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, gritty compost. They take up to three months to germinate at about 15°C and should be left for a few years before transplanting and growing on.PropagationMore plants to grow for late-summer colourChoose flowers for late-summer colourCombine asters, sedums

Two years, I felt the need to grow a local, native plant in my garden. I gathered rosehips from a field rose at the edge of a nearby canal, soaked them in water and sowed the seed in coarse compost.The pots sat in a corner of my patio, doing nothing

down in log and leaf piles, nestle into tree bark, or bury themselves in compost heaps or mud. Some species, such as birds and squirrels, don't hibernate, but struggle to stay alive - using up fat reserves just to stay warm.Birds are more likely

. The compost should also be watered, but not much – simply ensure it never dries out fully. Add a house plant fertiliser when watering the rosette, though use it at half strength, and only feed during the spring and summer months.When to water and feed a

with loam-based compost. Space the plants fairly closely, so they knit together as they grow, and pinch out the shoot tips to promote dense growth.Water the plants and apply a liquid feed regularly, so they grow steadily without the leaves going brown. Trim

, letting plants use up moisture until the compost has dried up and they die down. Then I leave the dormant tubers in their dry compost over winter, which I hope insulates them from cold.Memo to myself: Remember to start the gloriosa tubers into growth

I'm not sure I like moth orchids. They're pretty to look at when in flower, but a bit of a pain to care for if you want them to bloom again. And I think it's a bit sad that these beautiful plants, which should be growing in the canopy of an exotic

pot of moist compost beneath the flowers to catch the seeds when they fall. You can transplant them when they're bigger.I dutifully placed a pot of compost beneath the plant. But then disaster struck.  Munching away at the flowers and unripe seeds

in their final positions last weekend. They're roughly 50cm tall and healthy looking, but they're not as tall as Adam Pasco's greenhouse-grown ones. Obviously they'll catch up and take over his soon.All but one of the sunflowers are planted in well-rotted compost

-up liquid to the water to really help it soak in and wet the compost thoroughly.More advice on extending the life of plants How to deadhead flowers.Advice on watering plants.Tips for watering hanging baskets.Feeding your plants.Browse a variety of spring