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that would look great in any garden all year round. spring or autumnAll year round20 minutesBamboo, Fargesia rufa x3Red hook sedge, Uncinia rubraTall black planter or other modern pot Multi-purpose, peat-free compostPlant the bamboo as the centrepiece

In this pot design, the graceful astelia and black ophiopogon add structure, while a small-flowered blue pansy or viola unites the blue pot and the plants.September - NovemberOctober - March30 minutesOphiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' x2Astelia chathamicaPansies x3Blue glazed po...

with long handles. Some gardeners find giant plastic handles adequate, but grabbers are more versatile and reduce the amount of bending down involved.Choose a relatively gentle, flat-tined plastic or rubber rake for sweeping leaves off the lawn and gravel

for good drainage. This is particularly important for permanently-planted containers in the garden. This also helps to stabilise lightweight containers.Add compost to the bottom of the container, using the plant in its existing pot as a guide to the depth

.AdamCheck your plants daily, so deadheading takes only a few minutes - and you have a lovely excuse to walk the garden!Pop all the dead flower-heads on the compost heap rather than throwing them in the bin.More on deadheading and pruningDeadheading lilies

The easiest way to trim established conifer hedges is by using a powered hedge-trimmer to give a regular, even finish. Quick-growing conifers will need about three cuts per year during the growing season, at roughly eight week intervals.Inspect your hedge thoroughly before trimmi...

.Except for gloss or colour-printed paper, all packaging can be composted. It should be scrumpled up and mixed in equally with the normal vegetable waste to allow plenty of air to get in, rather than placed in lasagne-like layers.A corner of the gardenOrganic waste

Rachel de Thame explains how to grow apple, pineapple and curly mint varieties in a pot, with advice on compost, planting and maintenance.springMore on growing herbsPractical advice on raising herbsVideo guide to How to grow peppermint and thyme in a containerGrow herbs from seed...

Follow Monty Don's video advice on planting a bare-root tree, including tips on plant depth, staking and mulching.autumn - springMore advice on plantingPlanting a bare-root rosePlanting a shrubBare-root plantingPlanting a fig tree

There is a range of easy-to-grow, climbing annuals that will flower non-stop from June until the frosts, producing striking blooms and sculptural leaves. Because they grow 1.8m to 3m or more in a season, half the joy is amassing so much plant from one small, inexpensive seed.Swee...