Gardeners rush to The Range for £25 buy that transforms your outside space into the Mediterranean in seconds
GREEN-FINGERED Brits are racing to the local Range to get their hands on a bargain find that will transform your garden on a budget.
The popular retailer has sent fans into a frenzy after launching brand new lemon and orange fruit trees at ”un-peel-ievable prices”.
The gorgeous find, available for just £25, is the perfect way to inject that Mediterranean feel into your outdoor space – which has been all the rage recently.
Not only will the lemon and orange trees add a pop of colour to your garden on a budget, you’ll also be able to enjoy the delicious fruit that come with it – so, it’s really a two-in-one.
Slice up the lemon for a zesty lemonade – or use the peel for a scrumptious lemon loaf.
Take the orange and you can either eat it for a vitamin C boost – or add it to a jug of sangria when hosting a BBQ party.
Available at Garden Centres by Homebase at your local The Range superstores, the lemon trees come in a stunning bright yellow pot.
While citrus may not necessarily be the easiest plants to grow, if you can give them the right conditions they’ll reward you with fragrant white flowers, evergreen leaves and juicy fruit.
Citrus plants are usually sold in pots that are sufficiently large, so there’s no need to worry about repotting the tree for several years.
It’s best not to plant them in the ground, as they aren’t fully hardy – keep them in a container so you can easily move them indoors over winter, the RHS recommended.
If you do wish to transfer a plant into a more attractive container, experts advise to choose one that is a similar size and to try to disturb the roots as little as possible.
The container should be only slightly larger than the rootball –as overpotting into a much bigger pot can cause problems.
Once roots start to appear through the holes in the base, you can move the plant into a slightly larger pot.
It’s best to do this in spring, and use either a specially formulated peat-free citrus compost or a nutrient-rich soil-based compost.
Citrus plants need regular care all year round, including watering with rainwater, feeding with citrus fertiliser and protection from chilly weather.
Now that we’re fast-approaching summer, green-fingered Brits are advised to water their citrus plants freely, ideally with rainwater.
The compost can dry out quickly, especially during hot spells, so check it daily.
Top gardening trends of 2025
Gardening experts at Barnsdale Gardens has shared the top gardening trends of 2025.
Matrix planting
It seems that a top planting trend for this year is going to be Matrix Planting.
In essence, planting in groups or blocks to give an effect of being wild whilst actually being carefully managed.
Selection of the plants is essential, to give year-round interest either with flowers, seed heads or frosted/snowy spent flower heads. Some recommend using plants that seed around, but this could make managing your matrix planting harder to keep under control.
Chrysanthemum comeback
I hope that the humble Chrysanthemum makes as much of a comeback this year as Dahlias have over recent years, because the simple single flowered types, such as ‘Innocence’ and ‘Cottage Apricot’ would be spectacular within a matrix scheme.
The hardy varieties are so easy to grow in a sunny spot and give such a valuable burst of late summer and autumn colour that would lift any dull- looking border.
Blended borders
For some time now we have been promoting the growing of veg within ornamental borders and I think this could really take off this year.
The choice of ornamental-looking varieties available in seed catalogues is phenomenal and, if managed correctly, visitors to your garden will not even realise that you have veg growing!
Must-have tool
My secret is out. I discovered the Hori Hori a couple of years ago and now it seems so is everyone else.
It is such a well-made, adaptable tool that can be used as a trowel or weeding tool in the garden that and everyone I speak to who have used it absolutely would not now be without it. Enough said!
In winter, when plants are taken indoors, allow the surface of the compost to partially dry, then water thoroughly with tepid rainwater, allowing the excess liquid to drain away.
Never leave pots standing in water, as this can cause the roots to rot and the tree to die.
If you spot yellowing of the leaves or shedding leaves this can be a sign of overwatering.
Citrus are hungry plants and should be fed all year round. Lack of nutrients can cause the evergreen leaves to turn yellow or drop off altogether, and it can even prevent flowers or fruit forming.
To give your lemon tree some TLC, the experts recommend using a fertiliser specifically formulated for citrus fruit.
From Iate March to October, apply summer citrus feed, which is high in nitrogen.
Then from November to mid-March, switch to a more balanced winter citrus feed.
It’s also beneficial to remove the top 5cm (2in) of old potting compost annually in late spring and replace it with fresh compost.