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Lay a patio now and you'll enjoy the benefits each time you're out in the garden. It's not a difficult job, so put aside a weekend and you'll soon be entertaining friends, or enjoying a well-earned rest on your new patio surrounded by pots

.5-10cm pots, until late May, then placed them on my patio in a large terracotta pot, using a peat-free, multi-purpose compost.To support the climbing stems I used silver birch stems saved from winter pruning, pushing them down into the pot to create a

I'm always looking for plants that make an impact - things that will grab the attention and put on a good show. Seasonal bedding and bulbs are always popular, but many shrubs also grow well in patio pots.Over the years I've tried all sorts, from

A wide variety of pots have graced my patio all summer, hosting a wide and varied range of plants from agapanthus and phormium to miscanthus, eucomis, pelargoniums, and an assortment of colourful bedding - to name but a few.I love growing things

This year I'm determined to only grow one variety of tomato. This is because my garden was overrun with tomato plants last year and I couldn't get onto my patio for growing bags and poorly staked cordons. So 2011 will see a more streamlined effort

I can't be the only one looking for foolproof plants to brighten the patio during summer, but it's always nice to try something a little different too.Traditional summer bedding has its place, but it does demand regular attention.Daily watering

this morning as I left the flat. The leaves of my plants look like jigsaw puzzle pieces, and I frequently sit at the table at night, watching the adults climb to the top of my patio windows and 'drop' into my large pots to do their worst.Despite the apparent

that produce one stem carrying one flower at the top, when you can grow varieties with many flowers per stem?I'm not sure why multi-headed tulips aren't more widely grown, as I've found their performance outstanding in patio pots. One of my favourites is a

Made from recycled glass jars, frosted with spray, these pretty garden lanterns are a cheap and easy way to give your garden a magical feel. Keep the design as simple as possible as this makes it easier to cut out the design and to remove the plastic after you've finished sprayin...

A wall-mounted mini-greenhouse will protect seedlings and cuttings from cold weather without taking up too much space. You can make your own mini-greenhouse, using an old wooden wine box and an acrylic sheet. Wooden wine box1 sheet of acrylicWood stainExterior glueTwo small hing...