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Home-grown herbs will bring your cooking to life, so why not make life really easy by planting them in a window box? Position it on your kitchen windowsill, then all you have to do is lean out to snip fresh pickings of fresh, home-grown herbs whenever you want them.May - JulyJuly...

SchizostylisExotic, elegant, yet eminently adaptable, it's time the overlooked schizostylis took a leading role in our gardens.Schizostylis coccinea flowers from late-summer until the first frosts. It has dainty and delicate stems and flowers, making it a perfect choice for addin...

Slug bustersSlugs may have voracious appetites but they're fussy eaters too - and therein lies an answer to a slimy problem. The good news is that there are a selection of plants that slugs, and snails, will steer clear of.Slugs will avoid any plants that are tough, hairy and bit...

Chris Beardshaw demonstrates how to grow acid-loving South African proteas, with tips on positioning, growing medium, feeding and watering.springhalf an hourMore on container gardeningBrowse our collection of pot and container recipes View our collection of plants with pink flowe...

and half-fill it with compost.Position the gazanias and the lantana in the middle of the pot and surround them with sanvitalia plants. Fill the gaps around your plants with compost, firming it in with your fingers. Lantana are tender, so bring this pot

around the plant roots with your fingers. If frost is forecast overnight, cover the pot with horticultural fleece.AdamPlant begonia tubers in pots, hollow-side uppermost. Then grow on in a greenhouse until ready to plant up.Many of these plants are tender

The colour combination of pink and yellow creates a refreshing display, blending pretty marguerites and pink begonias with the peachy pompoms of verbena. Play up the cottage-garden look with a rustic basket, and decorate the sides with a trail of plectranthus. Position the basket...

Less is definitely more when it comes to this spectacular container project. The spiky dasylirion makes a huge impact on its own - other plants would just be a distraction. Rather like a natural fibre optic light, its bristling leaves are dramatically set off when the fibrous tip...

This simple container feature uses only three three plants to dramatic effect. The feathery leaves of the soft shield fern arch gracefully over the edges of the pot, making a perfect foil to the silvery leaves of the Japanese painted fern. And the button-like pink-and-white bloom...

This combination of begonia, pelargonium and fern plants will brighten up a shady area. Although unlikely bedfellows, they all enjoy a lightly shaded spot and make an impressive display. The begonia and fern plants will provide interesting shape and texture, while the delicate pe...