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in this country to have so many wonderful apple varieties to choose from for our gardens. As trees are available on dwarfing rootstocks to keep their ultimate size down, and they can be trained into compact forms like cordons and espaliers, apples are the perfect

their lawn was dead (well, mine did look dead) when I wrote about drought damage in the garden in my July blog, but didn't I tell you it would recover once rain came? Not that I'm feeling smug with my prediction. It's just that plants are great survivors

Soil typesYour soil type - sandy, loam or clay - determines which plant species you can grow. Knowing your soil type enables to you to choose the plants best suited to your garden. Soil type is identified the presence of clay, sand and silt

, and what the needs of your plants will be. If you’re planning to grow crops in there all year round, raise seedlings or overwinter tender plants, you’ll need a spot with maximum light and sunshine, away from frost pockets and cold winds.Discover the six

, but our committee permits dwarfing rootstock and asks that we plant trees in the centre of the plot so that we don't shade or deplete the soil for someone else. The dwarf rootstock for plums is known as 'Pixy', but if you're planting in a back garden

exclusively for wildlife. Building the garden from scratch, I was able to choose the best nectar- and pollen-rich plants for insects, put in a pond for my frogs (it's in a tin bath but it still has different depths and a variety of native plants), a compost

'll finally start being nice to the female and they'll choose to nest here. (Our lack of trees or hedges won't pose a problem for nesting blackbirds, apparently, as they will nest on the ground if conditions are suitable.)The female has already started looking

, or self-setting gravel edged with timber. Where you intend to plant direct into the border soil, fork it thoroughly to relieve any compaction and incorporate plenty of compost. Alternatively, if you'll be growing in pots and growing bags, or on benches