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Every garden has its fair share of slugs and the bad news is that they are around for most of the year. They're active mostly after dark, especially when it's damp. In hot dry weather they bury themselves to avoid dehydrating.Holes are chewed in soft, new growth, young stems are ...

for most seeds.Of course, it’s different for hardy annuals, which look best planted in a natural, pretty effect drifting through borders among other plants. I've been filling in the gaps among my emerging perennials with what I hope will be a sea of blue

Snails, like slugs, cause a great deal of damage to plants. They feed mostly at night, seeking shelter during the day from the drying effects of the sun. However, the snail's shell allows it to move more freely than a slug over dry areas, such as paving. It too, leaves a tell-tal...

Raising summer bedding plants from seed is easy, it saves you money and greatly extends the range of plant varieties you can grow.The secret of germinating summer bedding seeds is a plentiful supply of warmth and light. Most seeds need a steady heat of 18-21°C to germinate, so do...

As a rule, I only grow plants that will benefit bees, moths and other pollinators. I do relax this rule, though, by growing auriculas. I do this for my partner, who loves them (even if bees don’t).We have built up quite a collection over the years, including gold- and light-centr...

Chris Beardshaw demonstrates how to lift and divide congested clumps of autumn-flowering Nerine bowdenii, and suggests growing Nerine sarniensis in a pot. springhalf an hourMore advice on growing flowersBrowse a selection of tender perennial plantsView plants by flower colourRead...

Each blue or magenta flower of Ipomoea, the morning glory, lasts just one day, but it blooms reliably throughout the summer. The dense mat of heart-shaped leaves provide a perfect backdrop for the cheery flowers.How to grow annual climbers from

Learn how to plant and pinch out cerinthes with Sarah Raven's video guide, from the cutting patch at Berryfields.springMore advice on growing flowersGrowing lupins video projectSarah Raven creates a cutting patch at BerryfieldsChris Beardshaw gives advice on caring for peoniesGro...

California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are hardy annuals that bring a vivid splash of colour to summer borders. After their long flowering period the plants will also readily self-seed.California poppy seeds eg 'Golden Values'Bamboo cane

sun. It reaches 1.5m high.Eryngium giganteumHappy in woodland conditions, the yellow- or orange-flowered Welsh poppies are annuals that don't mind shade, making them perfect to weave under trees and taller shrubs.Meconopsis cambricaA cottage garden