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The cup and saucer vine, Cobaea scandens, grows 3m or more in a single summer. It is wonderfully dynamic, with winged buds and flowers that are cream when they first open, turning to dusky purple bells as they mature. The curling, tongue-like stamens and claret-tinted stems are c...

coloured pot. If you buy the plants from a garden centre, they can be planted into the garden after they've finished flowering, so you can enjoy them for years to come. February - MarchFebruary - March30 minutesDaffodils, e.g. Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête' x3

Thanks to our warmer climate, most of us can now enjoy traditionally tropical plants in our summer gardens. Canna 'Tropicanna' is surprisingly tough for such a lush-looking plant, and can survive outdoors all year round (with a little protection

Surround your roses with strongly scented companion plants, such as lavender, thyme, rue and garlic chives, to help keep aphids at bay. While gardeners are attracted by their beauty, rose pests are deterred by the herbs' strong scents. March - April

that shade ripening tomatoes. Pick parsley leaves when young for the best flavour.More inspiration for edible container featuresLearn how to grow your own display of edible herbs.Start growing fruit with a strawberry hanging basket.Plant a lavender garden

Herbs make the perfect partners to vegetables, whether they're eaten raw, roasted, boiled, mashed or fried. Mint is delicious cooked or raw, with root vegetables, in salads or dressings and marinades. Chives, with their mild onion flavour, are very versatile and can be chopped an...

Overlapping, as in the scales of fish or roof tiles. Many tree buds have imbricate scales to protect them.

reducing the amount of peat we use in our gardens can help preserve these habitats.In the meantime, I'm off to patent my idea of green roofs for cars. But do you think it would work? Would you add a green roof to your car?

Bird tables can be improved with a living, green roof that looks attractive and encourages more wildlife to visit your garden. The best plants to use for green roofs on your bird table are sedums, as they can withstand drought and grow on poor soil

, leading to flooding. If every building had a green roof - be it an office block or garden bin store - much of this water would be absorbed before it even hit the ground.My shed has a tiny, steep roof, so we needed to make sure any soil that was added