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Jekka McVicar's 10 companion plantsJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for growing as companion plants.Companion planting

Jekka McVicar's 10 herbs for wildlifeJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for attracting wildlife.Herbs have been used for culinary

Unlocking the power of plants A herb garden is not only a place of beauty, it's also a medicine chest, holding remedies to many ailments. Discover the healing properties of the herbs in your garden.Find out how to... grow garlicUntil the 17th

Saving seed from your garden plants is easy to do and will provide you with plenty to sow next season. Leave a few seedheads on your plants after they've finished flowering, removing the rest to conserve the plant's energy. Alternatively

Follow Monty Don's video advice for sowing sunflower seeds in a fine tilth, for a summer display.summerMore flowers to grow from seedBluebellsExoticsCyclamenDahlias

. Sweet peas dislike root disturbance so grow them in cardboard tubes or coir pots. This will enable you to plant them out in their containers without damaging the roots.Sweet pea seedsSeed compostCardboard tubesJanuary - May20 minutesSow seeds

of the planting hole square; this helps to prevent young tree roots from circling the hole rather than penetrating the surrounding soil.More advice on plantingTrees for small gardens - Gardeners' World blog by James Alexander-SinclairHow to plant a bare-root tree

Salad leaves can be grown on a cut-and-come-again basis; harvesting the larger leaves by cutting them, allowing the smaller leaves to grow for a second crop. If you make successional sowings of seeds every three weeks, you will have a constant supply of salad throughout the year....

them (they will turn brown and papery as they mature), and store in a cool, dry place.Calendula seedEnvelopeSilica gelAirtight containerautumn or spring20 minutesWhen the seedheads have developed fully, remove them from the plant and lay them on a sheet