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I might move house this year. It’s very early days, but the possibility of having a bigger garden is sending my plant-collecting gene into overdrive. I currently grow plants in my small, shady courtyard garden. But after four years of this, I long

Thank heavens for winter-flowering plants. These hardy specimens often have tiny, inconsequential blooms, but they more than make up for them with their powerful, sweet fragrance. I rarely notice the flowers of Sarcococca hookeriana, but I’m always

to have done by now. A box of tulips is sitting under my desk (along with two pairs of shoes, the overspill from the waste paper basket and a pen top whose presence I have been missing for a while). They should have been planted at least a month ago (the

Two years, I felt the need to grow a local, native plant in my garden. I gathered rosehips from a field rose at the edge of a nearby canal, soaked them in water and sowed the seed in coarse compost.The pots sat in a corner of my patio, doing nothing

We've been enjoying potatoes since the late 16th century when Spanish conquistadors brought them back from Peru.There are three main types, named according to when you plant and harvest them: first earlies, second earlies and maincrop. Depending

A greenhouse or polytunnel allows you to grow a wider range of plants, and extends the growing season. Once the structure is in place you'll need to kit it out with a few essential items, listed below.You’ll have more success raising your own seeds

everything we might like, so it's important to be selective when choosing which crops to grow.Make the best use of your time by growing the four crops recommended below.Raise young plants on a windowsill indoors, then plant out in late May into well

and courgette plants are extremely productive, so you'll harvest generous amounts from a smallish space. Salad leaf seeds are another good investment, as they grow fast and give useful crops from the tiniest patch, or a container.Early and late crops are another

the soil deeply and adding organic matter to the surface, veg can safely be planted at two-thirds’ normal spacing with no paths between rows, so you pack lots into the space. You can also use large patio containers for certain crops, or create a decorative

, and what the needs of your plants will be. If you’re planning to grow crops in there all year round, raise seedlings or overwinter tender plants, you’ll need a spot with maximum light and sunshine, away from frost pockets and cold winds.Discover the six