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Lay a patio now and you'll enjoy the benefits each time you're out in the garden. It's not a difficult job, so put aside a weekend and you'll soon be entertaining friends, or enjoying a well-earned rest on your new patio surrounded by pots

in with soft string at 10cm - 15cm intervals up the stems.For twining climbers such as cobaea, sweet peas and runner beans, tall tripods made from sticks or bamboo canes provide an ideal framework for their vigorous growth. Where necessary, their shoots can

the woody, flowered stems. Prune back to just above vigorous green stems growing from low down on the plant.For the thickest woody stems, or where shrubs have become very overgrown, use long-handled loppers or a garden saw to cut through the tough stems

Learn which are the most suitable plants for propagating by root cuttings, in Chris Beardshaw's video guide, with tips on preparing cuttings and how to avoid them rotting off.October - NovemberMore advice on propagating plantsHow to take root cuttingsCarol Klein's video guide to ...

Slugs may be diverted from your container-grown plants by fixing copper tape to your pots. The tape is thin, easy to cut and simple to apply. The copper will gradually turn green over time.A roll of copper adhesive tapeCraft pinking shearsall year round30 minutesCut a piece of ta...

. Practice the basics of rooting softwood cuttings with our step-by-step advice and you'll be able to use these skills for more complex cuttings. 10cm flower potCuttings compostPerlite (optional)Sharp knifeRooting hormone liquid (optional)Polythene bag

These funky lanterns are easy to make and won't break the bank. Made from metal food cans, protected from the elements with spray paint, they'll last for years to come brightening up any area of your garden. Spray lots of lanterns all the same

Soil typesYour soil type - sandy, loam or clay - determines which plant species you can grow. Knowing your soil type enables to you to choose the plants best suited to your garden. Soil type is identified the presence of clay, sand and silt

Paving and gravel paths can quickly become colonised by garden weeds. Follow our tips on keeping your paths pristine and weed free, below. While some plants, such as thyme and alpines, look delightful growing in the gaps between patio slabs or path

. Look forward to a blaze of fiery reds, russet browns, oranges and butter yellows.AcerLarge potCompost (equal-part mix of ericaceous compost and John Innes No.3)CrocksDecorative mulchNovember - February20 minutesGather together everything you need