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horticulture. The soil in about eight beds was chemically manipulated by adding lime to make it more alkaline or sulphur to make it more acid, and a hydrangea grown in each. As they came into bloom during July you could see the colour transition down the row

potager – a walk-through area with beds planted prettily with vegetables instead of flowers.But if you have a conventional veg patch or allotment, with crops grown at traditional wide spacings, try intercropping. The idea of this is to sow or plant quick

crops and bedding plants cleared and composted, and soil roughly turned to incorporate manure. Then there’s fruit pruning to be done, but that’s a job to tackle with some winter sun on your back. Yes, November’s a busy month, so I’m wrapping up warm

diversion from the point of this blog, happens very seldom. Often it rains earlier and later but only on a few days every year are we forced to stay in bed. Meteorology, eh?Anyway, my point is that part of our route goes through the nearby woods. Most

wigwam. New shoots caught onto the supports, twining their way to the top, and as summer progressed a succession of trumpet-shaped flowers opened on each. Although they weren't as floriferous as some bedding plants they certainly were different.Of course

-purpose for this particular job). On my arrival I was confronted with beds of stunning primulas, all at their peak.Colour is lacking at the end of February as we wait for the early bulbs to bloom. A few brave grape hyacinths are showing colour, and daffodils surge higher

of long thin borders (I wrote about its birth about a year and a half ago). Some of the beds have worked really well, I think, like this arrangement of Phlomis amazone and Seseli libanotis. The central part, surrounding a pond, has some wonderful grass

't need pruning, this old favourite is covered in billowing deep-blue flowers from early July to the end of September.Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue'The most reliable of bedding plants for containers, these will bloom right through to the very end of summer

When the first hard frost struck in my garden at the end of October, it was the kiss of death for so much of the long-lasting summer colour. Busy Lizzies crumpled instantly, summer bedding packed up shop, and leaves started falling from the trees

novice veg growers make is to take on too much. When you are short of free time, restrict yourself to a small salad patch, a raised bed or some tubs of veg on the patio watered by a home-made irrigation system. Few of us have time to grow absolutely