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Around the gardenTake cuttings from pansies and violasPot up tender perennials grown outside Prune rambling roses after floweringFlowersFinish summer pruning trained apple and pear treesHarvest apples, pears, plums and gages as they ripenSave seeds from varieties

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

Summer is the ideal time for taking cuttings, as plant cells divide quickly, promoting root growth. Propagating plants by cuttings is an easy and cheap way of replacing straggly, old plants. For best results, take cuttings first thing in the morning

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is a woodland plant, much valued for its fragrant summer flowers. Its low, spreading habit also makes it ideal for growing as a ground cover plant. Convallaria thrives in a moist, shaded spot, and gradually

flower beds, traffic islands and even motorway service stations. Some came to Hackney and planted up concrete troughs around the corner from where I live.In spring, the tulips will provide a dash of unexpected colour, as a cheerful surprise to passers

If deadheaded regularly, pretty bellis daisies will keep flowering for weeks, offering a colourful display through spring and into summer. The ivy in this pot recipe can be planted in the garden when the display is past its best.February - April

into growth next summer they should flower again for me next autumn.

Shade can be a nightmare if your heart is set on growing summer bedding, fruit and veg, or Mediterranean plants, which need direct sun to flourish. But there are plenty of beautiful plants which thrive in shady conditions.Many people imagine

.Planting up dahlia tubers, with instruction from Sarah Raven.Growing dahlias from seed.Tying in dahlias.Browse a variety of dahliasChoose spring flowering bulbs

by slugs and snails, and I spent many hours watching blackbirds foraging among the debris.In spring I tackled the garden in one go, removing leaves spiked on emerging bulbs, clearing spent stems and staking perennials. Only the still-sleeping frogs