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, never a fan of vegetables, chose Tomato 'Ailsa Craig' as "unbeaten for flavour, perfect for growing in an unheated greenhouse".The list goes on, and with 100 tempting crops my seed and plant order has now grown to such an extent that I'm going to need

Gardeners' World Magazine is often the first port of call for people trying to identify an unknown plant, and every summer I can guarantee receiving at least one photo of a particular Mexican bulb that has left someone baffled. Originating among

Some people get a bit snobby when it comes to flowers. Perennials usually come high in the pecking order for the 'must have' plants of the moment, but when did you last hear anyone singing the praises of hardy annuals?Annuals are the unsung heroes

encourages flowers to form at the base of each of these pruned shoots.I regularly hear of people whose wisteria won't flower, but my plant flowers very reliably. Perhaps growing it in a pot helps, along with correct pruning, and feeding with a high potash

seed sowing. My sowing list includes greenhouse tomatoes, chillies and sweet peppers, plus a few half-hardy bedding varieties – all plants that benefit from early sowing and a long growing season.My plan for the week involves something of a spring clean

At last my achocha have been planted... later than I wanted, but time has been against me and I didn't fancy getting soaked in a July deluge! (Call this global warming?). I love the way unusual crops, like achocha, always get visitors to my garden

close second only to roses, according to a recent survey of florists. And as with any 'easy-to-grow' plant, it divides gardeners in the same way that gladioli, dahlias and many others do.Horticultural snobs may give them a wide berth as they search out

.The alternative was to sow plants in pots and modular trays in the greenhouse or on window sills.  This allowed plants to be sown at the right time under cover, raising robust young seedlings for planting out later. In fact, regular showers actually helped when

are 'creative, colourful and convenient'. In other words, they'd like us all to buy and plant more of these valuable evergreen shrubs.I find it surprising that while most of us love seasonal colour in our gardens, and invest a great deal of time and money in pot

I’ve grown garlic successfully for years. But last summer was an exception, as the warm, wet weather provided the perfect conditions for garlic rust to thrive. Bulbous plants infected with rust usually wither and die early, before the bulbs have