Latest news with #Lavender
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
B&Q launches £14 flower which stops cats from pooing in your garden
There are some easy and non-harmful ways to keep cats out of your garden if you notice your lawn is being used as a cat litter tray - and it means you won't be breaking the law either While cats are free to roam the streets and gardens it can be seriously frustrating when they decide to use your garden as a toilet. Cats typically don't tend to go in their own gardens, so instead will venture into the surrounding areas, and if you find yours is a target, there are two certain plants you can grow to ward them off. This cruelty-free trick will make sure cats steer clear of your garden and protect your plants and soil from being a litter tray. By planting a lemon balm or a lemon thyme bush, it will ensure the felines stay away thanks to the fragranced leaves. A lemon balm plant is an easy bushy perennial herb to grow as it can thrive in different conditions. It also has antiviral and antibacterial properties and the leaves release a strong lemon fragrance when they are bruised. Lemon balm's prefer sun or partial shade with well-drained and moist soil. If planted correctly, the lemon balm plant can grow rapidly, and is ideal for filling up a blank area of the garden. It's a perennial which means it will grow back every year with its impressive lemon-scented leaves, and also produces creamy-white or pale purple flowers in summer which honey bees love too. Not only will it keep cats away thanks to it's citrus scent and texture, the leaves can also be used in cooking to give a zesty taste to all kinds of salads, homemade sauces and fish dishes. It can also make a refreshing herbal tea or great in a jug of Pimms. The leaves can also act as a mosquito repellent if rubbed onto the skin. The plants can be placed in pots around the garden, or specifically in areas where cats target and you can buy it from B&Q in a 9cm pot for £13.99. Alternatively, Lemon thyme is a hardy plant that can also thrive in various conditions making it a reliable and safe plant for keen gardeners that will last for years. It produces small tubular pink or lilac flowers in early to mid-summer and is a plant that attracts bees and butterflies, but because of it's citrus scent, cats stay away from it. According to the RSPCA, cats are protected by law and are free to roam, which may result in wandering into other peoples gardens or allotments, but people can only deter them in non-harmful ways which won't cause pain or distress. Homeowners are warned that causing unnecessary suffering to a cat is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (AWA). It may also be an offence to put down snares, poison or an unlicensed deterrent. Other fragrant plants to deter cats Lavender Rosemary Rue Catnip Pennyroyal Oregano Curry plant
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
I'm a gardening pro – this is exact amount of seconds to water plants for during a heatwave & the best time of day
Plus we reveal UK's best new plants on the market - and scroll down to win a Lawnscare flower bundle HOT STUFF I'm a gardening pro – this is exact amount of seconds to water plants for during a heatwave & the best time of day Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) It's been really hot this week and the plants are really feeling it. High temperatures can cause wilting, leaf scorch, stunted growth and a reduced ability to photosynthesis. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Let your lawn go brown - if its healthy it should grow back 2 Check there's no hosepipe ban in your area - if there is use a watering can Credit: Getty There' s all sorts of way you can reduce the pressure on the plants to cope. If you've got plants in pots - move them into the shade - and group them together - so they give each other protection. Water early in the morning before it starts getting really hot - so it doesn't all evaporate - or if that's not an option - when the sun's gone down. However morning is the best option - as slugs move around at night and love the damp soil. It's best to give them a really good soaking once or twice a week rather than a light water daily. And experts reckon you should count to between 20 and 25 seconds as you water each plant - to make sure the water soaks down through the soil to the roots. It's not what we want - but there's no problem with letting your lawn go brown - if it's healthy it will cope - and the green will return when there's a bit of rain. Raise your mower's cutting level and let the cuttings fall as mulch on the lawn - to keep in moisture. Keep weeding - so they're not competing with the plants you want in your outside space. Save and store any rainwater to reuse in your garden. If you don't have room for a water butt - just leave a few brightly coloured buckets around to catch any rain. 6 ways to get rid of slugs and snails Or you could splash out on a dipping tank - which looks lovely and stories water. You could also set up an irrigation system - although these are costly - but a leaky hose can work just as well. Choose drought tolerant plants like Agapanthus, Lavender, Geums and hardy Geraniums.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
