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point brought home to me recently when I was bowled over by the efforts of children from my local primary schools.I'd been called in to lend my support to judge a Compostable Garland Competition, and what a difficult job it was. Clearly these school

One of the most efficient ways of recycling kitchen waste is to use a worm bin. These purpose-built containers house a colony of brandling worms, which consume fruit and vegetable waste, producing a nutritious worm compost.As well as producing a

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

materials - dry, wet, soft and woody - otherwise they become slimy. Don't add nettle roots, unless your heap is very hot.Nettles on the compost heapMore about using garden weedsMake a nettle feed in a containerHow to feed your plantsMake a comfrey feed

Shrubs and perennials planted permanently in containers need good quality compost if they are to survive for more than a couple of years. The addition of loam-based compost such as John Innes no.3 will retain a good open structure for plant roots

Growing new potatoes for Christmas dinner is easier than you might think - you just need to plant them a little later. Some of the best new potatoes are grown from early and second early varieties, usually harvested in June and July. So, when

to prevent it drying out.The exotic striped spathe will form on the side of the leaf stalk and lasts about one week before beginning to fade.AdamAdd loam or John Innes to your compost to improve nutrient levels, and start feeding every week once your plants

Agapanthus make fantastic patio plants and look particularly good grown in terracotta pots. Given a sunny spot and free-draining compost, they'll produce spectacular flowers in June, July or August, depending on the variety.Although agapanthus

and put a layer of crocks in the bottom of the pot.Half-fill the pot with compost, then remove the acer from its container and position it in the middle of the pot.Fill in around the plant with fresh compost and firm it in gently, making sure it's planted

conditions, house plant orchids should be potted in a mix of moss, bark chips and perlite.Orchids living on branches get soaked regularly by tropical storms, but the water quickly drains away, and orchid compost is similarly free-draining. Over the years