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At this time of year, gardeners and plot holders take advantage of any dry, sunny weather to improve the soil and get their beds ready for planting. My neighbours on the allotment have been doing just that - everywhere I look there are freshly

the last few years in a terracotta pot in my sunny back garden, but now it needs a bit more room. I don't think there's enough space for the fig to be permanently planted in the ground, as my garden is small — fig trees get huge if left to their own devices

are often higher than those for sports like football and rugby.Gardening injuries are horribly common. They normally happen in spring, when the first sunny day of the year inspires hours of weeding, pruning and digging after a winter of sitting on the sofa

I have a question for you, one that my wife came up with recently while we were mooching around the garden. Imagine, if you will, that one sunny morning you are suddenly plucked from your existing garden and plonked into a new one. The transfer

the woody, flowered stems. Prune back to just above vigorous green stems growing from low down on the plant.For the thickest woody stems, or where shrubs have become very overgrown, use long-handled loppers or a garden saw to cut through the tough stems

in with soft string at 10cm - 15cm intervals up the stems.For twining climbers such as cobaea, sweet peas and runner beans, tall tripods made from sticks or bamboo canes provide an ideal framework for their vigorous growth. Where necessary, their shoots can

. Practice the basics of rooting softwood cuttings with our step-by-step advice and you'll be able to use these skills for more complex cuttings. 10cm flower potCuttings compostPerlite (optional)Sharp knifeRooting hormone liquid (optional)Polythene bag

Watch Monty Don planting up a sandbox for displaying alpine plants, in our step-by-step video project - with tips for keeping plants cool, and retaining moisture.springMore advice on growing alpinesMaking an alpine pathPlanting alpines in a potMaking an alpine container displayCr...

Carol Klein and Joe Swift demonstrate how to create a raised bed at Berryfields, using local stone and alpine planting, with tips on compost mixes and plant suggestions.springMore advice on growing alpinesVideo advice on planting alpines in a potWatch our video guide to making an...

Rachel de Thame shares her tips for planting up low-growing alpines with loam-based compost, sharp sand and horticultural grit.spring or autumnMore advice on growing alpinesPlanting alpines in a potMaking an alpine pathCreating an alpine pebble displayMaking an alpine container d...