I'm a gardening pro – this is exact amount of seconds to water plants for during a heatwave & the best time of day
It's been really hot this week and the plants are really feeling it. High temperatures can cause wilting, leaf scorch, stunted growth and a reduced ability to photosynthesis. 2 Let your lawn go brown - if its healthy it should grow back 2 Check there's no hosepipe ban in your area - if there is use a watering can Credit: Getty There' s all sorts of way you can reduce the pressure on the plants to cope. If you've got plants in pots - move them into the shade - and group them together - so they give each other protection. Water early in the morning before it starts getting really hot - so it doesn't all evaporate - or if that's not an option - when the sun's gone down. However morning is the best option - as slugs move around at night and love the damp soil. Read More Gardening It's best to give them a really good soaking once or twice a week rather than a light water daily. And experts reckon you should count to between 20 and 25 seconds as you water each plant - to make sure the water soaks down through the soil to the roots. It's not what we want - but there's no problem with letting your Raise your mower's cutting level and let the cuttings fall as Most read in Fabulous Keep Save and store any 6 ways to get rid of slugs and snails Or you could splash out on a You could also set up an irrigation system - although these are costly - but a leaky hose can work just as well. Choose drought tolerant plants like Agapanthus, Lavender, Geums and hardy Geraniums. Also in Veronica's Gardening Column this week... The best new plants on the market - plus a competition to win a Lawncare flower bundle A BRAND new cherry tree called Japanese Lantern has won the prestigious From growers The winners were… Annuals, Tender Perennials: LaBella Dahlia Grande Chocolate Rose - from Cacti & Succulents: Cotyledon Green Footprint - from Flowering Houseplants: Cyclamen persicum Super Serie Dragon Deep Blue - from Foliage Houseplants: Calathea 'Velvet Glory' - from Herbaceous Perennials : Hosta 'Silly String' - from Shrubs (including Conifers): Hydrangea Zeta Noir - from Trees Prunus Sumaura Fugenzo Japanese Lantern - from Frank P Mathews Ltd (BEST IN SHOW) WIN! Our friends at NEWS! Dragon's Den OG Theo Paphitus has launched a new online garden centre at JOB OF THE WEEK Pinch out the tips of fuchsia to encourage more flowers. Pick sweet peas to get more blooms. Stake tall perennials like Goura, deadhead spent geraniums, For more tips and news, follow me
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
‘I'm finally noticing the red flags': Ex-Sunrise host Sam Armytage's cryptic relationship post after breaking silence on post-divorce love life
Samatha Armytage has shared a cryptic post about 'finally noticing the red flags' after her high-profile split from her husband Richard Lavender. The ex-Sunrise presenter is enjoying time off in the Cotswolds, England, between filming Channel Nine's new dating show The Golden Bachelor. In recent Instagram photos of her travels, Armytage can be seen perched on the steps of a backyard with a red mini golf flag in the background. She took to the caption with a very tongue-in-cheek quip, saying she had only just started to notice red flags at the age of 48. "She's gone country... Cotswolds-style," Armyatge wrote. "A fabulous dose of friends & fam & fresh air & dogs & tweed & THE biggest roses I've ever seen." "Plus, at 48, I'm finally noticing the red flags (as evidenced by my face in pic four or was that the cold steps?) "Love a bit of mini-golf in an English paddock, ummm sorry, field." Armytage's friends and followers tactfully held their tongues on what appeared to be the latest clue about her love life and instead wrote words of praise. "Ignoring the red flags and focusing on my peonies," said one person, referencing the flowers in the post. "No red flags. You look stunning," another person said. It comes as Armytage continues to share thinly-veiled clues about her dating life in the media and with her more than 250,000 Instagram followers. 'My love life is pretty quiet, not much to write home about there, but the show's love life is fantastic,' she told The Daily Telegraph's Confidential in May. 