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into the soil in the garden.More advice on growing rosesSarah Raven's guide to planting rosesPlanting a rambling rose against a tree, with advice from Chris BeardshawPruning a rose bush.Planting a bare-root rose

of the plant, attracting black sooty mould, which inhibits photosynthesis and deprives the plant of energy.Young tender growth is vulnerable to aphid attack. These tiny insects (1mm-7mm long) are usually green or black and breed fast, smothering the plant

, thus exposing the bugs to predators. But they're not all bad, as some capsid bugs feed on small pests.a wide range of plants, including chrysanthemums, dahlias, fuchsias, apples, beans and potatoesspring, summerMore common garden pestsLeaf miner fly

anythingearly spring, summerMore common garden pestsLeatherjackets on lawns, brassicas, strawberries and ornamental plantsElephant hawk moth on fuschia plantsWhitefly on greenhouse plantsMullein moth - affecting verbascum, buddleja and figworts.

with the hose.roses, dahlias, fuchsias, lavender, rosemary and many garden plantsspring, summer, autumnMore common garden pestsCapsid bugsEuonymous scalePhormium mealybugScale insects

Earwigs, which can be up to 14mm long, hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. The females lay eggs in late-winter, usually in the soil, which hatch in spring. Although earwigs can damage plants, they also eat small pests and their eggs

Nesting female bees cut out immediately obvious elliptical shapes from the edges of a leaf to make their cells for laying eggs. Since one female might need 20 or so cells, that's a lot of leaf cutting, particularly when the bee keeps returning

.a range of ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, herbs, some vegetables, fruitspring, summerMore common garden pestsAphidsScale insectsFlea beetleEarwigs

pull them out if they appear in the garden. Every two weeks from early spring onwards spray plants with a systemic action fungicide.hollyhocks, mallowall year roundCommon fungal problems affecting plantsIris leaf spotRose blackspotRose rustTulip fire

In this pot design, the graceful astelia and black ophiopogon add structure, while a small-flowered blue pansy or viola unites the blue pot and the plants.September - NovemberOctober - March30 minutesOphiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' x2Astelia