Search - Articles

A viral infection, for which, sadly, there is no cure. Some cannas seem able to shrug it off, but it has the potential to spread quickly from plant to plant, so it's best to remove and dispose of affected individuals at the first sign of trouble. It's not confirmed how the virus ...

Follow Chris Beardshaw's step-by-step video guide to taking semi-ripe cuttings from plants, with advice on choosing the best plant material and how to prepare the cuttings.September - OctoberMore advice on propagating plantsHow to take basal cuttingsTaking summer cuttingsTaking r...

If you're short of sun in your garden but want an interesting summer display, try this rich blend of foliage plants. Both the plectranthus and begonias perform well in shade.April - JuneJuly - September20 minutesBegonia rex x2Purple-leafed plectranthus, e.g. P. 'Mona Lavender' x2...

This bright, contemporary container filled with sunny gazanias and rudbeckia plants is just the thing to jazz up your garden for the summer. It looks effective on its own or placed in a group with others, and best of all it's quick and easy to plant up.MayMay - September30 minute...

Pelagoniums are a classic window box plant, they are used here as a focal point for a sea of lightly scented, delicate-pink nemesia. April - JuneJune - September20 minutesPink pelargoniumNemesia denticulata 'Confetti' x4Standard-sized window boxMulti-purpose compostCrocksPlace a ...

Home-grown herbs will bring your cooking to life, so why not make life really easy by planting them in a window box? Position it on your kitchen windowsill, then all you have to do is lean out to snip fresh pickings of fresh, home-grown herbs whenever you want them.May - JulyJuly...

While many container displays are looking past their best by August, this late-summer display will brighten up a corner of the patio right through autumn. The fiery colours of Crocosmia 'Irish Dawn' and Celosia caracas contrast beautifully with the evergreen foliage of libertia.a...

The rich copper colours of the verbascum, fennel, sedum and diascia plants in this pot echo the colour of the warm terracotta pot beneath. Tall copper flower spikes of the verbascum give height to the display while the wispy, feathery foliage of the fennel adds texture and moveme...

SchizostylisExotic, elegant, yet eminently adaptable, it's time the overlooked schizostylis took a leading role in our gardens.Schizostylis coccinea flowers from late-summer until the first frosts. It has dainty and delicate stems and flowers, making it a perfect choice for addin...

Slug bustersSlugs may have voracious appetites but they're fussy eaters too - and therein lies an answer to a slimy problem. The good news is that there are a selection of plants that slugs, and snails, will steer clear of.Slugs will avoid any plants that are tough, hairy and bit...