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stop to our normal November gardening routine. I would usually be spending jolly weekends doing a bit of light tidying, collecting the last of the autumn leaves and planting the last of the tulip bulbs. Instead we have been shoveling snow out

when pricking out.May the mice be so full of cheese that they have no room left to fill up on your tulip bulbs and sweet pea seedlings.May the autumn leaves fall into a neat pile.May your wheelbarrows never get punctures and the handles of your spades

are swelling, garlic bulbs fattening nicely, and the first chillies and peppers almost ready for the kitchen.With the 'grow your own' year now in full swing, and more crops coming on stream each week, you begin to appreciate just how much can be grown, and how

and bamboos as the new stars of the border and containers.They come mainly from South Africa where they're found on the fynbos, a rich and diverse habitat made up of bulbs, perennials, annuals and shrubs. This area is occasionally swept by fire, but smoke

There is a range of easy-to-grow, climbing annuals that will flower non-stop from June until the frosts, producing striking blooms and sculptural leaves. Because they grow 1.8m to 3m or more in a season, half the joy is amassing so much plant from one small, inexpensive seed.Swee...

in wide birch forests, as those of you who have seen Dr Zhivago will know. Willows are fine, as are limes, hazel, oaks and most pines.Snow is actually good insulation and many herbaceous plants and bulbs are quite happy snuggled up under a snowy duvet

hiding amongst piles of debris.Try making a slug deterrent by crushing two bulbs of garlic and boiling them in a litre of water for a few minutes. Add a tablespoonful of this to five litres of water and sprinkle on the leaves every couple of weeks

pots, which gives them a good head start. They'll develop a healthy root system before being planted outside sometime in February or March. Make sure the bulb is sitting about halfway down the pot. Two or three weeks before planting outside, throw down

of deadheading, they'll flower well into autumn.Impatiens walleriana 'Fiesta White'This evergreen clematis is often sold tied to an upright stake, however, its trailing habit makes it perfect for the edge of a container. Partner the white blooms with spring bulbs

such as camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris and more.And do remember that any bulbs, bedding or shrubs planted in pots on your patio can get waterlogged unless the water can drain away freely. Before planting, make sure your pots have adequate holes