Search - Articles

Overgrown lawn edges can look unsightly and make an otherwise healthy, well-cared for garden look untidy. For a professional finish, re-cut the edges of your lawn each spring and trim overhanging grass after mowing.Half-moon edging toolPlank of wood

, clouds and birds, and offers advice on the best plants to use for each style.Rooted box cuttingsOrnamental potHand shearsLoam-based compostall year roundabout an hourPot your cuttings up individually into 10cm pots, giving them a light initial trim

, to promote new growthLift and divide large clumps of hostaTrim winter-flowering jasmine and tie in new shoots to supportsSprinkle granular fertiliser around clumps of spring bulbsFinish pruning roses as soon as possibleCut down all previous year's growth

Plant bare-root roses in well-prepared groundTrim away unwanted suckers growing around the base of treesClear borders and rake up leaves before bulbs start poking through the groundDig over gaps in borders, taking time to pick out roots of perennial

to it for supportCut down pulmonarias and doronicum, then drench the soil around them with a liquid feedLift and divide clumps of primulasCut back the foliage of daffodils to clear beds for summer plantingTrim leaves and faded flowers from oriental poppies

of motoristsUse a circuit breaker (RCD) when using any electric power tools Treat problem weeds emerging in borders with herbicideLightly trim new growth on box hedging

Pick dead flower-heads off rhododendrons and azaleasHoe borders to keep down weeds, or treat with weedkillerScoop floating weed out of garden ponds with a netFeed lawns with a liquid or granular lawn fertiliserTrim hedges like privet and Lonicera

Keep lawn edges trimmed by cutting with a half-moon edging toolLook out for cabbage white butterfly eggs and rub them off with your fingersRemove blanket weed from pondsFeed hanging baskets and patio pots every weekPrune fast-growing hedges like

Cut back ornamental miscanthus grass before new shoots start developingTrim back ivy and Virginia creeper from around windows and gutteringClear away dead foliage from perennials, chop it up and add to the compost heapRemove weeds from borders

Set up an automatic watering system to look after greenhouse crops, patio pots and baskets if you're going on holidayRaise mower cutting height to leave lawns longer if the weather is very dryTrim conifers and other garden hedgesTop up the water