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rainforest, are for sale in our supermarkets.Of course, many of them end up in good homes. But as they're so often given as gifts in place of cut flowers, do they too end up on the compost heap after they've bloomed?A friend of mine was once a florist, and I

'Medium-flowered cactus dahlia, with sunny yellow flowers. Height 120cm.Dahlia 'Yellow Galator'Small-flowered semi-cactus type, with white-tipped pinky red petals. Height 60cm.Dahlia 'Pianella'More about using garden weedsTake dahlia cuttings Plant dahlia tubers

's still advisable to take cuttings as a back-up, which you can then overwinter.PenstemonIce plants are very reliable in hot, dry positions. Varieties of Sedum spectabile and S. telephium are particularly lovely. The green, domed heads of buds

the ground level.Dig a trench, 30cm wide by 20cm deep, and part fill with soil down its length to make a mound 10cm high. Take the asparagus crowns and sit them 30cm apart on top of the mound, spreading the roots on either side. Cover the crowns with 5cm

It's really easy to extract and sow seed from fruits you've collected, and it's also free. Plants grown from seed aren't always exactly like the parent plant, unlike those grown from cuttings, so look forward to results that could be new, different

tomato plants before they collapse under the weight of their fruit. Drive a bamboo cane into the soil next to the plant, taking care not to damage the roots, then tie the stems to the cane with twine, using a figure-of-eight knot, in one or more places

in the garden, on a balcony or in the greenhouse. Shake compost inside the bag to create an even, pillow shape. Cut a slot out of the bag to expose the compost for planting them into.Loosen the compost in the bag with a hand fork. Push some of the compost

out, so I cut off a bit and went to the library to attempt an identification: after much tracking of mud across the pages of the Reader's Digest guide to plants (my belated apologies to Hammersmith and Fulham Libraries) I left burdened with knowledge

. These develop through late-summer, the seeds within becoming more prominent, particularly when backlit by the sun.The pods take on a purplish hue in autumn, then dry and discolour to dirty brown. But don’t despair. Rub them gently between your fingers

Knowing exactly how to care for plants is a matter of judgement and experience. Many plants need treating with tender loving care, but others can benefit from 'mean' treatment.Take my agapanthus. In their 'youth' agapanthus produce leaves and shoots