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some granular fertiliser on the soil (organic ones are available).Shallots are surprisingly easy to grow and very rewarding. I'd never want to be without them in the kitchen. One of my mainstays is a salsa that I serve whenever a meal needs a little

and Their Haunts by the Rev. C.A. Johns, was published in 1862 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, on the back of his success with Flowers of the Field (1851). Both books were in print for over a century, and it's easy to see why.To start, Johns

an allotment or know anyone who grows good quality artichokes, the best things to do is to ask them for an offset, which is the only way of ensuring an exact same copy.Dividing artichoke plants is easy - just take a sharp spade and splice down one

form a redcurrant National Collection. Home-made redcurrant jelly is easy to make and its flavour is a revelation - you will never return to shop bought again. If you're short on space, redcurrants can easily be trained to grow on a single stem which

their gardens. Tommy Walsh demonstrated just how quick and easy it was to build decking, while timber everywhere was treated to a coating of Barleywood Blue paint thanks to Alan Titchmarsh's persuasive brushstrokes. Ground Force certainly influenced millions

important not to confuse bumblebees with wasps. I don't want to be responsible for any deaths.Moving bumblebee nests is easy if you know what you're doing. It's best to do it at night when most of the bees are back in the nest. Bumblebees don't fly

.HeleniumThis plant is a gem, with huge domes of white flowers dotted like plump cushions across a light-green leafy background. The huge heads last in semi-dried form until the first frosts.Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'Reliable, evergreen, easy to grow and doesn

position is ideal, but it will perform well in part shade.Carex flava (Yellow sedge)Carex testacea makes a great impact with its slender, orange-tinted foliage. Easy to keep in normal to damp soils, it reaches 50cm in height.Carex testaceaThis deciduous

and spread of 45cm.Hellebore orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids'Easy to grow, cut-and-come-again salad leaves require little space. They come in a range of prepared salad mixes, and include species such as rocket, mizuna, mibuna and pak choi. Harvest the leaves

alive' - a reference to the fact that houseleeks tolerate extreme temperatures and drought. The hardiness of Sempervivum, and the closely related genus Jovibarba (also known as hen and chickens), makes them excellent, easy-to-keep garden plants