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Learn how to build a raised bed by following Monty and Chris's step-by-step video demonstration, with information on the benefits of for those with heavy soil or poor drainage.all-year-roundMore garden DIY projectsMore on building raised bedsMonty's video advice on laying a slab...

Watch Sarah Raven's step-by-step video guide to growing salad leaves in guttering indoors, to give seedlings a good start before transplanting them outdoors.OctoberMore advice on growing saladRead Pippa Greenwood's blog on growing salad leavesVideo advice on growing salad leaves ...

Learn how to improve the condition of your soil by sowing rye seeds to create green manure, with Monty Don's video demonstration and advice.summer and autumnMore advice on improving soilHow to mulch beds and bordersFeeding plantsImproving soilMaking a soil sieve

Growing pumpkins is easy and great fun. Pumpkins are rampant growers so they benefit from a large root run, plenty of moisture and regular feeding. For this reason, they are best grown in the open ground, or a large half barrel. When planning your patch, be sure to allow sufficie...

Following my recent blog Top 10 plants for a dream garden, I’m expanding the wishlist to include fruit and veg. I think it’s good to have a goal, no matter how distant it may seem.I like to think that if I have a decent-sized garden, with room for a

The taste of fresh asparagusin May is worth waiting for. A perennial crop, established asparagus plants will provide an annual crop of tasty spears for up to 20 years.Choose the spot you will grow your asparagus carefully. Asparagus needs lots of space to grow and thrives in shel...

The boot scraper is a handy tool to keep by the back door as the weather gets worse and gardens get muddier. It only takes a couple of hours to make and costs next to nothing.ChiselHammerSawLarge logThick slate tileWood glueall year roundtwo hoursStand the log for the boot scrape...

Our towns and cities have become pocket-sized safari parks for insects, amphibians, small mammals and birds. In many parts of the UK, a number of amphibian species - such as frogs, toads and newts - are facing serious decline because of the loss of ponds in the wider countryside....

Autumn leaves are mainly broken down by the slow action of fungi rather than by bacteria that decompose other compost bin ingredients quickly, so it's best to compost them separately in a simple cage.The leaves of all deciduous trees make good leaf mould. Small thin leaves such a...

Winter is a good time to clean, tidy and reorganise your greenhouse. Remove all the clutter, clean the glass to maximise light levels, and create an ordered working environment in time for the season ahead. BroomBucketDisinfectantGlass cleanerLong handled spongeScouring spongewi...