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This heart-shaped frame will create instant impact for Valentine's day without breaking the bank. You can make your topiary frame with a metal coat hanger, a cane and some garden wire. Ivy plantTerracotta potWire coat hangerThin garden wire25cm

flower and patches of bare wall, I think about the ivy growing on the canal down the road. It's just coming into flower now, and is buzzing with the last of this year's hoverflies, bees and butterflies. Ivy would be a great choice for my garden - it

of the thyme and ivy. September - early FebruaryFebruary - April20 minutesPansy plants x2Thymus pulegioides 'Archer's Gold' x2Ivy plants x3Medium-sized window boxFill the window box with compost. Place the pansies centrally and add one thyme on either side

The sweet-smelling irises should be in flower by late-winter if the weather is mild. Before then, you can enjoy the foliage combination of the needle-like iris, the filigree ivy and the crimped fern. If you plant up this container feature in autumn

.SeptemberNovember - March20 minutesCineraria plants x2Cyclamen plants (miniature, a mix of red and white) x6Ivy plants x4Square containerMulti-purpose compostCrocksPosition the container in a sheltered spot and where you want some winter interest, and place a layer

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

narcissi bulbs when planting up. SeptemberOctober - March30 minutesSkimmia IvyHeucheraEuonymusLarge potMulti-purpose compostCrocksPosition the container where you need winter interest, and place a layer of crocks at the bottom, then three-quarters fill

that it is Parthenocissus tricuspidata, otherwise known as Boston Ivy. The leaves are a very distinctive three-lobed shape and are about 20cm long: we sometimes use them to cover plates (like brilliantly coloured doilies, but classier). Cheese in particular looks wonderful

Some plant combinations just work perfectly. When I first saw the wonderful combination of ornamental vine and ivy, I had to replicate it in my own garden. All I needed was a couple of bare fence panels (which many, many gardeners have) and two

in the thicket of climber on the fence. The first ladybird of the year, a seven-spot, sunned itself on the ivy. And one of my favourite spiders is back.Pisaura mirabilis is a beautifully sleek and elegant creature, dusky grey with a beige streak down its back. It