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I've been building, not so much a garden pond, as a playground pond. And the first problem with playgrounds is that they are all-over tarmac. The obvious site for Ivydale Primary School's new pond was a sunny, but extremely bleak corner next

, and not by the gardener. However, the cold has used the skeleton of my creation to produce something unique.Spend a few minutes enjoying the scene before temperatures rise, and it's gone!Don't forget to get out each morning with a kettle of boiling water to melt ice

Blackcurrants are easy to grow and more tolerant of heavy soils than other currant bushes. Just one plant can provide a generous crop of berries. If blackcurrant bushes are kept well fed and watered you could be harvesting fruit a year after

ClingfilmMarch - SeptemberMarch - SeptemberFill a large plant pot with peat-free multi-purpose compost and water well.Once the water has drained, sprinkle the seeds over the soil's surface and cover them with a fine layer of compost or vermiculite. Leave the pot on a bright

it with one or several different varieties of thyme for a good mix of colour and flavours.April - MayJune - September20 minutesDwarf lavender, such as 'Kew Red' or 'Munstead'Thyme plants x5Hanging basketCompostWater-retaining crystalsSlow-release fertiliser

The most famous member of the bromeliad family is the pineapple (Ananas comosus). But there's a wide range of different types of bromeliad available, in florists and garden centres – and they’re extremely easy to grow. Follow our simple tips and you

More on garden pondsAdvice on attracting wildlife to your pondTop 10 pond plantsVideo advice on maintaining a healthy pondBlog on pond plants by Kate BradburyLearn more about water gardening

Bird tables can be improved with a living, green roof that looks attractive and encourages more wildlife to visit your garden. The best plants to use for green roofs on your bird table are sedums, as they can withstand drought and grow on poor soil

Sowing cyclamen from seed is surprisingly easy, but it's not a job for the impatient gardener: grown this way it can take a year or more before you are rewarded with beautiful blooms. To produce indoor plants you need to use seeds of tender large

Clematis wilt is caused by a fungus that enters the plant through a wound made by an insect or an abrasion, such as rubbing from a plant tie. It's spread by water splash, and blocks the uptake of water in the stems, causing instant collapse