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Sown now in the greenhouse, dahlia seeds will produce young plants ready to plant outdoors in late May to flower this year. Seed companies sell a range of quick-growing bedding strains that are suitable for growing this way. You can also use

I've always assumed melons would be far too difficult or temperamental to grow in the UK, despite the Victorians' success at growing them in heated greenhouses.But a couple of summers ago, I visited the Thompson & Morgan seed trials in Ipswich

and produce much smaller bulbs. I know, I've tried it!Growing garlic is easy and hugely rewarding. You can plant it now or leave it until later on in the autumn or winter - whatever you like, it really doesn't matter. All that does matter is that the bulbs

them well watered in dry weather.Clean straw or synthetic mulch fabricProtective nettingSeep hose (optional)April - June 20 minutesharvest from June to JulyWeed around your strawberry plants and remove any dead or dying leaves. Lift the foliage

It's always exciting when we move the stock outside from the polytunnels to 'harden off' and 'grow on', so that they're just perfect for the Chelsea Flower Show. I guess it's rather like farmers letting cows out onto the grass after a long winter

I've been madly planting brassicas as if they're going out of fashion. Perhaps Brussels sprouts have never actually been in fashion - but they are with me. I greatly missed harvesting my own sprouts for Christmas lunch.This year, to make sure I don't suffer the same fate, I seem ...

James Alexander-Sinclair's blogs on the subject of small trees but wanted to share my own experience - not of growing trees in the garden but in large pots.Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' is a stunning small, slow-growing maple with the most gorgeous palm

growing them this way but I only need a few plants as Paul isn't keen on broad beans - too many massive, chalky old ones when he was a lad.If I have any more problems with growing broad beans I may discuss them with fellow allotmenteers. My neighbour Vic

from slugs and snails) and planted them out when they had a good clump of leaves. I always grow lettuces in a well-drained (and less slug-prone) bed close to my shed, so I can keep an eye on them.I tend to try a few new lettuce varieties each year

with grit. Germination should be quite quick, probably within the month. These seedlings probably won't flower next year, but should do the following year if they grow strongly. The anticipation of waiting for flowers to open is immense.You never quite know