CATEGORIES

YOUR PRUNING MONTH

Frances Tophill explains what to cut back now, including grapevines and hardy shrubs

Expert's choice

Smaller variegated ivies still pack a big punch all year round, says Graham Rice

Christmas garden makes

Welcome guests to your home this festive season with sustainable decorations and gifts that won't break the bank. Rich Heathcote shows how to use the bounty your garden provides

Your wildlife month

December is a time for reflection in the garden. What worked for wildlife in 2023 and what didn't? How could you do more? Looking at the bones of the garden now, is there space for more plants? Are your fences bare? Are there enough berries and hips? You have until March to plant bare-root trees and shrubs. What would look good? What would better serve wildlife?

'It's like another lung - like having oxygen on tap. It makes you breathe in a different way'

Helen Maxwell's garden in rural Carmarthenshire surrounds the house that her husband (who's an architect) designed.

The Full Monty

I can, and occasionally do, manufacture jobs in a kind of gung-ho, boy-scout spirit

Hardwood cuttings

It's the zero-fuss way to make free new shrubs - just follow our guide from Nick Bailey

To dig or not to dig?

Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate

Lightweight gardening tools

AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.

The box ball blues

As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars

Strange sightings

Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day

Rudbeckias

Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters

Autumn price round-up

AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands

Create a winter container

There are as many options as in summer

Winter moth prevention

Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits

A bolt from the blue!

Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase

Save your own seeds

Masterclass on: seed saving

For a scented summer eve

Grow these around a seating area

Foxgloves (digitalis)

Modern foxgloves range from tall and elegant, bushy and punchy to simply delightful - both close up and from afar

Understanding photoperiodism

Steve and Val Bradley explain how daylength plays its part in plant growth

Tidying-up before autumn

Take time out to get everything straight, says Ruth

Better blackberries

Blackberries are some of the most reliable and prolific croppers in the garden so make more of them, says Bob

Up the garden path

Wildlife and visitors love the plants growing in Val's path

Autumn rose maintenance

Cut back, mulch and remove diseased stems, says Ruth

Keep the lawn looking good

Remove dead material and keep the soil healthy

Cutting back in autumn

Masterclass on: tidying up for winter

Sugar high

When contemplating trees to blaze a trail in a garden, there is nothing sweeter than the sugar maple, says Toby

Heavenly hedges

Evergreen or deciduous, large or small, hedges are the perfect way to bring structure to your garden - and now is the best time of year to plant one

Autumn made easy

Ensure your garden is in great shape for the colder months ahead - and next year's growing season - with Sue Kent's guide to hassle-free autumn preparation

Leaf-vein cuttings

Make new plants from leaf-vein cuttings with Nick Bailey's essential guide