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It's been difficult to choose my 2009 weed of the year. Butercups and daisies continue to compete with grass in my lawn, as do those lovely rosettes of plantain. Then there are the dandelions. Oh dear, this isn't making my lawn sound very good is it

as the books say it should be.So what goes wrong with the compost on the plot? The answer is simple: lack of variety.The compost I make at work has grass clippings, weeds, herbaceous stems, annual plants, the odd barrowful of spent compost from pots

after the wildlife in their garden and boost the balance between beneficial insects and pests.Mow lawns regularlyTreat problem weedsTidy up hedgesAround the gardenTie in young delphinium growth to plant supportsSow hardy annual flowers directly into beds

Deadhead flowers All plants will benefit from having the dying flowers removed as soon as they begin to fade. It stops them putting energy into forming seed and encourages annuals to produce more flowers throughout the summer. Trim hedges to keep

.Prepare soil ready for sowing a lawn or laying turf during September and OctoberTop up water levels in pebble fountains and poolsDeal with problem lawn weedsAround the gardenSave seed from ornamental annual quaking grassWater camellias regularlySummer prune

The taste of fresh asparagusin May is worth waiting for. A perennial crop, established asparagus plants will provide an annual crop of tasty spears for up to 20 years.Choose the spot you will grow your asparagus carefully. Asparagus needs lots

pallet onto the front of the right side pallet to make a gate - you'll need to open it when you want to get to the compost - and start filling your bin with garden and kitchen waste.AdamDo add annual weeds to your compost bin, but avoid putting in any

use this technique to grow flowering perennials and biennials as well as hardy annuals to brighten up you beds and borders. Sow into weed-free soil that has been dug, forked and raked to create a fine surface structure or 'tilth'. SeedsArea of prepared

: there seems little point in weeding much (the nights are too cold for most annual weeds to bother with seeding themselves), why bother to tie back a sprawling plant when you are going to cut them all down anyway soon? Even the grass stops growing quite

, coriander, mint, thyme and rosemary.Then there are nasturtiums - vibrant, colourful blooms produced in profusion by these easy-to-grow hardy annuals. They have a warming, peppery flavour, not unlike watercress. Which is hardly surprising when you realise