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, laying lawn edging and root pruning cordon fruit trees (while, apparently wearing a pair of white cricket trousers and a double-breasted blazer!). The best tip is for a slug trap: "take an old photographic negative and a piece of tin. Solidified

tree called 'Fondante d'Automne' which has lovely flowers, fantastic autumn colour and not very good fruit. Still two out of three is OK, I suppose.These are the catkins and buds of Betula jaquemontii and, finally, lime buds. Lime leaves (Tilia x

, while others have flooded. No wonder the plants are confused.In September, the RHS reported that the unseasonably warm weather was causing plants to flower later than usual, sometimes causing them to bloom again. This was down to climate change

We've been enjoying potatoes since the late 16th century when Spanish conquistadors brought them back from Peru.There are three main types, named according to when you plant and harvest them: first earlies, second earlies and maincrop. Depending

20,000 — so I try to visit as many of them as possible at this time of year. This is partly to see the fruits of all that labour, but also to make notes ready for the next planting season in autumn. Generally, as my family will happily tell you, I am

New plants at Chelsea 2008The plant marquee is packed with new, and often awe-inspiring cultivars. Here are some of our favourites from this year's show.Jarava ichu, or Peruvian feather grass, forms mounds of bright green foliage with showy, silver

Shade can be a nightmare if your heart is set on growing summer bedding, fruit and veg, or Mediterranean plants, which need direct sun to flourish. But there are plenty of beautiful plants which thrive in shady conditions.Many people imagine

tiny clusters of creamy white flowers in early summer that attract a range of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.CarawayBorago officinalis is an attractive plant with hairy leaves that have a slight cucumber flavour. Its delicate blue flowers

is to blame, with wild areas of farmland sacrificed for bigger yields. Bumblebees now have fewer nesting opportunities and flowers to feed from.Grow a range of flowering plants all year - especially from March to November when bees are most active - to provide

crops and bedding plants cleared and composted, and soil roughly turned to incorporate manure. Then there’s fruit pruning to be done, but that’s a job to tackle with some winter sun on your back. Yes, November’s a busy month, so I’m wrapping up warm