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harsh sun. Organic gardeners usually refer to companion plants as those deterring pests in some way. Tagetes planted alongside tomatoes and crops is a good example, where the strong pungent scent of the tagetes foliage helps mask the scent of the crop

For the boldest, brightest display in a hanging basket choose a large container (no smaller than 35cm) and pack it with plants. But keeping them flowering is thirsty work, so for a really successful show the plants will need plenty of water on a

Alys Fowler's top 10 veg plantsWith increased awareness of organic farming, food miles and healthy eating, many more people are trying their hand at growing vegetables. We caught up with Alys Fowler at the Chelsea Flower Show for some tips

Encourage your children's interest in gardening, by learning to grow peanut plants with Rachel de Thame's video advice.springMore plants to grow in a greenhouseTomatoesCactiOrchidsEarly strawberries

. It produces sweet-tasting cherry tomatoes and has shown some resistance to splitting.Tomato - 'Maskotka'Sweetcorn grows well in the UK, if placed in a sunny position. The sweetcorn variety 'Mirai' produces three small cobs (approx. 20cm each) per plant

Jekka McVicar's 10 companion plantsJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for growing as companion plants.Companion planting

I'm the proud owner of two whopping great carnivorous plants. One was a present to my son from his granddad, the other is a rescue plant (much like our rescue cat!).Right now my greenhouse is looking decidedly miserable. My pepper and tomato plants

the sun's rays, burning leaves beneath them. This effect is exacerbated if the plants are in the greenhouse. I think this has happened to some of my ripening peppers.Some crops, like tomatoes and chillies, can develop low calcium levels if they have been

the long wispy side shoots back to about 20cm during summer (July is perfect), and then cutting these stems back further to about 5cm during winter. Pruning twice a year in this way not only controls the mass of new growth that develops each year, but also

's these long evening spent leisurely flicking through seed and plant catalogues that are costing me dearly. After a first run-through, the list of 'must have' plants is far too long, so I have to go through again in more detail. This is meant to be a ruthless