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Christmas wreath decorations can be made simply from bundles of twigs pruned from your garden and can be left undecorated if coloured stemmed willow or dogwood is used. For a more traditional look, cover the framework with sprigs of evergreen

or even to hide an unpleasant view. Stretched over the beams of a pergola it makes a shady roof.More garden DIY projectsMake a spiral supportCreate a lead wall planterConstruct a metal obeliskHow to make willow edging

The whole world seems to be teeming with life at the moment: the birdsong is delightful, the snails are on the march (in spite of my discovering at least three huge hibernation areas during the winter) and the plants are growing at phenomenal speed

Hardwood cuttings are taken from woody perennials e.g. forsythia, cornus and willow in autumn and winter. They can take several months to produce roots, so leave them for a year before lifting and potting up or transplanting.SecateursSpadeSharp sand

Raised beds are ideal for vegetable growing - maintenance is easier, as you don't need to dig, and the soil doesn't get walked on and compacted.A robust raised bed can be constructed from interlocking scaffolding boards, which look attractive

. Foxglove14. Heather15. Honeysuckle16. Lavender17. Poppy18. Pussy willow19. Raspberry20. Red Campion21. Rosemary22. Scabious23. Sea Holly24. Sunflower25. Teasel26. Thistles27. Viper's bugloss28. WisteriaI'm growing 21 of the above plants in my garden

you once had one stem you then have many which, depending on the variety, have different uses. Ash has always been used for arrows, sweet chestnut for fencing pales, willow for weaving and (in this case) hazel for pea sticks and hedge-laying.We drag

understands both the art and craft of gardening, and speaks from experience. He's in tune with the environment, loves growing fruit and veg to feed his family, and is always bursting with new ideas he'd love to bring to life in his own garden. Now, of course

to be done. Spring is a bit like a rollercoaster: you get very slowly winched up through the long days of winter until you teeter on the top. Then suddenly it is downhill rush as everything starts sprouting and growing and flowering and, unless you

, occasionally, I make diversions to see them. I always get a slight frisson looking at a strapping young tree that I once planted as an insubstantial whip.Although alder, willow and ash grow satisfyingly fast, I get more satisfaction from oaks than any other