Search - Articles

from pinks (Dianthus)Prune philadelphus after floweringFlowersWater beans and pick them regularlyTransplant brassica seedlings to their final positionsLift early potatoes and shallots as they matureFruit & vegTake cuttings of zonal and regal

and produce flower after flower until about early December. Perhaps we should be growing more of them. Good garden varieties include 'Clara Curtis' (pink), 'Emperor of China' (double pink) and 'Wedding Day' (white). You can read more about chrysanthemums here.

cm) but the pale yellow flowers have a rather charming twist. Good for pots and the front of borders.Dahlia 'David Howard': reminds me of the finest chunky cut marmalade. The orange is quite strong but very cheerful. I grow it with the second flush

If you yearn for the smell of the sea and the sight of grasses waving in the dunes, try planting up this coastal-themed container. From late-spring, the thrift brings splashes of colour with profuse pink, white or purple flowers, while the lilac

. However, I include it because it makes a good, narrow growing, multi-stemmed tree with stunning white, starry flowers in springtime followed by edible fruit and dark red leaves. Can stand a bit of wet.Number three: Sorbus hupehensis. A Chinese Rowan

Hardy tulipsIf you find tulips difficult to grow, you may find species tulips easier. These are quite unlike their large-flowered cousins, which can frustrate gardeners by dazzling in their first year, then all but disappearing the next

Rose Shades (from Mr Fothergill's seeds), producing a simple, single rosette in shades of rose pink. They only grow to about 45cm, so I've planted them closely to form a carpet between some standard Bonica roses in a complimentary shade. The marvellous

Are you snowed under with seed catalogues? It seems that even before the summer stutters to an end we have to start thinking about next year.I don't usually grow much in the way of annuals in my garden (apart from dahlias and poppies, of course

flower for cutting. This year we're growing 'Dazzler', which has gorgeous deep pink petals.Sweet peas are another must for any cutting garden. If you haven't got your plants going already, you could invest in some plug plants (mail order is much better

There are several different viruses that affect tulips, each with slightly different symptoms. Tulip breaking virus causes streaking or marking of purple, pink and red tulips, usually on the late-flowering cultivars. White and yellow tulips aren