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that gunge. I either blast out the accumulated stuff between the panes with a strong jet of water or push it clear with a thin sliver of plastic from an old yoghurt tub...But why is it that however I try to do it, when I do need extra water, the ice

to discover that it was riddled with thin plastic strips, rather like the stuff you find inside a music cassette. Useless. Far too much to pick out and I certainly wasn't prepared to incorporate it into my lovely (albeit rather heavy clay) Hampshire soil

weeding easier. Kept adequately moist, the seeds will soon germinate, and, after thinning, the plants grow like billy-o. Hardy annuals tend to be more drought tolerant than more highly priced bedding plants, and are pretty resilient. They make for a

display is lovely, but there is a problem I need to address. The soil along the drive is thin and inclined to get compacted, and some clumps are rather congested. A few bulbs are producing leaf and no flower, a phenomenon known as  'blindness'. But, if I

nightmare spots. A thriving film of thin algae coats them, making them almost as slippery as sheet ice. I'll be wearing crampons soon! Today is sunny and dry, so I'll be out there with the stiffest yard broom I can find, scrubbing away at the algae

the greenhouse, which became massive and hugely productive.The best-performing variety has been 'Sakura', with truss after truss of smooth, thin-skinned fruits; undoubtedly the best outdoor variety I've ever grown. So much depends on the variety you choose

to strike. I always try to sow my seeds fairly thinly and keep the seedlings in a very well lit spot. If you grow your seedlings in the house on a windowsill, they are likely to get a bit drawn. You can provide them with extra light by putting a sheet