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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Jane Perrone

Gardens: what to do this week

Photograph of Erigeron glaucus ‘Sea Breeze’
You don’t have to be beside the seaside to appreciate Erigeron glaucus ‘Sea Breeze’. Photograph: Alamy

Try this

Planting spring bulbs in a container really can be a quick job. Choose two or three varieties of tulip, daffodil or Iris reticulata, and plant in layers: the latest-flowering type at the bottom, the early at the top. As one bulb fades, another comes into bloom, guaranteeing a display that lasts all spring.

Make this

If you’ve been hankering after a fancy metal fire bowl but wincing at the price, upcycle your own. An old steel washing-machine drum is your raw material: source from junk shops, eBay or Freegle. A little work with an angle grinder and a coat of high-heat paint, and you’ll be toasting marshmallows just in time for Halloween. For full instructions, go to is.gd/DIYfirepit.

Plant this

You don’t have to be beside the seaside to appreciate the charms of the beach aster, aka Erigeron glaucus ‘Sea Breeze’. Any exposed, sunny, well-drained spot will benefit from this reliable performer, and it will settle nicely in stone walls. Height and spread: 30cm x 45cm. Buy a one-litre potted plant for £9.99 or two for £16.98 (prices include free p&p). To order, call 0330 333 6856, quoting ref GU394, or go to our Readers’ offers page. Dispatched October to November.

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