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How to plant a shrubVideo advice on planting a roseChoose the right plants for your soilHow to improve your soilFeature on soil types and soil testing

of spare time.Wash out flower pots and seed trays Trim back climbers that are close to gutters and windowsTest the pH of your soil with a kitAround the gardenCut back overgrown honeysuckle Pick berried winter shrubs, flowers and evergreen leavesPlant bare

I've just written a piece about a taste test I conducted on rhubarb for the November issue of Gardeners' World magazine, which includes a Top 10 of the best varieties for flavour. One of the things my editor had asked me to write about is how we

its slumber, but it does not make the final pounce. Instead it stands back, testing the web wires with its front feet. Spiders kill their prey with venom, and it’s pretty powerful stuff, but they are always in danger of being damaged themselves from

the fruit. My experience has shown that old 'tried and tested' favourites are often better than new varieties described in catalogues.Flavour isn't the only consideration when choosing an apple tree. What form should your apple tree take? Apples are trained

flow.Carefully slot the guttering into the brackets.Join lengths of guttering using linking brackets with watertight rubber seals for a snug fit.Pour water into the gutter to test that it runs smoothly towards the downpipe and there are no leaks

giving them a chance to get merry. A couple of years ago on Gardeners' Question Time I ran a mini-test at Sparsholt College to see which beer they preferred, using a range of different beers including ales, lagers, bitters, alcohol-free and stouts, each

on, then I won't be disappointed if they don't perform as well as my 'tried and tested' favourites.

of my list is Brussels sprouts. I don't normally grow them because no-one really eats them in our house. But I grew a few varieties of them last year to test in the magazine.I nearly didn't get a crop of them at all; the trial was almost annihilated

The loose bark on old logs is one of the most important hibernating sites for all manner of insects. Here they can remain sheltered from predators, and also from their main enemies during winter: frost and damp. This week they will be sorely tested