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lime-green tobacco plants will be passed their best, however, you'll still have the phormiums and heucheras to enjoy over winter. May - JuneJune - September30 minutesPhormium 'Jester'Phormium cookianumHeuchera 'Prince' x2Dwarf tobacco plants, e

The hardy winter-flowering varieties of pansy (Viola) are the best bet for winter and spring containers as they're rarely without blooms, even when other plants are shivering in the cold. The flowers look stunning set off against the golden foliage

overwinter in the pot. Cut back the verbascums and the fennel in late winter or early spring (see Adam's tips).AdamDon't be too quick to deadhead the verbascums at the end of the summer, as birds will feast on the seed-heads and the spikes will look dramatic

at all. Autumn and spring are great times to make this project so you're planting it up at the best times of the year.Treat field horsetail with a systemic herbicide Install water butts to collect rainwater over winterScarify, aerate and feed your lawn

to provide a warm duvet to protect them from frost, but I didn't. Milder winters have been on my side, heavy penetrating frosts haven't struck, and my tubers have survived! Dahlias are so easy to raise from seed, producing plants for just a few pence instead

Spring has sprung. All at once. The guinea pig and his hutch are back outside. Shieldbugs, in their purple-brown winter colours, are sunbathing on the fence. The first bumblebee of the year, a queen buff-tailed, floated past and a male feather

In January I blogged about 'winterkill', after letters, emails and blog comments flooded in from gardeners who'd found dead frogs in their ponds. One commenter, Wishful Thinker, suggested I blog about winterkill before winter, so people can take

-white stripes down the edges of green strap-like leaves. Like so many summer bulbs, tulbaghia is a native of South Africa. This means it isn’t completely hardy, so is best grown in pots and provided with some winter protection.Eucomis originate in South Africa

Plum trees can be prone to silver leaf disease if pruned in winter, so cut them back in summer to encourage the development of bushy growth, which stops them becoming too large and unmanageable. Plum treeSecateurs June - July 20 minutesUse secateurs

the affected parts. In a few cases genetic mutation is the cause, and the deformity will be permanent.delphiniums, forsythias, lilies, primulas and other plantsspring, summer, autumn, winterCommon problems affecting plantsReversionMagnesium deficiencyRose rust