Search - Articles

in no time. The best organic control is digging the plant out and trimming it to keep it in check if you don't want to remove it altogether. If it spreads onto the lawn it can be controlled by mowing. If you don't want to dig it out, you can spot

into pots of soil to root new plants. Only ever propagate from healthy, disease-free stock. After fruiting, trim off all strawberry foliage with shearsSow seeds of vegetables now, including beetroot, cabbages, endive, kohl rabi, lettuce, radish, rocket

Plant daffodil bulbs in pots and borders Check roses for suckers and cut off any you find, just below groundTrim conifer hedges to neaten their appearance and control heightEmpty pots of faded early summer bedding, adding old plants to the compost

.Plan your seed-sowing year Trim lawn edges to keep the area neat and tidy Apply residual path weedkillers Around the gardenPlant lilies in large patio pots for summer displaysPrune shrub roses to low new shootsCut overgrown honeysuckle stems close

, or even into the border.Treat timber fences, trellis and posts with preservativeInstall water butts to all downpipes on your houseApply moss killer to lawnsAround the gardenSow sunflowers outsideTrim winter-flowering heathersPick off faded flower heads

with cloches or sheets of polythenePlace a ball in a pond to prevent it fully freezing overTake your petrol mower to a dealer for maintenanceAround the gardenPlant bare-root roses in well-prepared groundTrim away unwanted suckers from tree basesClear borders

Divide irisesWere your irises lacklustre this year with precious few blooms? If so, give them a boost by lifting and dividing clumps and next year they'll flower their socks off.Keep lawn edges trimmed Look out for cabbage white butterfly eggs

piles of flowerpots and debrisRaise patio containers on feet or bricksAvoid walking on lawns covered with heavy frostAround the gardenCut back ornamental miscanthus grassTrim back ivy and Virginia creeper Clear away dead foliage from perennials

Deadhead flowers All plants will benefit from having the dying flowers removed as soon as they begin to fade. It stops them putting energy into forming seed and encourages annuals to produce more flowers throughout the summer. Trim hedges to keep

Forcing narcissiEnjoy an early scent of spring by forcing narcissi. The bulbs are in the shops from late-August and if planted immediately you can have them in flower by Christmas.Remove suckers from roses, shrubs and treesTrim box hedging