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-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

to its proper place in the greenhouse.More on greenhouse gardeningAdvice on gardening under glass.How to fit an automatic greenhouse vent opener.Learn how to sow seeds indoors.Browse our collection of tender plants.

.AdamMany of these plants can be raised from seed. Sow them into fibre pots in spring and you can transplant them into the container without disturbing their roots.Take cuttings of the osteospermum in summer and overwinter them indoors in case you lose plants during a cold

, only for the autumn winds to blow its head off two days after it flowered (I'll need to work on avoiding that this year).So how does one set about growing a record-breaking sunflower? Well, sow the seeds for a start. You can sow direct in the soil

unwanted boxes.If you need more space, hang two or three boxes together.Advice on propagating plantsCarol Klein's video guide to taking basal cuttingsMaking a cloche for seedsSowing seeds indoorsTaking summer cuttingsView a variety of conservatory climbers

in seed tray modules.Water in cuttings from above to settle compost around their stems. Place pots in a cold frame in a sheltered, shaded area, indoors in a propagator or simply cover with a plastic bag to retain the moisure.After a few weeks, gently

, I'll be busy sowing fresh chives, coriander, flat-leaf parsely and cosmos seeds indoors, and encouraging the sole survivor of last year's overwintering chilli experiment to burst into leaf. There's also a theatre to make for the auriculas, which have

has been the traditional day for many keen show growers to sow their onion seeds, in a heated propagator in the greenhouse (not in the garden, of course). Do onions really have to be sown on Boxing Day, or could this just be an excuse to escape from

. Ripe seed should be shiny and black. If possible, sow the seed immediately as it doesn't store well. If you do need to save it, put it in an envelope or paper bag and store it in a cool, dry place.Sow the seed on the surface of compost in half

on, so I hardened them off quite abruptly by putting them outside.Against all odds, my chillies burst into new life and vigour. I repotted them in fresh compost and sowed seeds of red clover around the base of their stems, to act as a green manure. I