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I’m cross! I'm fed up and I bet I'm not alone in my anger. I keep buying so-called frost-proof pots, but they always seem to break anyway.I tend to buy pots and containers marketed as being 'frost-proof'. It's the most sensible option as (in theory

We’ve finished clearing out all the summer containers and started replanting them with winter bedding. I really love potting up plants, especially in late-autumn and winter when any dash of colour is welcome in the garden.A trip to our local market

Many years ago I planted a palm in a pot and popped it on the newly constructed steps by our outdoor seating area. It looked great, for a while. The palm was a good size, and so was the pot.But the palm has grown and, sadly, the pot hasn't. Over

and there were numerous opportunities to talk garden design. I had a great time chatting about pests and pathogens in the potting shed. It was amazing just how many people were happy to queue in the hot sun to talk about their problems (it got so hot that we

to while away the winter months, and if you find one you can be sure there will be a lot more in that protected hiding place too. Check under loose flaps of bark, behind stacked spare paving slabs, around unused flower pots, around the back of planters

For a few years my bulbs have suffered attack from both rabbits and squirrels. I've seen rabbits sitting on pots, their rear ends squashing the winter-flowering pansies, their front ends crushing emerging bulb shoots, long before they have chance

the pepper and aubergine plants in pots. I spread them out on the benching, where they could enjoy the increased light levels coming through that sparkling clean glass.A friend recently gave me a trailer load of manure, so, once the ‘housekeeping’ tasks were

at the weekend, it was plain to see that the local slugs were showing no signs of slowing down. I uncovered several large clumps of their eggs; clear or slightly off-white spheres, each about 1-2mm in diameter (pictured, above). I gathered the eggs up in a pot

, winter hardiness. In particular, what should be sold as a suitable ingredient for a winter container or bedding display and what should not? Take the cyclamen. Often for sale at this time of year as a small potted plant, it's generally labelled 'winter

', has intensely rich, deep red flowers that almost glow. I'd recommend it to anyone. (The image above, by the way, is the regal pelargonium cultivar 'Lord Bute', not 'Calliope Dark Red'.) I want the pot to remain in its prominent position for as long