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, weekly feeding and frequent deadheading do create more work at a time when, to be honest, there are other things I'd rather be doing in the garden. Riding to the rescue have come a growing assortment of succulents - more unusual plants with very few

next door to a wood. At this time of year, my younger son and I venture forth with loppers and bow saw to coppice some hazel. Coppicing is an ancient form of woodland management where cutting particular trees down leads to regrowth from the stump. Where

, is surrounded by a thick belt of trees that some far-sighted and very sensible forebear planted. This gives the gardens enough shelter from the Atlantic gales to allow all sorts of interesting things to thrive. So far, so good. However, one of the problems

outside had produced four or five fruits. Now this I had to try.Unfortunately their melons were trial varieties, and until the trial comes to an end in a couple of years we won't know whether any of these will be introduced to the gardening public

I have just ordered a whopping great pile of manure. A couple of weeks ago we finished cutting everything back and hunting down any perennial weeds that were hiding beneath the plants in readiness for mulching: had it not snowed we would have

. To revive the plant remove it from the pot, cut it in half and turn the outside edges so that they face inwards then replant in the pot with a bit of fresh compost. So simple.The general rule is that early-flowering plants should be divided in the autumn

Brambles are the unsung heroes of the fruit garden.A couple of weeks ago I was spring cleaning my store cupboard when I found a stray jar of blackberry jam trapped behind the mountain of marmalade. The pleasure I got when we opened it for breakfast

water again if the soil is very dry. Feed early in the season with a low-nitrogen fertiliser such as bone meal.Mulch the soil with gravel, to retain moisture, but don't cover the rhizomes. Deadhead irises after flowering by cutting stems back to the fan

.To grow good veg you need a sheltered site that gets full sun for at least half the day, with deep, fertile, well-drained soil that has been enriched with organic matter. Deep beds – the original no-dig technique – are perfect for small gardens; by working

I love the snow we're having this week, but it does rather put paid to gardening. Harsh weather has made me all the more thankful for my lovely greenhouse - the only thing that's tempting me to the  bottom of the garden at the moment. After I took