Search - Articles

part. We all sowed our seeds, watered, tended and waited.Now, in late May, we should all have good, strong sunflowers ready to plant out (depending on where we live). Mine have been outside in pots for about three weeks now, but I only planted them

-free compost to the bottom of the hole, to aid moisture retention.Water the plant, then gently remove it from the pot. Tease out the roots, then settle the rootball into the hole.Plant deeply, so the top of the rootball is 5-8cm below the soil surface

gently around the plug to ensure the roots spread as the young plant grows.When all the plugs have been planted, water with a fine rose. Keep on a bright windowsill or in the greenhouse for four to five weeks, potting on once for trailing plants, or twice

, covered with a sheet of glass and a layer of paper.Remove the glass once seedlings develop - these will be large enough to prick out by next spring.Next spring, gently tease out individual cacti, and plant out in a tray of gritty compost. Water well

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

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

.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

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

I've always been fascinated by algae. These simple organisms take so many forms. Some are accurate indicators of water pollution, and some, like the blue-green alga spirulina, are a brilliant source of vitamin B12. But right now they've gone too far

, and then watered sparingly from the base only to prevent any mould spreading. I recommend filling the saucer with tepid water, allowing it to be taken up by the plant for a few minutes and then draining off any excess. That, combined with cooler windowsills