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I always have a dilemma in April, choosing the right plant supports for my tall border perennials, delphiniums in particular. Last year I used lots of home-grown sticks leftover from pruning my silver birch. Pushed firmly into the soil around clumps

Choosing the very best plant supports for perennial plants is always a challenge. Firstly you've got to decide which type of plant support to go for. Should it be something robust made of metal, or something more natural, or even homemade?Then you

kept cool out of the sun. There it was left to its own devices, using the shrubby germander as a living plant support.C. 'Arabella' really comes into its own through late June into July, when its six blue petals open around a bold central boss of white

, but nothing germinated. This year I grew three seedlings from seed sown in the greenhouse in April. Slow at first , they soon developed into strong climbers, so tall split canes were pushed into the pots for support. By early June they were about a meter high

.5-10cm pots, until late May, then placed them on my patio in a large terracotta pot, using a peat-free, multi-purpose compost.To support the climbing stems I used silver birch stems saved from winter pruning, pushing them down into the pot to create a

boxes, popping in and out to check on their suitability. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of silver birches in my garden, both ideal for supporting a nest box. On one I'll keep the traditional blue tit box with a small hole in the front, but the other

of damage to this tree trunk it is not adversely affecting fruit production. However, this will be weakening the tree, and branches may benefit from support to prevent them breaking or pulling down the whole tree. My friend decided to clean out the soft

and loganberries have been alive with bees helping to pollinate an abundance of bloom. Desperately dry conditions in my area of the East Midlands have forced me to water regularly to support new canes development, as these new canes will carry the crop next year

and Adrienne, on a post and wire support in front of my greenhouse.The wet June weather has had two effects. Firstly there is a lovely crop of healthy new canes developing from the base that I'm training in. These will carry next year's crop. Secondly

neighbours to provide support, taller varieties of alstroemeria would collapse; alongside astrantia, phlox and geraniums, though, they're fine.You'll be hard-pressed spotting any bare soil in my borders. Every inch is accounted for, and the display in June