Search - Articles

herbsPotting up a container with scented herbs.Planting herbs in a hanging basket.Planting up a hanging basket with vegetables and herbs.Taking lavender cuttings.Growing myrtle and campanula in a window box.

for drainage.Plant up the centre of the container with dahlias and cosmos, and the front and sides with cerinthe.Backfill with compost, and firm gently to remove air pockets. Water well and place in a sunny location.More on growing dahliasTake dahlia cuttings

or lightly shaded, sheltered spot against a fence or wall.AdamGive your roses a boost with a slow-release fertiliser in March and again in July.More advice on growing rosesAdvice on dealing with rose rust.How to prevent rose bloom balling.Taking rose cuttings

Maintain a lawn mowerWith just a few regular checks you can get the most from your petrol mower and reduce the time it takes to maintain a beautiful lawn. Simply spend a couple of minutes every month looking over your mower to keep it in peak

and cane fruitsTake hardwood cuttings from healthy fruit bushesFruit & vegPlant hippeastrum bulbs for spring displays Insulate your greenhouse with bubble polytheneVentilate greenhouses on warm, dry daysGreenhouse20 minutesLearn how to make fat cakes

useful for extending the growing season of tender bedding plants and vegetables.Plant colourful Phormium 'Cream Delight' in a patio potTake care not to walk over borders or on lawnsOrder young plants from mail-order companiesAround the gardenSow sweet

its vigorous suckers (and copious amounts of seed) can easily become a problem. Each plant can cover many square metres of ground and on Colonsay (and other areas of west Scotland) it thrives on the acid soil and is taking over great swathes

on their side, or vicious dogs that will not take kindly to you wandering into their garden.Fencing is quite hard work, but relatively straightforward. Here are some important points to remember:Make sure the line is straight - you don’t want your fence

Home-made compost is a great soil conditioner and plant food. Good compost will take about six months to produce if you turn it regularly.Monty's compost recipeWhat should you put on your heap? The simple answer is anything that has lived. But I

, with regular deadheading, keep going until the autumn. Propagation is also quite simple: take cuttings from the non-flowering shoots in the summer.I haven't even started on alpine and annual varieties but must mention D. carthusianorum - a really good perennial