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of the thyme and ivy. September - early FebruaryFebruary - April20 minutesPansy plants x2Thymus pulegioides 'Archer's Gold' x2Ivy plants x3Medium-sized window boxFill the window box with compost. Place the pansies centrally and add one thyme on either side

The culprit is the flea beetle, which, like its namesake, jumps away when disturbed. The small, shiny, black, brown or blue beetles emerge in April and May, after winter hibernation, ready to start feeding. Eggs laid near host plants hatch in late-summer. The beetles feed for a f...

Stringing onions is a great way of storing gluts, as you can keep a large number of bulbs in a small space. Hang them in a cool, dry, frost-free place - such as a shed - until you need to bring them into the kitchen. If you have room, grow more

Encourage your children's interest in gardening, by learning to grow peanut plants with Rachel de Thame's video advice.springMore plants to grow in a greenhouseTomatoesCactiOrchidsEarly strawberries

Potatoes will grow very quickly under warm and moist conditions. When they are 10cm tall, the leafy shoots can be mounded around with soil to their full height, a process known as 'earthing up'. Earthing up potatoes will increase the length

Monty Don takes you through the process of planting early potatoes with suggestions for soil conditioning and spacing.springMore advice on growing potatoesBlog on growing potatoesChitting potatoes video projectGrowing potatoes in a binGrowing

is the ideal time to plant bare-rooted trees and there are few simple ways to give them the best start. Tree, tree tieCane, stringSpade, forkWooden stakeHammer, sawCompost, granular fertiliser, well-rotted manureMulch or bark chippingsNovember - February1 hour

The distortion, known as fasciation, is a freak of nature, and often looks like several stems have been fused together. It's a rare phenomenon and does the plant no lasting harm. It can develop on a range of shrubs, flowers and perennials. The cause could be environmental, such a...

The caterpillars of both the small and large cabbage white butterflies are are the two culprits. The first is pale green with a body up to 2.5cm long, the second is bigger at 4cm and is yellow with black markings. The adult butterflies lay eggs

-the-counter solution.pearssummer, autumn, winterMore advice on growing pear treesRemoving codling moth from pear treesTreating apple and pear scabPreventing pear leaf blister mite