and the little ones then got to the water table, which she decided to use as her bottom level of the pool. After this, she put in a gravel board so if she needed to dig out to replace the liner she had a back edge to work from. It took days to make sure everything was level and following this, she laid a ground sheet and 10 packs of Halfords floor mats to help absorb any impact and stop the sand from moving. Next, Natalie covered the bottom with foil insulation to stop it from losing heat through the floor. The following job was to put up the walls, which Natalie described as 'horrendous.' 9 First, Natalie had to level out the area for the pool Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 9 Her little ones and other children in the street were happy to help Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 Once this was done, Natalie realised she had missed a step, so had to take the walls out and undo the metal cross braces to insert liner covers. Natalie confirmed that she was then able to add in the pool - the Bestway UK Hydrium 18ft x 12ft pool - which she purchased from Getting the pool itself in was 'quite straightforward', as she shared: 'Putting it up probably took me four days. It was the prep work that took a load of time. 'It has to be 100% level. That's the bit that takes the time.' Cutting costs Natalie stressed that to 'All the aggregates and stuff that went down underneath, we got from builders' merchants. Then the mats and some insulation underneath we got from Amazon. 'The only other extra thing we've got is the heat pump. Because it's a 20,000-litre pool, it needs to be heated. Otherwise, you're never going to use it - it'd be like getting into an ice bath. 9 She used bargains from Halfords and a builders' merchant Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 9 She nabbed insulation from Amazon and Facebook Marketplace Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 'We've got a 16-kilowatt heat pump on it that I got Keeping 'Some things are a bit faddish, aren't they? You don't want to spend thousands on something that you might find you don't use or decide isn't worth having. You might want to do something else with the space in five years' time, whatever it is. 'I don't really enjoy spending money. So if I could do it on a budget, why wouldn't I?' A two month process While it didn't cost Natalie anywhere near as much by doing it herself, she confessed that the process wasn't easy. 'It took me two months from start to finish. I work from home so the minute I was done for the day, I was in the garden doing stuff. It was pretty full-on. It's been an absolute delight. The children are home from school, they're straight in the pool Natalie Ward 'I was just doing as much as humanly possible in the time we had available. 'We were really lucky with the weather that actually, when we were doing all this digging, it wasn't raining. If it had been raining, we'd have been in a world of trouble, and it would have taken significantly longer,' she admitted. Not only was Natalie doing the pool project during her evenings, but she also used her weekends too, as she continued: 'If I wasn't working, I was doing the pool. 'It was a huge challenge and I don't think I realised just how big of a job it was until we'd finished. But now it's done, I would 100% do it again.' Making the weather bearable Not only is Natalie, who posts on TikTok under the username @ She beamed: 'It's been an absolute delight. The children are home from school, they're straight in the pool. The children in the road see that the kids are in there and ask, 'Can we come in as well?' It's amazing. 'It's lovely and it's making the weather bearable as well. They're obviously getting to cool down after school. Five ways to keep your kids cool in the heat IT can be really difficult - and costly - to keep kids cool when it's hot outside. But Fabulous Digital Senior Reporter and mum-of-two Sarah Bull shares five ways to help, and they won't break the budget either. Strip them off It might sound simple, but stripping kids off at home can really help them regulate their temperature when it's warm outside. Just remember to regularly apply suncream, as more of their skin will be exposed to the sun. Cool down bedrooms before nighttime When it's hot outside, it can be difficult for kids to go to sleep - especially if their bedroom feels like an oven. If you have a room that's not in direct sunshine, keep the windows open to let in a breeze. It's also a good idea to keep the curtains closed, to prevent the room from heating up. Wear a hat Another simple technique, but one that really works. Make sure that if your kids are playing outside, they've got a hat on. It keeps their face and head shielded from the sun, and also helps if you've got a little one who struggles with bright sunlight. If your tot struggles to keep a hat on, try one with a strap that goes under the chin to help. Avoid the car The car can be one of the hottest places during a heatwave, and often takes a long time to cool down. If you have the option, it's better to stay at home rather than taking kids out anywhere in a hot car. Stay hydrated This is always important, but even more so in a heatwave. Make sure you're regularly reminding your kids to have a drink, and top them up with cool liquids whenever you can. Use ice too to ensure it's as cold as it can possibly be. 