Latest Articles - lakeviewlandscaping.co.uk

Person lifting barbecue lid to check smoky skewers of meat cooking outdoors in garden setting.

Dried Bay Leaves on the Coals to Transform Your Brazilian Barbecue

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Traditional Brazilian barbecue takes on a special character when you add fragrant ingredients straight onto a blazing hot firebed. Sprinkling...

Scientist in lab coat examining a plant with illuminated roots beside a laptop and seedlings on a table.

SBG1 gene linked to suberin root barrier variation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Cork is instantly recognisable: compact, faintly springy, and impervious to water. The very material responsible for those traits is also...

Person kneeling and planting flowers in a vibrant garden with a wooden fence in the background.

Perennials for a long-lasting border: peonies, daffodils and garden iris

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

By late winter, many gardens look bleak. Borders sit bare, the soil feels cold, and nothing seems to be happening....

Tabby cat wearing a collar sitting on a garden path, looking at a birdhouse on a sunny day.

A Practical Cat- and Bird-Friendly Garden: Protect Young Birds in Spring

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

In spring, two worlds collide in many gardens: the free-roaming “house tiger” with a hunting instinct, and delicate fledglings that...

Man in straw hat inspecting and taking notes on coffee plants in a sunlit rural farm field.

Shade-grown coffee, carbon storage and climate resilience: what the evidence shows

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Shade-grown coffee has been marketed for years as the greener option. The idea is straightforward: if coffee is cultivated beneath...

Hands scattering seeds into soil in a raised garden bed with fresh carrots and gardening tools nearby

The Sand Trick for Carrots: 1:10 Mix for Straight Roots

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

It’s a lot easier than most people think. Plenty of amateur gardeners eventually give up on carrots in frustration: the...

Robot lawn mower operating on grass with person holding a smartphone beside a patio and charger station.

Roborock RockNeo Q105 review: our long-term test at €799

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Roborock, long a big name in robot vacuum cleaners, is finally moving outdoors with its first range of robotic lawn...

Young man inspecting a tree with a green Gator watering bag on a sunny street in a small town.

Growing Urban Trees in Dayton, Ohio: Lessons for Cooling Cities

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Warmth now lingers in cities in ways residents notice day to day. Even on a summer evening, the heat often...

Person tending to a potted plant by a sunny window with gardening tools on the floor.

How to Keep an Avocado Tree Alive Indoors: Avoid These 5 Mistakes

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

From a stone sprouting in a glass on the windowsill to a sturdy indoor tree is a long journey. If...

Scientist in a lab coat examining orange flower petals with microscopes and plant samples on the table

Marigold petals could become a new plant protein for food

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Marigolds are everywhere: in borders and beds, strung into festival garlands, and woven into wedding displays. Yet very few people...

Person in protective suit and gas mask holding an umbrella at a cordoned-off outdoor work area with warning sign.

Sosnowski's hogweed: the banned plant that can land you in prison

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

If you planted it to brighten up your garden, you may have just committed an offence punishable by three years...

Person holding a test tube and a smoking device near potted wheat plants on a wooden table in a field.

How barley plants use VOCs to anticipate neighbours’ growth

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

A field can seem still at first glance: leaves flutter in the breeze, stems lean towards the sun, and roots...

Person placing a cap on a water bottle beside a potted green plant on a wooden table in sunlight.

The bottle trick: effortless watering for house and balcony plants

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

With a simple bottle trick, your plants can stay surprisingly healthy even if you don’t water them every day. Plenty...

Scientist in lab coat examining a cross-section of a tree trunk with plant pots and scientific equipment on desk.

Heat-stressed trees and the isotope fingerprint in leaf sugars

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

The usual story about heat-stressed trees begins with water. During heatwaves, trees often droop and die largely because drought arrives...

Older man pointing at tree while younger man carries child holding nature photo in garden with book on table

Manuel Sobrinho Simões recalls the first photo with son Manel on his shoulders

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Pathologist Manuel Sobrinho Simões looks back on the first time he was photographed with his son, Manel, riding on his...

Hands planting a young tomato seedling in soil with gardening tools and gloves nearby in a garden bed.

The sideways tomato planting: stronger plants, more roots, better harvests

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

An experienced neighbour, one more spade in the ground and a trick professional vegetable growers have relied on for generations:...

Young woman examining cactus pads outdoors at a wooden table with crafting materials near a desert house.

Prickly pear cactus waste could become a cleaner construction material

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Construction sites rarely make you think of cactus plants. Yet engineers believe the leftover by-product from prickly pear cactus farming...

Person opening sliding glass door in bright room with potted plants and an air purifier on a wooden table.

Do Houseplants Really Work as Air Purifiers?

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

The question sounds straightforward. Yet once you look closely at the measurement science underneath it, the real answer is more...

Group of people outdoors discussing an urban planning model on a table in a park setting.

15th Landscape Forum in Guimarães examines the future of the landscape

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

The future of the landscape is under discussion in Guimarães over the next few days. The city is hosting the...

Hands gently holding white flowers with bees flying around in a sunlit garden with a birdhouse in the background.

Perennial sage beats lavender: the secret pollinator star for dry gardens

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Anyone walking through garden centres in spring will spot miniature swathes of purple lavender on all sides. Lavender is, of...

Person wearing gloves spreading autumn leaves on garden soil in a raised wooden planter box outdoors.

How Fallen Leaves Provide Frost Protection for Beds and Pots

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026

Year after year, sub-zero temperatures bite into borders and containers - yet the most effective frost protection is often already...