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for drainage.More on growing alpinesMaking an alpine path and gravel bedPlanting up alpines video projectMaking an alpine container displayCreating an alpine pebble display

elsewhere. Growing nectar-rich plants is a good way to entice them in, but they won't nest in your flower beds. Butterflies lay eggs in long grass, nettles and thistles (depending on the species), while bumblebees prefer undisturbed messy areas

minutesAubretia 'Hamburger Stadtpark', 7cm pot x1Armeria juniperifolia 'Alba', 7cm pot x1Phlox douglasii 'Red Admiral', 7cm pot x1Saxifraga 'Gleborg', 7cm pot x1Sempervivum, 7cm pot x1Terracotta: 40cm glazed half pot x1, 10cm pots x2, section land drain x1

I can't be the only one looking for foolproof plants to brighten the patio during summer, but it's always nice to try something a little different too.Traditional summer bedding has its place, but it does demand regular attention.Daily watering

to the back door - the sun catches these new leaves in a brilliant display.By the end of May its bright red seed pods will be developing, their colour matching the bases of the leaf stalks. What more could you ask for? I've been growing it in a large, heavy

't often seen together. The Gardeners' World TV crew was camped outside it for a large portion of the day, so look out for it on tonight's programme (13 May, 2011).Talking of diversity, the warm spring has ensured that the plant marquee has a much greater

.The flower stems are strong and tall, up to 1.2m (4ft), and each supports a single magnificent bloom, blood red and boldly imprinted at the base of each petal with a jet-black splodge. The stamens, arranged in a broad circle around the dark, central knob

at a recent conference, as reported in Horticulture Week, weren't exactly greeted with rapturous applause by some garden centre owners, who felt that I was speaking out of turn by suggesting there's more to displaying plants than simply placing them

October, and the traditional midsummer floral display seems like a flash in the pan. Where once we threw all the big guns at June and July, you now need a second set of late-flowering plants to see you through September and October.Flowers that peak