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A wide variety of pots have graced my patio all summer, hosting a wide and varied range of plants from agapanthus and phormium to miscanthus, eucomis, pelargoniums, and an assortment of colourful bedding - to name but a few.I love growing things

time as the new leaves, but the leaves are very fine. It is happiest on non-acidic soil.There is one outside my office and the leaves are just beginning to turn a rather fabulous buttery yellow. This yellow autumn colour is often seen as a bit second

spinning wheel and fell asleep for 100 years.But I learned about a different type of spindle on a field trip to Kew Gardens, in the autumn of 1984. I remember the moment of revelation very well. At the time I was enrolled on a 10-week gardening course (my

!One section of my long potato bed, is being left for autumn planting broad beans, which I'll sow at the end of October or the start of November (I always use 'Aquadulce Claudia' and 'The Sutton' at this time of year). Another section is marked out for sweet

mould and compostingFollow our video guide to making leaf mouldAdvice on collecting autumn leavesChoose plants for autumn colourHow to build a compost binPractical guide to making garden compostRead Kate Bradbury's blog on autumn tidying in the garden

Much of my gardening time in September is spent planning for spring colour. I'm not wishing the year away - I love autumn in all its fading glory - but now is the time to buy spring-flowering bulbs for planting over the next couple of months

, this spreading plant features clumps of strappy leaves alongside sprays of trumpet flowers in shades of red, yellow and orange.My top plants for extending colourCrocosmiaThis plant is ideal for the no-fuss gardener. The large, long-lasting flowers in pinks

satisfying gardening experiences, and offer versatility, flexibility and quick results. Whenever I move house and inherit a new garden, one of my first tasks is to plant up a selection of pots to give some instant colour. When choosing your pot, as a rule it

: it is about 3m high and has gloriously scented tubular white flowers in Autumn, lush Autumn colour and bright red berries. Or Gentiana farreri, a trailing evergreen delight with flowers like sky blue fanfares? These are just two of the plants that Reginald

there are not enough, because I bet you a shiny 20p piece that in a couple of weeks, when they have died back and other things have doubled in size, that you will have completely forgotten.I plant a lot of bulbs every year for various clients — last autumn I had about