prepare your spring garden in autumn Without autumn-sown plants, the abundance and beauty of most gardens plummets for three or four weeks towards the end of spring. The British countryside is at its best in May, with lanes, woodland ed
planting and naturalising bulbs in grass This is more easily done if the grass is short, so cut in the late autumn, before planting. This has the added advantage that you’ll see the flowers much more clearly with the grass cut short.
annual flowers for pots If I had to choose my absolute favourite annual flowers for pots these would be it. All these flowers are perfect for pots in the summer and will give you maximum colour impact for minimal effort. Ann
a brief history of daffodils The Greek myth We get the word 'Narcissus' from Greek mythology. A nymph called Echo fell in love with a young Greek named Narcissus, but Narcissus told her to leave him alone. Heartbroken, she lived
which are the best pumpkins? Pumpkins are the most handsome of all the autumn veg. The best pumpkins are friendly, soft and curvaceous, and by growing several varieties you can have a mixture of the loveliest colours. The leaves
preserving flowers and berries in autumn Preserving flowers and berries from your autumn and late summer harvests will give you some wonderful decorations come Christmas. I love preserving the zip and range of colour of Chinese lanterns (Phy
composting: make your own black gold When I’m teaching, I’m almost always asked the same questions. First: What do you do about slugs? Answer: multi-pronged attack, with raised beds, lots of grit and/or coffee grounds around
How to force bulbs indoors Forcing bulbs indoors is one of the best things to do in December to liven those monochromatic winter months. Like making jam, planting indoor bulbs can feel like a chore, but you'll be glad you made
planting numbers for bulbs in borders If you are struggling to work out how many bulbs you will need for your intended area then you may find the guide below useful to refer to when planning your display... average number of bulbs pe
