Search - Articles

Are you snowed under with seed catalogues? It seems that even before the summer stutters to an end we have to start thinking about next year.I don't usually grow much in the way of annuals in my garden (apart from dahlias and poppies, of course

. In terms of value, a single perennial could cost you, say, £5.00 to buy, but you could pick up a packet of Godetia Dwarf Mixed flower seed for just £1.39, and grow 1,000 plants! Yes, 1,000 seeds in a packet, and other hardy annuals offer similar great value

What a great chance to check out what other plotters are doing nearby! Events will be going on all over the country as part of this annual allotments week so keep your eyes on the local press for details. Or check out the ever useful worldwide web

A term to describe a plant that completes its life cycle (germinating, growing, flowering, setting seed and dying) within a single growing season.

There is a range of easy-to-grow, climbing annuals that will flower non-stop from June until the frosts, producing striking blooms and sculptural leaves. Because they grow 1.8m to 3m or more in a season, half the joy is amassing so much plant from

out in Junesummeran hourSpanish flag, Ipomoea lobata x1Canary creeper, Tropaeolum peregrinum x1Bidens ferulifolia 'Golden Eye' x3Lysimachia punctata 'Gaulthier Brousse'44cm square tub1.2m willow wig-wamJohn Innes No.3 compostMulti-purpose compost

An annual plant, the seeds of which can tolerate sub-zero winter temperatures and whose seedlings can survive spring frosts.

than plant a rose or another wisteria - there might be some unpleasantness hiding in the soil - I decided to stick with annual climbers. We usually have morning glories (Ipomoea species) in pots, so I moved one of them to fill in and it did an admirable

, especially during the high-risk hardy annual season.I love sowing seeds and still get a thrill at what can be achieved from just a few packets. Any packet labelled 'hardy annual' (or the abbreviation, 'HA') will do the trick, and there's no need for seed

My annual pilgrimage to Gardeners' World Live has arrived, and what a week it will be. Although I'll be up at the NEC early to help put the finishing touches to our plans, the show officially opens its doors to gardeners at 9.00am on Wednesday 10th