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it between clumps of primroses, Primula vulgaris. Height 20cm.x Chionoscilla alleniiThis is one of the first bulbs to flower each year. Hot on the heels of the snowdrop, it lights up the garden with pale blue blooms. Plant it in drifts under trees or in a

Also known as a slip, a cutting is taken from a healthy plant by means of scissors or a knife, and placed in a growing medium in order to create a new plant.

A scavenging insect of the Dermaptera order. Earwigs have long, narrow bodies and pincers at the rear. They may damage plants, especially those with dense flowerheads, as they can provide it with food and shelter.

The common name for tiny members of the Acarina order. They're distinguished from insects by having eight legs and no antennae. They may cause damage to plants, and are best controlled by chemical acaricides.

The practice of reducing the number of plants in a bed or container to provide more room for growth. In fruit production, to reduce the crop of fruitlets early on in order to produce larger fruits for harvest.

Empty glazed pots that aren't frost-proof, and move under coverSend off for mail-order seed catalogues and start planning seed ordersScoop fallen leaves and rotting plant debris from pondsOrder summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladioliGet hold of some

Plant colourful, evergreen Phormium 'Cream Delight' in a patio pot to brighten winter displaysTake care not to walk over borders or on lawns where spring bulbs and flowers will be emergingOrder young plants from mail-order companies

This technique encourages the production of roots from a stem in order to propagate a plant. Usually involves making a shallow cut in the stem and surrounding it with a sleeve of polythene, which is taped above and below the cut and packed

Plant strawberry runners in hanging baskets, which you can grow in the greenhouse to produce an early summer crop Order seedlings and bedding plants from mail-order suppliersSow dwarf French beans in a large pot for an early crop in JunePlant lily

Sow sweetcorn in deep modular seed trays under cover to plant out in early JuneFeed fruit trees and bushesPlant out onion sets grown in pots under glassOrder vegetable plug plants from mail-order suppliersWarm soil with cloches or sheets