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-grown seedlings, spring and early summer is the time to plant them out. Raising them from seed is cheaper but adds a few weeks to the process - so if this is for you, it's time to get sowing!Young brassica plantsGarden line or string and canesTrowelSeed trays

and are inexpensive.3.9m scaffolding planks, 3.7cm thick, x 2SoilOrganic matterPliersHand sawJigsawTape measureRulerautumn - winterRemove the metal banding from the ends of the planks with pliers.Using a hand saw, cut each board in two to give one 2.3m and one 1.6m

end pieces, adding an extra 1cm along the top edge of each piece to form a lip above the top of the box. Measure the thickness of the slate and add double this to the length of the longer side pieces. If you're using broken slates, you'll need to plan

you can use iris bulbs; if you wait until spring, simply buy pots of iris. October - November or January - FebruaryFebruary30 minutesIris 'Pauline' bulbs x12 or iris plants x3Hart's tongue fern, e.g. Asplenium scolopendrium 'Angustifolia' x3Bird's foot

scabious echoes its purple accents from mid- to late-summer. Above these plants arch the leaves of the grasses, gently swaying in a summer breeze.March - April June - September20 minutesSedge, Carex buchananiiBlue fescue, Festuca glauca x2Scabious x2Thrift

it to stand for a week, to allow the chlorine to evaporate.When filled, trim liner and underlay together leaving 10-15cm of overlap. Fold over the corners ready to fix on the planks.Lay lengths of decking over the four edges of the pond, parallel to the sides

about 1cm apart. Lightly cover with a thin layer of compost then stand pot or tray in water to moisten.When the seedlings are a few inches tall, prick them out and transplant into fresh compost. Once established, transplant seedlings into the garden, 10-15

they grew in around 10-15cm (4-6in) apart, with the same distance between each row.Encourage the plants to grow up the supports by gently twining them around the sticks. You may even need to gently tie them to the supports initially so they don't flop over

two years for your ball shape to fully develop.Find out how to create more topiary shapes, in Alan Titchmarsh's feature in the November 2011 issue of Gardeners' World Magazine, on sale now. Alan explains how to make a range of shapes, including cones

Water adds a new dimension to any garden and our pond-in-a-pot is the ideal place to grow miniature waterlilies and other small aquatic plants. This idea is quick and easy to make and requires minimal care. The larger the container, the more