'I am living vicariously through my show at the moment.' The Golden Bachelor is a new twist on the popular Bachelor dating franchise and will see a group of older Australians competing for the hearts of Barry 'Bear' Myrden, a widower in his 50s from Manly in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Despite Armytage's admission about her quiet love life, it doesn't mean she's not open to finding love again. The TV host herself recently shared a cryptic quote suggesting she was ready to move on. "Don't be afraid to start over again; you may like your new story better," she wrote on Instagram in April. That same month, she was spotted arm in arm with a new "wingman" at the 2025 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Fashion designer Jonathan Ward took to Instagram to post a photo of himself beside the former Sunrise host at Royal Randwick, along with the caption, "Very special to be the guest and wingman for my gorgeous friend Sam at the Autumn Carnival Derby Day Royal Randwick @sam_armytage #royalrandwickracecourse." Armytage announced her split from Lavender after four years of marriage in a statement to the Daily Telegraph last December. 'Yes, Richard and I have separated," she said. "All breakups are hard, but it's somewhat lessened by the fact it's amicable, and we wish the best for each other. The move shocked some industry insiders after the TV host told Woman's Day she quit hosting Seven's flagship Sunrise program to live at Lavender's 40-hectare estate in NSW's Southern Highlands in 2021. It is understood Armytage has since returned to Sydney's eastern suburbs. She sat on the Sunrise couch alongside David Koch from 2013 until 2021. The combination of Armytage and Koch saw Sunrise consistently take the lead in the morning TV wars with its rival Today on Channel 9.
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Daily Record
Drunk couple decapitate and stab dog to death to 'avenge' dead cat
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT: The couple 'brutally' executed their Argentinian mastiff after drinking heavily, a court in Auxerre, France heard A couple planning to start an animal breeding business drunkenly used a chainsaw to behead their Mastiff before the woman stabbed it to "avenge" their cat. The French couple were jailed after police found the dog stabbed to death when they were called out to reports of domestic violence at the couple's home in Levis last May. The woman told the court in Auxerre she stabbed the Argentinian mastiff after finding her partner's cat dead, who she says the dog had killed, Le Parisien reported. The pair, who remain unnamed, said they had wanted to euthanize the "dangerous" dog, with the man saying "decapitation was the only way he could think of" in ending his dog's life. The man told the court that both he and his partner had been drinking heavily - a litre of vodka and two beers each - before the horrific 20-minute assault with a chainsaw unfolded. The man was being treated for drug and alcohol use and admitted to having "finished off the dog to avenge (his) cat". Several other cats and dogs lived in the home as the couple were planning to start a breeding business, the news outlet added. The prosecution denounced the "barbaric act" as "unheard of brutality" and a "first for France" while the defendants' lawyer pleaded that they were under the influence of alcohol and one had a "personality disorder", reports Mirror US. The man, 38, was handed 18 months in prison and the woman, 31, was sentenced to two years. It comes after an adorable dog found wandering the streets after she was a victim of a "heinous act of cruelty" has "America's saddest face," say social media users. Lavender was discovered in April with wounds to her face and ears, injuries so severe one of her ears had to be intentionally cut off at a rescue centre. The pup also had fractured teeth and was also severely underweight. But Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (MHHS), a charity in Menands, New York, has taken care of Lavender, and, when she is well enough, wants to help find her the perfect forever home. It has branded her last owner's acts as "heinous" and "cruel" as law enforcement suspect Lavender was a victim of animal cruelty. Authorities in Menands, which is near the city of Albany, have released fresh information - and upsetting photographs - of the brown dog in an effort to establish exact details about her history. The release was shared on social media this week, where dog lovers have expressed their anger at the previous owner - and adoration for the cute pooch. In the photographs, it is apparent Lavender had suffered injuries at the hands of the "heinous" owner. One Facebook user said: "What a sweet little girl. So sad she has been abused and still looks so sweet!!! Fingers crossed the evil person who did this is punished. Poor baby."
