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Left unchecked, canker can gradually spread to affect whole branches and sections of trees. Severely-infected old trees may be beyond rescue, while young trees are vulnerable to infection, particularly where other susceptible trees are growing

What a tremendous pleasure it is to grow sunflowers from seed. Thousands of children up and down the country sow sunflowers in spring, no doubt hoping to grow the tallest and enter the Guinness Book of Records.My sunflowers will never do

' x3Marguerite 'Butterfly'Plectranthus forsteri 'Marginatus' x3Verbena 'Peaches and Cream' x5Fertiliser and water-retaining gel30cm rattan basketCompostSnip a few holes in the basket's plastic liner for drainage, then support the basket in a bucket

problems affecting fruit bushes and treesGrey mould on soft fruitsApple sooty blotchPeach leaf curlBrown rot on apples, pears and plums

. Apricot trees (Prunus ameniaca) grow particularly well there because of the south-western aspect and because, before the invention of the gutter, they got lots of rain - apricots need lots of water to prevent the fruit from splitting.I mention this because

Things really move up a gear in May when you're growing your own. With a greenhouse bulging at the seams, I can't wait for the risk of frosty nights to pass so I can plant them outside.Tomatoes, courgettes, sweetcorn and other tender crops

sunny, south-facing wall, and start harvesting in late July.Nectarine 'Early Rivers'A reliable variety, and produces a high yield of white-fleshed, juicy, crimson-skinned fruit.Peach 'Peregrine'The best tasting dessert pear. Grow near 'Beth' or 'Concorde