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plants, but Euonymus alatus was probably the first. Hailing from China and Japan, it is slow-growing, and deciduous. The greenish-white flowers appear in spring and, for much of the year, it is a green, innocuous-looking shrub.However, in autumn

far earlier than those sown in spring. Overwintering chillies can be a bit of a struggle in the UK though, unless you can offer them plenty of warmth and light (which I can't).Nevertheless, for the last three years I have overwintered chilli plants

and water them well. Try not to let the compost dry out.Wrap the lights around the box cones. Make sure the bulbs are evenly spaced then connect to your power supply.AdamKeep box in good condition by trimming in spring and feeding regularly.More seasonal

The evergreen foliage of the skimmia, pittosporum and ivy set against a backdrop of carex, provide year-round interest in this elegant container display. Red tulips add a splash of colour in spring, while skimmia berries provide autumn and winter

shoot. Always cut just above a healthy, full-sized leaf. That's where the hormones concentrate, so the plant is able to produce a new flowering shoot quickly.Deadhead regularlyMulch roses in spring and autumn, with well-rotted compost or manure. Feed

AstilbesAstrantiasBegoniasCrocosmiasEuphorbiasFernsFuchsiasGrassesHardy geraniumsHelleboresHydrangeasJapanese anemonesLady's mantleLavendersLilium henryiPelargoniumsPenstemonsRosesSedums20 top slug-beatersDon't overfeed young plants in spring, as this only encourages soft growth, which slugs love to eat.Top tips for foiling

gives advice on growing exotics from seedGrowing cyclamen from seedPropagating from seeds and berriesBrowse a variety of dahliasChoose spring flowering bulbs

the dog violet is a harbinger of spring. Right now, small clusters of heart-shaped leaves are taking on a renewed vigour while other plants in the garden die down. I can almost see the little flashes of deep purple that will dot the darkest corners of my

to deep mud. They’re in a worse state than they get into in the depths of a wet winter, and it’s only the end of November. I’ve had to plant the last of my spring-flowering bulbs in containers, as I can’t plant them into the saturated soil. In an attempt

. I’d almost given up when two little seedlings appeared last spring. Sadly, they never flourished. The weather was very dry at the time (remember the drought?) and I took my eye off the ball. I failed my field roses through lack of watering