Search - Articles

Grow early strawberries Enjoy delicious home-grown strawberries at least four weeks before you pick them from the garden, by bringing some plants into a cool greenhouse or conservatory. Planted in a large container or hanging basket, just three

for autumn interestLift gladioli, clean the corms and store them FlowersMake a cross-cut in cabbage stems when harvestingSow broad beans for early crops next May and JunePut cloches over tender herbs like basil and corianderFruit & vegBring tender succulents

the gardenPlant tulip bulbs in groups to make drifts of spring colourAfter first frosts, lift and store dahlia tubers Plant evergreen shrubs and conifersFlowersPick ripe apples and pearsFinish harvesting marrows, squashes, onions and potatoesSow broad beans

and ceramic pots that aren't frost-proof Order farmyard manure or mushroom compost Around the gardenPlant heathers and trailing ivy in pots for winter colourCut down faded stems on rudbeckia and Shasta daisiesFinish planting tulips as soon as possibleFlowers

Move containers of shrubs or bedding to a sheltered spot FlowersDig over empty borders and pile manure on topLift and divide congested clumps of rhubarbCut down asparagus ferns and Jerusalem artichoke topsFruit & vegClear out old tomato and cucumber cordons

Rake up fallen leaves that could be sheltering slugsCut down dead perennialsFlowersWinter prune apple trees Prune away stems of autumn-fruiting raspberriesPrepare sites to plant new fruit trees and bushesFruit & vegFollow weather forecasts to set the right

.Clean and sharpen knives and secateursPut up nesting boxes for birds on suitable treesMove shrubs growing in the wrong placeAround the gardenCut down willows and dogwoods to their baseFinish taking hardwood cuttingsPlant bare-root roses, hedging, trees and shrubsFlowers

Prune out old stems of elder (Sambucus)Cut back last year's buddleia stems to ground levelHard prune trees that respond to pollardingFlowersPlant onion sets in modular trays of compostRepair netting on fruit cagesContinue forcing sea kale and chicory

the exact plants we show here, as there'll be plenty of similar things at your local nursery or garden centre. If you get cracking now you'll have a stunning display in just a few weeks.Gradually lower the cutting height of your mower Spray roses showing

be sheltering slugs and snailsAround the gardenCollect seed from allium and sow straight awayPlant evergreen shrubs and conifer hedgesCarefully dig up gladioli corms FlowersKeep harvesting root veg such as beetroot and carrotsOrder fruit trees and bushes