Search - Articles

seed heads to keep them floweringShorten shoots on choisya to encourage a second flush of flowersFeed roses to keep them flowering stronglyPinch out the shoot tips on fuchsias and bedding plants for bushier growthSave seed from foxgloves and sow right

Raising summer bedding plants from seed is easy, it saves you money and greatly extends the range of plant varieties you can grow.The secret of germinating summer bedding seeds is a plentiful supply of warmth and light. Most seeds need a steady heat

Should I feel guilty about heating my greenhouse? While I'm turning the heat down in my home to save energy, keep bills down, and reduce CO2 emissions, here I am considering heating my greenhouse to both protect plants through winter and provide

Cut flowers really brighten up a home, and growing your own can save you a fortune on floristry bills. There are plenty of varieties suitable for cutting, including ‘everlasting’ flowers, which can be cut and dried to use in arrangements all year

Save seed from ornamental annual quaking grass and many other garden plantsWater camellias regularly as drought can cause the buds to drop next springSummer prune wisteria, shortening long sideshoots back to five or six leavesDeadhead roses, unless

Finish summer pruning trained forms of apple and pear trees Harvest apples, pears, plums and gages as they ripenSave seeds from good varieties of beans, herbs and tomatoes that you've enjoyed this yearPot up herbs to use in winterPrune out fruited

Continue picking sweetcorn, beans and marrows Prune out fruited blackberry stems and tie in new onesSave seeds from favourite bean varieties to plant next springHarvest and store apples, wrapping them in newspaper for storageLift and store onions

next yearHarvest mature marrows, pumpkins and squashesSave fully ripe seeds from your favourite peas, beans and tomatoes to sow next yearPick apples and pears as they ripenSow a green manure crop of winter rye on bare areas of soilOrder fruit trees

Save time by investing in a garden vac to scoop up fallen leaves, for leaf-mouldPlant bare-root trees, bare-root shrubs and hedgingRegularly wash and disinfect bird baths and feedersAvoid walking on lawns covered with frostEmpty the contents of well

of newspaper in a warm, dry place they'll continue ripening, and I'll be able to shake out the seeds.The best germination comes from sowing right away, and not saving for another day. Just sprinkle seeds onto the surface of compost in a large pot and cover