'All the kids walk out of school grumpy and miserable, with faces like they've had enough. We get home, they're straight in the pool, and their whole attitude changes. 'They're happy, they're having fun, and they've cooled down quite significantly as well. In this weather it's amazing. 'In a world where kids are attached to screens 24/7, you can't have a screen in a pool. You have to engage, you have to be present, you have to play. 'Having the children at home during half terms means they won't be stuck on a screen. I would much rather they were out playing, having fun, exercising. It's about their quality of childhood as well as the benefit of just having a pool.' Less than £2 a day to run Natalie claimed that her pool costs 'next to nothing' to run, as she acknowledged: 'Our house has solar panels - by utilising that, when we run the pool it costs us next to nothing. 9 It cost her less than £3,000 in total Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 9 Not only did she save £37,000 in the process, but it costs her "next to nothing" to run too Credit: tiktok/@natalie_ward15 'The most we've spent in any one day this month is £1.80, and that was a day when we had the dishwasher, tumble dryer, washing machine, and pool all going at the same time. 'The only other thing is the chemicals and treating the water. You buy multifunctional chlorine tablets with everything you need in them, and a five-kilo box costs about £30. I get through one bucket in three months.' Natalie claimed that while she is only paying £30 a month for chlorine tablets, it used to cost her £30 each time to take her family of four to a local swimming pool. As a result, she is 'definitely' saving money in the long run and advised those eager to do the same to simply 'do it'. Parents aren't allowed to take children out of school during term time, holidays aren't always an option, so why not invest in your home and garden? Natalie Ward So if you'd love a similar swimming pool in your back garden and aren't sure where to start, Natalie shared her advice. 'Join pool groups on different social media channels and learn from people who've already done it. 'Everyone's got things they would potentially do differently or things to take into consideration. Do your research before you start digging and before you buy the pool. 'The cost of the pool is one of the cheapest parts. It's the heating and the groundwork that then costs more,' she stressed. Not only this, but Natalie also advised: 'Our summers are getting hotter, the cost of going abroad is increasing. Parents 'So why not invest in your home and garden? Holiday at home, take the week off work, and enjoy it.' U nlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Pitch (and putt) perfect at sleek €825k Carrigrohane home
THE value of getting things right from the start will not be lost on house hunters who come to view this handsome home in Rocklodge, Carrigrohane by a popular pitch and putt club. Rocklodge Pitch and Putt course is over the garden wall It has the crisp finish of a new build, but the truth is it dates back to 2008. Built by Colm Desmond, and designed by the owners, their combined efforts laid the groundwork for lasting success. The desire for a home filled with light was the vision that guided them from the start. 'Light was our overwhelming consideration. Our previous house was dark, especially the entrance hall and stairs. Out here in Rocklodge, there's no better way to start the day than descending to the light-filled entrance hall,' the owners say. Light-filled hallway It's uplifting for sure. Natural light floods through soaring glass panels that frame the doorway and rise above it to the double-height ceiling where two skylights amplify the brightness. The homeowners were ahead of the curve in prioritising energy efficiency before it became standard practice. The property has a B2 energy rating, helped by underfloor heating downstairs and a series of solar panels which help reduce the electricity bills, by supplying hot water. From the buyer's viewpoint, it makes them eligible for more advantageous green mortgage rates. Bright landing The quality of the property and the price point – guide is €825,000 — puts it at the upper end of the family home market. Expansive rear lawn and patio area Professionals are likely to dominate and the likelihood is it will attract medics as it's west of the city — the right side for anyone travelling into Cork University Hospital (CUH) campus in Wilton or the Bon Secours Hospital on College Road. It could also suit academics travelling to UCC or MTU, or high networth individuals working in tech in Dell EMC's nearby Ballincollig campus, or up in Apple on Hollyhill, reachable by car in about 10 minutes. Linda O'Donovan of Bowe Property is the agent selling this five-bed, 254 sq m home, with detached garage and lots of storage. With viewings about to get underway, interest is mainly from families looking to trade up. 