Search - Articles

't get caught out by cold winds and chilly nights. Although they're quite small, they'll grow like mad once planted, and will need plenty of room. I usually only put a couple of plants in a 1.2m by 3m bed - any more than that and they start getting out

will take place this week. I'll be planting main crop potato varieties and onion sets. The lighter evenings make such a difference — I'll be able to pop down after work.My main crop bed is already prepared. I dug it over and raked in blood, fish and bone. I

Create your own 'cutting patch' with Sarah Raven's video guide. Learn how, by growing cut-and-come-again annuals and biennials in a separate bed, you can prevent your borders from looking bare. springMore advice on growing flowersGrowing lupins

Plant bulbs, corms and tubers like achimenes, begonias, gloxinias in potsSow coleus and other houseplantsWatch out for pests, like whitefly and red spider mite, and treat at oncePut a mouse trap in your greenhouse if you find seeds and plants being

Use secateurs to remove suckers growing from the stems of standard rosesTie tall border plants like delphiniums to their supportsFinish planting out dahlias, cannas and summer beddingCut back dead and dying foliage on spring bulbsDeadhead camellias

, trimming off faded blooms, digging out weeds and replenishing mulches of gritKeep a few bedding plants in reserve to plug gaps where disasters strike

seed heads to keep them floweringShorten shoots on choisya to encourage a second flush of flowersFeed roses to keep them flowering stronglyPinch out the shoot tips on fuchsias and bedding plants for bushier growthSave seed from foxgloves and sow right

Take cuttings from tender perennials and bedding plants, such as verbenaSow a few pots of hardy annuals to provide early spring blooms Shade delicate plants to avoid sun scorch on hot daysDeal with vine weevil by watering pots with a solution

to the compost heap Plant crocus, fritillaries and other dwarf bulbs to naturalise in lawns and under treesPlant out spring bedding, including wallflowers, forget-me-nots and pansies

Retrieve plant supports from flower beds, clean and store away