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changing from pink to blue...a clear illustration of the affect of pH on plants.My garden soil must have got more alkaline, possibly through watering with 'hard' tap water during hot weather last summer, hence the pink flowers this year. I'll need to change

Although it's been a mixed summer weather-wise, I've still given my collection of succulent plants a 'holiday' outside, lining them up along a path to create a simple display. These tender succulents - aeonium, sedum and echeveria - spend autumn

that we gave away with our April issue.Very dry spring weather made it quite a challenge getting sweet peas established this year, and regular watering has been essential. Dryness at the root through summer is one contributory factor to the powdery mildew

I can't be the only one looking for foolproof plants to brighten the patio during summer, but it's always nice to try something a little different too.Traditional summer bedding has its place, but it does demand regular attention.Daily watering

.Everything grown in pots needs watering, particularly moisture-loving plants such as hostas. I top them up every time I pass, and fill the birdbath with fresh water at the same time.My one worry is the weather, as a hail storm can be devastating to hostas

I love daffodils. To get the best from these wonderful flowers, I plant up a dozen plastic aquatic baskets with spring bulbs in autumn, choosing varieties that flower at different times. When spring arrives, I pop one basket after another

Breathe deeply as you enter my sitting room this month and you’ll take in the powerful, almost intoxicating fragrance of paper-white narcissi.I planted the Narcissus papyraceus bulbs last autumn, in a glass bowl layered with gravel. All I've done

as required.For planting things that are going to live their life in a pot I always choose a loam-based John Innes No.3 compost. The loam gives it the guts to last, along with longer-lasting nutrients. There's no harm in mixing in some water-retaining gel

that the thick seed coats of sweet peas needed chipping with a knife or sanding down to allow water to enter the seed. Times have changed, and so has the advice. Just soaking sweet pea seeds in a glass of water overnight is all that's required, and seeds should

It's worth getting out into the garden even when the weather is so cold. I find I've been missing out for the past few weeks; there's a plant doing its own thing while everything around it is dull and dormant - the hellebore. The oriental hellebore