'Rocklodge is a desirable enclave that families trading up tend to seek out if they want to stay west of the city, but with good access to the western suburbs. It offers the best of both worlds – countryside living, and close-to-the-city convenience,' Ms O'Donovan says. One of the reception rooms The house itself has plenty to offer. Rooms are of generous proportions, ceilings are high, picture windows are plentiful. There's a touch of luxury to the kitchen with its sleek cabinetry and striking central island with quartz worktop. Surrounded by garden and countryside views, it's open to the dining area which has direct access to the patio via French doors. Off the kitchen is the family room, one of two deluxe reception rooms, of which the larger, with engineered hardwood floor, is to the front of the property. One of two reception rooms The owners say it's a tough choice to pick a favourite feature. 'It's a close call between the open plan nature of the kitchen dining and living area, or opening the curtain of the large window in the master bedroom with views over the valley and hills beyond,' they say. They add that the beauty of the area 'was brought home during covid times' when they made the most of country walks and beautiful views. They were blessed too to have one third of an acre of tastefully landscaped, mature, private gardens with lots of patio areas to choose from. 'It's the best of country living, yet 10 minutes from the city,' the owners say. VERDICT: Upmarket family home with good access to transport links and schools, in Ballincollig and Cork city.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Aldi's £2.49 buy will protect your garden and home from swarms of ants and insects this summer
SUMMER might mean warmer weather and backyard parties, but it also brings the onslaught of annoying bugs. As we start spending more time outdoors and in our gardens, it is essential to have the best protection to keep pesky insects at bay. Advertisement 2 Aldi's budget friendly insect and ant repellent spray Now, Aldi has the perfect solution thanks to its £2.49 insect spray. The budget friendly spray kills ants and crawling insects on contact, but also works to help against repeat infestations. The German supermarket has had plenty of gadgets on offer this summer to keep yards bug-free. It also recently sold a £7.49 Adventuridge Bug Zapper that can kill insects in an instant. Advertisement aldi Its UV light lures in bugs before killing them instantly. The lantern comes in two colours - blue or black - so it will match any garden furniture you already have. Plus its built-in carabiner means you can attach it to a garden shed or gazebo. While the bug zapper was only around while stocks lasted, there are plenty of garden hacks people can employ in order to keep ants and insects away. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous Exclusive One woman recently shared her clever way to stop the pests ruining outdoor feasts this summer , and it's entirely chemical free. The clip showed a cup sitting on the table, with smoke coming off it, as Dil explained she was shown the clever trick when she went to a restaurant in Cyprus. 6 ways to get rid of slugs and snails "Little hack for you, a little bit of Turkish coffee and coal when you've got the barbecue on stops the flies coming around your food," she said in the video. And while Dil used Turkish coffee - a finely ground coffee known for its texture - for the hack, you can use any ground coffee for it to work. Advertisement Why do Aldi and Lidl have such fast checkouts IF you've ever shopped in Aldi or Lidl then you'll probably have experienced its ultra-fast checkout staff. Aldi's speedy reputation is no mistake, in fact, the supermarket claims that its tills are 40 per cent quicker than rivals. It's all part of Aldi's plan to be as efficient as possible - and this, the budget shop claims, helps keep costs low for shoppers. Efficient barcodes on packaging means staff are able to scan items as quickly as possible, with the majority of products having multiple barcodes to speed up the process. It also uses 'shelf-ready' packaging which keeps costs low when it comes to replenishing stock. Meanwhile, another expert has explained that as well as being annoying, flies can pose a serious health risk - as they can transfer bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli onto food and preparation surfaces. According to Firstly, it's important to keep your home - and your garden - clean. 2 Aldi is a German-owned budget supermarket Credit: Getty Advertisement
