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At last, we've had rain, but I'm starting to wonder if I have rain-inducing powers. Like many gardeners, I try to avoid watering the garden, but recently I had to resort to the hose. It was so dry even the nettles were wilting! But of course, after

Jam jarWaterSieveKitchen towelall year round3 - 4 daysSoak the pulses in water overnight so that they swell. Rinse them thoroughly, then dry them on a piece of kitchen towel.Put the pulses in a clean, dry jar, making sure that they cover only the bottom

Shaping topiary is a fun and inexpensive way to create year-round interest in the garden. These plant sculptures contrast dramatically with flowers in summer, and bring structure, style and form to winter gardens.If you haven't tried topiary before

It's hard to believe how quickly plants have grown in my garden over the past few weeks. My hostas are doing particularly well. In April I was considering repotting some of my established and congested pots of newly emerging hostas, but they've now

straight rows) and vinyl gardening gloves, are best kept in reach of a veg patch. Invest in a small garden store to lock them away.Keep tools handySet up water butts to recycle water running off roofs. Use seeper hose or trickle irrigation kits, combined

of your variety. Avoid wet or shady sites, and dig the area over deeply before planting, incorporating lots of compost, to keep these hungry plants in top condition.Wooden stakesWell-rotted manureGarden twineSecateursMarch - MayJuly - SeptemberOnce all

Filling your garden with colour can be an expensive business. Garden centres and nurseries are packed with attractive bedding plants in April and May, which are perfect to plant out for an almost instant show.This convenience comes at a price. It

can damage their leaves.More acer projectsPlant acer and ajuga in a containerDeal with acer tar spotBrowse acer varietiesAdd autumn colour to your garden

eight weeks, then lift bulbs from the soil, and clean and store them. Don't water them. Then, simply replant in autumn.AdamTulips can be planted between September and December, but planting them from November onwards can limit the chances of them

. The recent wet weather has left just about everything in my garden covered in water, and as temperatures have been mild, algae has spread.The soil here is clay, which I've spent many years improving with garden compost, manure and leaf mould. Algae and some