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bulbs (including lilies) can take at least three years and often longer to grow into plants of flowering size.Then there's the anticipation of the unexpected, as the resulting plants may be a result of cross pollination with other varieties, so not grow

borders.Verbena bonariensis works well in a number of garden settings, such as cottage and contemporary gardens, due to its height and airy appearance. It's also beneficial for attracting wildlife, particularly butterflies.Growing tall on strong, wiry

Parts of my garden have resembled something of a battleground this year. Why is it that all my favourite plants and crops have their very own pest to contend with? Grow lilies and you'll be hard pressed not to find lily beetle munching them. My

appear rotten or pitted.Dig up and destroy affected bulbs, and in the case of the tulip breaking virus don't plant your tulips near lilies, which can carry the virus without showing any symptoms. Avoid replanting where affected bulbs were growing

. Take care not to disturb the beetles before an application, or they'll jump out of harm's way.brassica seedlings, nasturtiums, alyssum, anemone, stocks, cleome, godetiaspring, summerMore common garden pestsLily beetleRosemary leaf beetleCapsid bugsLeatherjackets

was the natural place to be. Packed full of ideas for what to grow this year, and armed with packets of seed, I was determined to get some seed sowing done. But before the fun bit, I had to stop prevaricating and clear out the greenhouse.It's well worth cleaning

spell.More ideas for summer colourPlanting flowers for late-summer colour.Creating a summer display of lilies.Growing summer raspberries.

slowly, keeping your basket well fed.More ideas and advice for growing exoticsFollow Sarah Raven's video advice on caring for orchids.Learn how to check banana plants for frost damage with Sarah Raven's advice.Discover how to grow a peanut plant

. It appears in March and dies back in winter. It will partially disappear in very hot conditions, but will grow again when temperatures fall.Callitriche vernaMore about garden pondsFor more information on pond plants and water lilies visit the Waterside

ladybird. The rest are the usual suspects: vine weevils (No.3 on the list), lily beetles (No.9) etc.No matter how depressed we may get with cushion scale (No.4=) or the depredations of berberis sawfly (No.7) there is always a silver lining. There are worse