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the end of the 2012 growing season. The reason I’m flustered is that there’s so much still to do, and the most urgent job is to bring any tender plants that are still outside under cover before they’re damaged.I have a lovely selection of tender succulents

early in the season, they looked natural, and were soon covered by growth. However, by the end of the season their bottoms had rotted away. So what now?Should I choose man-made materials or use natural ones? Are the metal and plastic plant supports

made it impossible to sow seeds directly outside in the garden. The ground was just too wet, making it difficult to prepare the surface soil to sow into. Any small seeds I did endeavour to sow got washed away, wasting time, effort and money

lake on my lawn once again. It’s happened a few times this year, with relentless rain falling on already saturated ground. I can’t recall this happening before, and it’s quite a change from the scorched and cracked earth caused by droughts in previous

in my shed. Those in use will benefit from an overcoat, so during the coldest periods I’ll keep them wrapped in bubble polythene to help provide insulation from cold.2. Store hose reels under coverHose cart, fittings and nozzles are easily damaged

. The photograph featured here was taken last summer during my visit to the Mr Fothergill’s trial ground, and show mizuna, pak choi and other salad leaves.Salad leaves are some of the easiest crops to grow from seed in pots: just fill a pot with compost, sprinkle

to cover fences, and are used to divide areas of the garden. I have a greenhouse where I can squeeze in about eight tomato plants, a couple of cucumbers, plus pots of aubergine, sweet peppers and chillies. And pots of strawberries too, as grown outside

plants. Their discovery comes with a health warning for people living around them, too. They’re covered in tiny hairs, which, if broken off during contact, can cause skin irritations and rashes. This pest has been prevalent in southern counties for some