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The evergreen foliage of the skimmia, pittosporum and ivy set against a backdrop of carex, provide year-round interest in this elegant container display. Red tulips add a splash of colour in spring, while skimmia berries provide autumn and winter

This heart-shaped frame will create instant impact for Valentine's day without breaking the bank. You can make your topiary frame with a metal coat hanger, a cane and some garden wire. Ivy plantTerracotta potWire coat hangerThin garden wire25cm

. Line the front with trailing ivy plants, as a foil for the flowers rising above it.AdamRemove the pansy flowers as they fade, which will encourage the plants to produce more blooms, instead of diverting energy into making seeds.More advice on growing

to cut and bend, so a whole clutch of cone hanging baskets can be made in under an hour.1 50cm x 100cm aluminium sheet per cone1.5m of thin galvanised wireFelt pen and stringMetal cutters and a small bradawl50cm x 100cm piece of bubble wrapIvy and ferns

The sweet-smelling irises should be in flower by late-winter if the weather is mild. Before then, you can enjoy the foliage combination of the needle-like iris, the filigree ivy and the crimped fern. If you plant up this container feature in autumn

will look good into the spring. SeptemberNovember - March30 minutesPansy x4PhormiumSkimmiaHeucheraIvy x2Large potMulti-purpose compostCrocksPosition the container where you need winter interest, and place a layer of crocks at the bottom, then three

't be simpler or cheaper to create. Just use Christmas tree branches trimmed from the base of a tree, greenery gathered from your garden and a set of lights. We used pittosporum, miscanthus, ivy seed heads and a couple of phormium leaves.DecemberWinteran hour

The handsome, silver-leaved foliage plant cineraria adds sparkle to a dull winter's day, along with cheery variegated ivy, while brightly coloured red miniature cyclamen provide a vivid contrast and a festive splash of colour

Aerial roots grow on the stems of plants, such as ivy. These may be used for support or the uptake of air and moisture.

flower and patches of bare wall, I think about the ivy growing on the canal down the road. It's just coming into flower now, and is buzzing with the last of this year's hoverflies, bees and butterflies. Ivy would be a great choice for my garden - it