Search - Articles

and cooking crops. Do let us know in the comments section of this blog if there are any harvesting tips you'd like us to cover.Finally, do join me and a host of other experts on the ‘Grow Your Own’ Garden at BBC Gardeners' World Live (15-19 June 2011) for more

, clouds and birds, and offers advice on the best plants to use for each style.Rooted box cuttingsOrnamental potHand shearsLoam-based compostall year roundabout an hourPot your cuttings up individually into 10cm pots, giving them a light initial trim

the end section as you will need to use it later.Make a sloping roof by measuring 3cm down from the top front corner of each side of the box and drawing a straight line from there to the top back corner. Cut along each line, using a handsaw.Cut off two 1.5

that the plants are providing a late source of nectar and pollen for bees, hoverflies and other pollinators. Soon they'll be plenty of seed for the birds.How are your sunflowers coming along? Have they reached the dizzy height of 2m or more? Do let us know

'll need quite a thick layer to provide the support the plants need. Give all the plants a good watering before starting.Cut a circle from a compost bag for the bottom of the basket, to help retain water. Add slow-release fertiliser and water-retaining gel

, with yellowy pink blooms. Height 110cm.Dahlia 'Preference'Large-flowered cactus type, needs staking to support stems. Height 120cm.Dahlia 'Reputation'Giant-flowered semi-cactus dahlia. Grow in rich soil for best results. Height 140cm.Dahlia 'Rev P Holien

and are inexpensive.3.9m scaffolding planks, 3.7cm thick, x 2SoilOrganic matterPliersHand sawJigsawTape measureRulerautumn - winterRemove the metal banding from the ends of the planks with pliers.Using a hand saw, cut each board in two to give one 2.3m and one 1.6m

wrote a number of important garden books in the 1930s. The photography is not brilliant, but what struck me is that nothing much changes, they're still much the same plants grown in much the same way.Except that perhaps our slug-catching techniques have

That's it - summer's over! There was a definite hint of autumn in the air this week - a certain crispness to the morning air, a dampness of dew underfoot and a freshening breeze.Even the plants seem to know that autumn is on its way, the odd leaf

There's only one thing better than receiving emails, letters and phone calls from readers and that's meeting them in person. And with Gardeners' World Live starting tomorrow (Wednesday 15 June, 2011) and running until Sunday I'm looking forward