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, tie in the new growth when it has reached 10cm - 15cm in length. This will hold the shoot in place until the wood develops to stiffen it.When using string or garden twine, wind it once or twice tightly around the support and knot in place. Then wrap

. Dahlia plantSticks or canesStringJune - August15 minutesJuly - SeptemberCheck dahlias each week; if they're starting to flop tie the main stem to a supporting cane or stick with garden string. Don't tie the string too loosely, but allow a little room

Easter always reminds me of my childhood. I attended a village school in Somerset and we used to pick bunches of primroses (Primula vulgaris), tie them up with coloured wool, place them in baskets and decorate the church.It is sad to think

We all forget to do things sometimes, but I’m rather ashamed about this omission. As I walked around the fruit trees in our mini-orchard last week, I was horrified to discover that a few of them had grown too big for the ties I’d used when staking

roses by placing poles around the plants and tying stems to them. Train compact climbers and ramblers up pergola poles, vertical pillars or an obelisk. Standard roses also need supporting. Replace the original cane with a stronger stake and use tree ties

out in Junesummeran hourSpanish flag, Ipomoea lobata x1Canary creeper, Tropaeolum peregrinum x1Bidens ferulifolia 'Golden Eye' x3Lysimachia punctata 'Gaulthier Brousse'44cm square tub1.2m willow wig-wamJohn Innes No.3 compostMulti-purpose compost

-purpose compost, to ensure a balanced potting mix.Make a hole in the centre of the compost, remove climbers from their pots and plant 15cm apart. Firm the compost around the climbers, making sure there are no air pockets around the rootballs.Place the willow

in with soft string at 10cm - 15cm intervals up the stems.For twining climbers such as cobaea, sweet peas and runner beans, tall tripods made from sticks or bamboo canes provide an ideal framework for their vigorous growth. Where necessary, their shoots can

bulbsDeadhead pansies regularlyPlant lily-of-the-valleyTie string or wire around conifers and yew to prevent heavy snow damaging branchesFill empty containers with winter heathers and trailing ivyFirm soil around roses loosened by stormsReplace wobbly

Prune the tops of standard roses to reduce wind rockKeep off lawns in frosty weather or if very wetPrune wisteria, shortening sideshoots to 10-15cm from their baseCheck tree ties are secureOrder dahlias, gladioli and other summer-flowering bulbsTie in the stems