CATEGORIES

TRUE COLOURS

Do gardens need a carefully considered colour scheme, or are they better when a mix of spontaneous, clashing colours come to the fore? Alice Vincent is undecided

Spring into action

Spring is a key time for all kinds of crucial garden jobs like pruning and preventative slug measures,

Plants for moist soils

You don't have to give up on areas of moist, boggy soil, Instead, consider some of the lovely plants that are well adapted to live in these sites

Top TEN Classic tulips

For simple elegance plus a vast variety of colours and colour combinations, choose classic tulips,

Room for a view

Stefano Marinaz has created year-round interest in this small urban garden, providing spaces to share with friends and with wildlife

Natural selection

At Twelve Nunns Nursery in Lincolnshire, it has taken 20 years for three new erythroniums to be offered for sale

Flow of ideas

A creative meeting of minds has produced a dramatic spring garden of contrasts, with water at its heart

Sow where they grow

Sowing seeds where they are to grow is an easy, bother-free way to bring colour to your garden. Here, three experts recommend their favourite flowers for growing direct

Add vertical interest with Border giants

Whatever your garden's style or size, towering plants are a must. Louise Curley recommends statuesque specimens guaranteed to take borders to new heights

The garden on three levels

Jan Mundy's garden in Usk has changed from a dark, sloping site to a contemporary outdoor space on three levels that's full of brightness and colour

Providing a balanced diet

Supplements can help plants to do their best

Focus on... Growing carrots

No kitchen garden would be complete without a crop of sweet and crunchy carrots.

Walk on the wild side

Val looks at how a wild approach benefits wildlife

Top Ten Bergenias

These hardy weed-suppressing plants provide flower and foliage colour in one valuable ground-covering perennial

Salad days

As we start to feel the pinch, it's good to know there are crops that will come good again and again

Get the best from asparagus

Asparagus is a perennial flowering plant species that may support a healthy gut, as well as help to lower blood pressure.

Removing a tree stump

Steve and Val Bradley explain how to tackle tricky tree stumps

Annual poppies

Poppies come in many colours, can be great for cutting and drying, and their unpredictability makes them fascinating to grow.

Preparing for the pests

Think ahead and harness the power of nature

French connection

French connection One way to keep pests at bay is to grow French marigolds – but check they pass the smell test

A glorious start to summer

These exotic climbers like a sunny spot, says Ruth

Greenhouse spring cleaning

I’ve washed ours and checked over the plants, says Ruth

Repair lawns after winter

Ruth starts getting her lawn ready for summer

All about amphibians

Val looks at the lives of our declining frogs and toads

The new natives

Finding the right words for non-native plants is tricky: even native’ requires a fresh perspective, says Toby

Take basal shoot cuttings

Use young growth to make robust new plants, says Ruth

GROW YOUR OWN SPICE RACK

Bring a bit of spice into your life this month with Rob Smith's pick of some of his favourite herbs

TOP JOBS FOR APRIL

ESSENTIAL TASKS FOR YOUR VEG PATCH AND PROTECTED CROPS BY BEN VANHEEMS

SUCCESS WITH SEEDS!

Professional gardener and keen plotter Hannah Reid shares her top tips for getting your seeds and seedlings off to a great start

PLANNING FOR BIODIVERSITY

Looking to create a garden that encourages biodiversity but which is also productive? Becky Searle offers some valuable insights based on her own garden