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Pot up an autumn planter with asters and ornamental cabbageGrowing plants for late-summer colour

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

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

February - April20 minutesDaffodil bulbs x10Celandine, Ranunculus ficariaCorydalis, Corydalis flexuosa x225cm potJohn Innes No. 2 compostCrocksPlace a layer of broken terracotta pot crocks into the bottom of your container. Fill the pot with compost to around 20cm

Primula e.g. 'Gold-laced' group x3Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' x1Glazed pot, 20cm diameterPeat-free, multi-purpose compostCrocks Watering canPlace a few crocks in the bottom of the pot for drainage. You could also use broken polystyrene or small

you can use iris bulbs; if you wait until spring, simply buy pots of iris. October - November or January - FebruaryFebruary30 minutesIris 'Pauline' bulbs x12 or iris plants x3Hart's tongue fern, e.g. Asplenium scolopendrium 'Angustifolia' x3Bird's foot

-lead plantersCrocks for drainageJohn Innes No.3 potting compost2 x controlled-release fertiliser tablets2 x 80 clear outdoor static fairy lightsPut a few crocks in the base of the pots, half fill them with compost and add a fertiliser tablet to each one.Plant

Topiary box pyramid, buxus sempervirensRed pansies x10Mattress vine, Muehlenbeckia complexa, or dark green ivy x1Tall decorative pot or Long TomCompost, made from equal parts of multi-purpose and loam-based compostsCrocksTwo sets of LED battery-operated fairy

.SeptemberNovember - March20 minutesCineraria plants x2Cyclamen plants (miniature, a mix of red and white) x6Ivy plants x4Square containerMulti-purpose compostCrocksPosition the container in a sheltered spot and where you want some winter interest, and place a layer

will look good into the spring. SeptemberNovember - March30 minutesPansy x4PhormiumSkimmiaHeucheraIvy x2Large potMulti-purpose compostCrocksPosition the container where you need winter interest, and place a layer of crocks at the bottom, then three