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this as an excuse to loaf around watching old films, but then nothing gets done.So, instead I will spend the afternoon in my mother-in-law’s greenhouse as my wife’s loyal assistant. The vegetable garden is her bailiwick, and I am there to move things and do what I

Growing tomatoes with ring-culture pots involves surrounding the crop with a bottomless ring and adding layers of compost at 10-14 day intervals. This encourages the tomato to root from the stem so it can take up more water and nutrients than it would get from the growing bag alo...

CanesChicken wire meshFebruary - April10 minutes to sow the seedsJune - AugustFor early crops, sow seed indoors now in pots or cells. Transplant into the garden when the seedlings are about 12-15cm high. This helps reduce damage from slugs, snails and pigeons

Cut flowers really brighten up a home, and growing your own can save you a fortune on floristry bills. There are plenty of varieties suitable for cutting, including ‘everlasting’ flowers, which can be cut and dried to use in arrangements all year round. Also, many attract bees, b...

Following my recent blog Top 10 plants for a dream garden, I’m expanding the wishlist to include fruit and veg. I think it’s good to have a goal, no matter how distant it may seem.I like to think that if I have a decent-sized garden, with room for a

sowing.There are seed trays already stacking up in the greenhouse, and the propagator is working overtime. Luckily, there are lots of seeds that positively relish an early start. Perennials, for one: I sowed the Seed Club High-Value Perennials collection

in garden centres or online, at around £4 for 15. They’re hard to establish in cold, wet soil outside, so plant in pots first.Soak roots in water for half an hour if they look dry. Carefully separate into individual crowns, each with a shoot and set of roots

to choose plants that require full sun.So, if I can choose a garden with more space, good soil, a decent amount of sun and maybe even a greenhouse, what will I grow?First, I’ll be able to consider plants that fail to grow in my current garden

Making your own pots from paper will save you money, and reduce the amount of plastic you use in your garden and greenhouse. Newspaper pots are completely biodegradable, so when plants are growing strongly and ready to go outside, the whole pot can

Filling your garden with colour can be an expensive business. Garden centres and nurseries are packed with attractive bedding plants in April and May, which are perfect to plant out for an almost instant show.This convenience comes at a price. It