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There are many hardy and half-hardy annuals that can be grown for cut flowers. Many attract bees and butterflies and some species can be dried, for use in long-lasting displays.Sow hardy and half-hardy annuals between March and April in small pots

It's really easy to extract and sow seed from fruits you've collected, and it's also free. Plants grown from seed aren't always exactly like the parent plant, unlike those grown from cuttings, so look forward to results that could be new, different, and sometimes better.Secateurs...

Creating unique hellebores from your favourite varieties is much easier than it sounds. If you decide to grow your own plants the only important requirements are two really good hellebores and a lot of patience. If your varieties are mediocre, or you just don't have any, treat yo...

Carol Klein offers advice on getting the best results from moisture-loving plants cowslip and fritillary.springMore advice on growing primulasTreating primula leaf spotHow to rejuvenate primrosesBrowse primula varieties

Protect you plants from the cold weather and wrap half-hardy bananas, palms, cannas and ginger lilies in fleece and straw if they grow in sheltered positions. Alternatively lift the plants, pot or crate them up and bring into a frost-free greenhouse

!These herbs are all perennials, so they'll last for years. Feed them weekly with seaweed extract when in growth and cut back after flowering. Be sure to pick all the evergreen herbs from the top, rather than the side, to promote new growth. May

Phormiums survive well in most conditions and there are some wonderful dwarf varieties that are perfect for growing in pots. For a cheaper, but equally colourful alternative to phormiums, you could use cordylines. By the end of summer the fragrant lime-green tobacco plants will b...

The cup and saucer vine, Cobaea scandens, grows 3m or more in a single summer. It is wonderfully dynamic, with winged buds and flowers that are cream when they first open, turning to dusky purple bells as they mature. The curling, tongue-like stamens and claret-tinted stems are c...

The plants used in this hanging basket display are both colourful and fragrant. Heliotrope is one of the best scented plants for growing in a sunny spot, and works well in baskets. The lavender and nemesia are also richly fragrant, and all three plants will attract a wide range o...

For a pretty mix of vegetables, herbs and flowers, pot up a hanging basket with cherry tomatoes, parsley and yellow, orange and cream-coloured black-eyed Susan.MayJuly - September40 minutesCherry tomato plant, e.g. 'Tumbling Tom'Parsley plantBlack-eyed Susan, Thunbergia alataHang...