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pot of moist compost beneath the flowers to catch the seeds when they fall. You can transplant them when they're bigger.I dutifully placed a pot of compost beneath the plant. But then disaster struck.  Munching away at the flowers and unripe seeds

kaleCollect traditional non-F1 hybrid varieties, but only when they’re grown at least 250 yards away from other varieties of the same veg which might cross-pollinate them. Don’t save F1 hybrids: the resulting plants are too varied.Save money on seedsSave

few bits to friends, too. If I wanted more I could save some of the ripe seed capsules and sow them to raise new plants, but I think one clump is enough.Apparently you can find it growing wild in parts of southern England, especially on lime-rich soils

Flowers are not the only attraction in winter gardens. Biennial honesty (Lunaria annua) is a good example of a plant that keeps delivering after its flowers have passed. Once the petals have fallen, enchanting disc-shaped seed-pods are formed

-prepared ground. Choose bush varieties and let them ramble over a mulch to eliminate weeding. One or two plants produce plentiful crops and stay productive for weeks (providing you keep picking).Four time-saving veg cropsCourgettes, squashes and patty pansSow seed

is to search the seed catalogues for space-saving varieties. You’ll find bush versions of courgettes and pumpkins instead of traditional long, trailing kinds. There are also mini-veg, varieties that naturally start cropping early in life.Make the best use

Small lawns needn't be plain and uninspiring. An emerald green, healthy lawn will give any garden a lift, big or small, and there's a lot you can do to keep it looking good - from choosing the right grass seed, to aerating. You can even make a

Last summer I discovered a twining, tender climber called Lophospermum, or lofos. I bought two varieties, 'Burgundy Falls' and 'Summer Cream' (both pictured left), as plug plants from a mail-order seed company. I grew my lofos under cover, in 7

’s certainly cheaper to grow your own from seed, but you’ll need to be skilled at germinating seeds, not to mention having the space and time. If you buy plug plants in spring, instead, you’ll find the growers have done the hard work – and there are still good