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and yellows.This restio has thick branched, bamboo-like stems that can grow to around 3m high and form huge clumps.Five favouritesCannamois virgataA towering specimen at 2m. The soft-green banded stems make it a perfect accent plant.Chondropetalum mucronatum

I'm not a great one for growing flowers on my plot. Maybe I shy away from raising flowering plants on the allotment because I grow so many in my main job (as head gardener at The Bath Priory Hotel). I've grown marigolds as companion plants

tomato plants before they collapse under the weight of their fruit. Drive a bamboo cane into the soil next to the plant, taking care not to damage the roots, then tie the stems to the cane with twine, using a figure-of-eight knot, in one or more places

Peat-free, multi-purpose compostBee hotelsspring and summer20 minutesSit the pot in position, then place a layer of yogurt pots or crocks to aid drainage. Part-fill with compost.Add the plants, placing the taller ones at the back and the lower growing species

The warmth of spring and summer allows you to sow vegetable seeds outdoors in the soil. Here they'll quickly germinate to produce crops to enjoy this season. Try easy-to-grow salads such as radish, spring onion and salad bowl lettuce. You can also

-July - late-AugustIf you are growing runner beans from seed, sow a few extra as a back up in case some plants die. Either sow these directly in the soil or into modular seed trays of multi-purpose compost to germinate indoors.Water the compost in the pots

should be able to buy all the ingredients for your plant support from a garden centre or DIY store for less than £10.Galvanised wire1.5m bamboo cane45cm terracotta potWire cuttersCompostIvy plantall year round30 minutesCut a 3m length of wire and bend

of garden debris and remove them where necessary.AdamKeep the pond water free from algae with oxygenating plants. Try water mint, hornwort or Ceratophyllum demersum.More inspiration for water gardeningMake a bamboo water hammer.Make a bubbling urn water

The easiest way to trim established conifer hedges is by using a powered hedge-trimmer to give a regular, even finish. Quick-growing conifers will need about three cuts per year during the growing season, at roughly eight week intervals.Inspect your

Good morning and happy 'Grow Your Own' Week to you all.There are, I have to admit, many other gardeners who are hotter on vegetable growing than me. Give me herbaceous borders and I can muddle through and make them look pretty good, but when