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'Medium-flowered cactus dahlia, with sunny yellow flowers. Height 120cm.Dahlia 'Yellow Galator'Small-flowered semi-cactus type, with white-tipped pinky red petals. Height 60cm.Dahlia 'Pianella'More about using garden weedsTake dahlia cuttings Plant dahlia tubers

for growing in the greenhouse. Plant in large containers and water well.Unusual fruit varietiesBanana 'Dwarf Cavendish'This is the hardiest, most reliable and heaviest cropping fig in northern Europe.Fig 'Brown Turkey'A high yielding outdoor variety that also

.Although we've had frogs and toads in the garden for years, they've never bred successfully, and we've never had tadpoles in our small pond. I'm hoping the newts will have better luck. Since I re-made the pond after its leak last year, we've not had much else

it in a container. You may have noticed that the centre is soon pretty barren and all the shoots are on the edge: if you leave it like that the plant will surely die, for it will have nowhere to go and a mint that has nowhere to go is a doomed plant

I'm not sure how I feel about super-rich Russians buying up British newspapers or football clubs, but there's one invasion I thoroughly approve of. The end of the cold war has meant far greater cross-fertilisation for gardeners.The Real Seed

unnatural, and besides, I like getting muddy. On a particularly hot summer's day I grabbed a spade and plastic container and rescued the tadpoles. I got as many as I could, but it was hard as the water had by then completely dried up and they were fully

In January I blogged about 'winterkill', after letters, emails and blog comments flooded in from gardeners who'd found dead frogs in their ponds. One commenter, Wishful Thinker, suggested I blog about winterkill before winter, so people can take

Home-grown carrots can't be beaten for flavour. Pulled fresh from the soil, they fill the air with scent and provide that satisfying 'crunch' so often lacking in supermarket crops. Carrots are also rich in nutrients, containing high levels

, this spreading plant features clumps of strappy leaves alongside sprays of trumpet flowers in shades of red, yellow and orange.My top plants for extending colourCrocosmiaThis plant is ideal for the no-fuss gardener. The large, long-lasting flowers in pinks

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