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Sending compostable waste to landfill is criminal, and while many gardeners do their bit to compost kitchen and garden waste, I'm sure many people could do more.I'm keen to recycle everything I can. This makes sense on two counts: it reduces

A client of mine said something curious to me this week, as we were discussing what to plant in her newly-landscaped garden: "I hope you're not going to give me any of those ghastly cabbagey things".Strangely, I instantly knew that she was talking

, while improving its structure and water-retaining ability.But this year there's a problem. The RHS Members' Advisory Service has received a high number of calls from gardeners reporting abnormal growth of various vegetable crops, including potatoes

the blackfly to the tips of the plants, where all the fresh, new growth is (apparently blackfly produce the sweetest honeydew from the youngest leaves). This is all quite fascinating if you're something of an amateur entomologist - and most gardeners are

Nettles, like midges, are one of those things for which it is difficult to feel much affection. Never welcome, they grow everywhere and, to the gardener at least, seem to have little purpose beyond stinging our children. The sting comes from

A few weeks ago I wrote about trees for small gardens. Among the comments (well, to be honest, 33% of the comments) was a request from Daphne for very, very small trees - "very small being up to three metres".Tricky. Three metres is barely a shrub

've just rotted off without showing any sign of growth, but recently I've had more success. Now a group of them takes centre stage on my garden table to steal the show, near the bench where I can admire them close-up. With luck I'll be able to let them die

creation and management, especially for small garden ponds where even a small amount of leaf fall can foul the water. I'll add that to my feedback to the RSPB.Saturday was a fabulous blazing sunny day in East Dulwich and we made a family day out