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Nettles, like midges, are one of those things for which it is difficult to feel much affection. Never welcome, they grow everywhere and, to the gardener at least, seem to have little purpose beyond stinging our children. The sting comes from

to encourage good cross-pollination between plants, each plant needs space to grow. This year each plant is at least 30-45cm (12-18in) from its neighbours, which should be enough.I'm trying a few varieties this year, including 'Swift', which is described as "an

loading a huge net sausage of straw into the water. I thought this treatment, intended to prevent algae growing on the surface of the water, was rather fanciful folklore. But I recently came across it on a water-management website, together with suggested

Potato blight, Phytophthora infestans, determines the quality and quantity of our potato harvest. We grow our own spuds every year, but harvest them in varying quantities, depending on whether or not they've been affected.The fungal infection

'm after - and I usually am - then my only option is to buy plants.With at least another two months of enjoyment to come I'll just keep an eye on watering from now on, adding a liquid feed about once a week to keep plants growing strongly. Then I'll brush

bizarre to be taken seriously. However, there is an absolute King of Vegetables (Kay agrees with this while Pippa still needs to be completely convinced).Perfect raw or cooked, easy to grow, simple to prepare and the pods make excellent compost. (My

and herbaceous climber found in forest and thickets from Mexico to tropical South America." I'd love to see a picture of this. Suffice to say, my cobaea is on an obelisk in Cambridgeshire, and has been a star this summer.I've tried growing it from seed before

was the best sun in ages and these lovely bugs have started to appear, just as they always do at this time of year, sunning themselves on the south-facing fence, and the leaves of the ivy growing all over it. They won't stay that colour for long, and I expect

and reuse in our gardens.For example you may discover a single plant that excites you, or an interesting and novel combination of two or three plants growing together - everybody has room for that. It may even be something as mundane as a piece of paving

and the weeds will grow through regardless!So, if I'm ever asked for a gardening tip for a new gardener it would have to be mulch, mulch, mulch. Home-made compost costs you nothing, so make as much as you can from kitchen and garden waste as well as leaves