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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

Growing new potatoes for Christmas dinner is easier than you might think - you just need to plant them a little later. Some of the best new potatoes are grown from early and second early varieties, usually harvested in June and July. So, when

Salad potatoes come in many shapes, sizes and colours. They're well worth growing, as they're such a versatile crop - delicious served hot with a knob of butter, or combined with any number of ingredients in a potato salad. All salad potatoes share

.When the icicles melted, the water landed on my hellebores and sarcococca and then froze again, coating the plants in thick layers of ice. Now the temperatures have increased and everything has defrosted, it's good to see that neither the hellebores nor

. If you have light, free-draining soil, you can start planting potatoes outside. I have very heavy clay soil in my garden, which is still a bit too wet for potatoes, so I’m putting it off for a little longer.I’ll sow some hardy annual flower seeds outside

Alys Fowler's top 10 veg plantsWith increased awareness of organic farming, food miles and healthy eating, many more people are trying their hand at growing vegetables. We caught up with Alys Fowler at the Chelsea Flower Show for some tips

New plants at Chelsea 2008The plant marquee is packed with new, and often awe-inspiring cultivars. Here are some of our favourites from this year's show.Jarava ichu, or Peruvian feather grass, forms mounds of bright green foliage with showy, silver

nutritious for both other plants and humans.Follow our tips on putting nettles to good use - but be sure to wear gloves at all times when handling them.For a basic soup you'll need about 200g of fresh nettle tips. Add 450g of potatoes, peeled and cubed, a

it with 10 parts water, to use as a fertiliser.AdamAdd fruit and vegetable peelings, cooked veg (except potatoes), shredded paper, cardboard and newspaper, crushed egg shells, tea leaves and coffee, but avoid meat and dairy products, lawn clippings, citrus

flower will need more attention though. Hans suggests daily watering and regular feeding, and swears by growing the plants in a cocktail of home-made compost and chopped raw potatoes, plus wood chips and bark. (For more of his tips, download the growing