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of the stem.About 15cm from the shoot tip, make a nick using a sharp knife on the underside of the branch - aim to cut just halfway through the stem. Dust the area with hormone rooting powder.Dig a shallow hole at the point where the stem touches the ground

Roses can be grown successfully from cuttings and will grow on to make good flowering plants. Choose healthy stems of the current season's growth and follow our step-by-step advice to be sure of success. Roots will be produced over the winter months so that the rose cuttings can ...

of the plant, attracting black sooty mould, which inhibits photosynthesis and deprives the plant of energy.Young tender growth is vulnerable to aphid attack. These tiny insects (1mm-7mm long) are usually green or black and breed fast, smothering the plant

Capsid bugs are sap-feeding pests. The 6mm-long adults vary in colour from green to red-brown, depending on the species. Look for the distinctive diamond shape when their wings are folded. When they feed, they release a toxic saliva that kills off tiny areas of leaf tissue, causi...

In this pot design, the graceful astelia and black ophiopogon add structure, while a small-flowered blue pansy or viola unites the blue pot and the plants.September - NovemberOctober - March30 minutesOphiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' x2Astelia

March - June30 minutesPink bellis daisies x6Ivy x2Terracotta pot 25cm diameterPeat-free, multipurpose compostWater-retaining gelPlace a layer of crocks in the bottom of the pot to improve drainage.Fill the pot two-thirds full with multi-purpose compost and mix

that would look great in any garden all year round. spring or autumnAll year round20 minutesBamboo, Fargesia rufa x3Red hook sedge, Uncinia rubraTall black planter or other modern pot Multi-purpose, peat-free compostPlant the bamboo as the centrepiece

don't waste energy travelling to them.autumnall year round20 minutesPittosporum tenuifolium x1Skimmia japonica subsp. reevesiana x1 Ivy Hedera helix 'Glacier' x1Carex buchananii x1Tulipa 'Red riding Hood' x 10Square planter, roughly 45cm Round cup bird

wildlife, they can be made into great plant food and are a surprisingly versatile ingredient in the kitchen.The nettle we're used to in the UK is Urtica dioica, a perennial plant full of iron, calcium, magnesium and nitrogen, which makes it incredibly

Carol Klein offers advice on getting the best results from moisture-loving plants cowslip and fritillary.springMore advice on growing primulasTreating primula leaf spotHow to rejuvenate primrosesBrowse primula varieties