Search - Articles

of fruit. Summer pruning is also ideal for keeping trees in shape. Pick herbs, lavender and everlasting flowersBe on the lookout for developing pest problemsDig out problem lawn weeds or treat with weedkiller Around the gardenPick bulbils from lily stems

growing from the framework of espalierPick fresh herbs for dryingPick gooseberries, currants, strawberries and other fruitsFruit & vegTrain cucumbers and prune back sideshootsPick off flowers on coleus to maintain their colourful leavesPinch out tomato

Remove blanket weed from pondsAround the gardenLift, divide and replant congested flag irises after floweringDeadhead border perennialsPick dead flowers off rhododendronsFlowersSow cabbages to pick as spring greensThin heavy crops of apples, pears

, cutting back whippy sideshootsWater plants in pots and basketsFlowersCheck sweetcorn to see if it's ripe and ready to pickPick beans and water crops regularlyLift onions once their tops die downFruit & vegBuy pansies and other winter bedding plug plants

Layer a rhododendronRhododendrons are beautiful shrubs but they come with a less than attractive price tag. A simple propagating technique called layering is a great way to get more plants without breaking the bank.Pick off rose leaves infected

efficientlyPick off dead flowers and leaves Greenhouse20 minutesLearn how to grow your own cacti

, or even into the border.Treat timber fences, trellis and posts with preservativeInstall water butts to all downpipes on your houseApply moss killer to lawnsAround the gardenSow sunflowers outsideTrim winter-flowering heathersPick off faded flower heads

container-grown roses and shrubsPrepare soil in flower beds for summer beddingTie in new growth on climbing plantsFlowersSow bean, marrow, courgette and squash seedsSpray peaches and nectarines with fungicide Pick rhubarb stems as they developFruit & veg

controls if you have discovered pestsPinch out developing sideshoots on tomato stemsGreenhouse50 minutes to sow and plantDiscover the taste of freshly picked sweetcorn

Sow quick salads in guttering Keep a regular supply of salad leaves by sowing seeds in lengths of plastic guttering, cut to the length of your veg beds, and filled with good compost. When the seeds germinate, you can grow them on for 2-4 weeks