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cool. If you can, maintain a temperature of around 21° to ensure a good fruit set and a high yield. Otherwise, gently tap flowers and spray with tepid water to encourage fruit set.Grow plants in individual pots rather than growing bags

regularly once the pot is full of roots. After two years, top-dress the pot every spring or repot into a larger container using loam-based compost, plus some slow-release feed granules to maintain good growth. By then, a twice-yearly trim with shears should

kits also come with a mat that should be used to cover the material to maintain moisture in the bin.Finish by putting the lid on the bin, then move it to a warm and sheltered spot, out of direct sunshine. Regularly drain liquid from the bin, and dilute

and limit algal growth.More on garden ponds and water featuresGrowing marginal plants in a container, with Chris BeardshawChris Beardshaw on maintaining a healthy pondCreating a summer patio pondMaking a bubbling water feature

that one of the most satisfying things in gardening is a well built, well maintained compost heap, but it is a bit much when people get smug about what is really just a pile of rotting vegetation. I do not claim to be an expert but what we make ends up

maintained a certain decorum - ties, waistcoats and (for the head gardener) a black hat and heavy fob watch. Not for them a pair of holey jeans and a sweater grimy with compost and dusted with spilled rooting powder.Nowadays anything goes. I have laid a patio

given plants by my neighbours, which are planted wherever there's a spare bit of earth.But I do try to stick to the general plan, to ensure the nutrient levels of the soil are maintained evenly across the plot, and pests and diseases do not build up

, firstly, you mustn't forget to clip it and, secondly, your neighbours need to do the same on their side. One of the best-looking hedges I've ever seen was of lovingly maintained leylandii. It was tight, dense and of a much more vibrant green than either

, rather than rushing in with secateurs snipping everywhere. Every cut serves a purpose, so consider carefully. Pruning provides an opportunity to maintain the health, vigour and flowering performance of our roses.Any old stems showing signs of dieback can

 looked less like a happy clump brimming with energy, and more like a cross between a Polo mint and a shabbily maintained monk's tonsure. All the growth has migrated to the edges. This is something that happens to a number of herbaceous perennials and is a