CATEGORIES

Go green for pocket and planet

Eco-gardening benefits more than your garden, says Ruth

Butterfly heaven

If you want your garden to be filled with scent and butterflies this summer, plant a buddleja now, says Hazel Sillver, as she reveals varieties for large and small gardens

Free seeds are back!

It’s time for sowing, says Ruth, starting with bright asters

Focus on... Growing chillies

If you crave crops with a real kick, now’s the time to start sowing your chilli peppers. Lucy Chamberlain shows you how to sow and grow fabulous, flavoursome chillies

Ice sculptures

The winter garden can be a true wonderland if you plan and plant to really make the most of the frost, says Graham Rice

Lost and found

Val is saddened by wildlife habitat loss due to HS2, but is cheered by the discovery of rare wild honey bees

On the rocks!

Create a drought-resistant gravel border to cut down on watering and enjoy a wealth of Mediterranean plants, says Hazel Sillver, as she reveals how to get started now

Plant a tree for Jubilee

Celebrate our Queen’s 70-year reign and help the planet

The beauty of snowdrops

Snowdrops may have tiny, delicate flowers, but they are remarkably strong, hardy and reliable plants. Tamsin Hope Thomson reveals some of her favourite varieties

The joy of figs

They are easy to grow and generous fruiters, says Ruth

Sweet spud success

If you haven’t yet tried this tastier, more nutritious alternative to potatoes, now’s your chance, says Bob

Think about perennials

They can be moved and split if the soil is right, says Ruth

Sweet memories…

The fragrant presence of Devon violets reminds Toby of bygone days and a violet trade that lifted people’s spirits

Spring blossom for wildlife

Plant fruiting trees and shrubs now, so your garden will be filled with beautiful snowy blossom that will provide valuable nectar for insects come spring, says Hazel Sillver

Stroke of luck

While many new gardening gizmos impress, says Toby, one item is as useful now as ever– the besom brush

The indoor garden

Wintertime is when house plants and the benefits they bring really come to the fore, says Anne Swithinbank, as she selects a range of examples for every need

Landscape roses

If you want beautiful, lasting ground cover that will also dissuade weeds, have you considered roses? Anne Swithinbank argues the case for landscape roses

Late winter protection

It isn’t too late to secure your garden, says Ruth

Lime-hating plants

If you love rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias but don’t have acid soil, the answer is to grow them in containers with the right compost, water and food

What a jay day!

Val spots an exotic visitor at her garden bird station

Looking after winter lawns

Keep things ticking over until spring arrives

Winter scent

Planting for winter scent will draw you back out into the garden, even on frosty mornings, says Camilla Phelps, as she looks at the best plants for winter fragrance

Growing Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)

Steve and Val Bradley explain how to get the best out of these gorgeous houseplants

Sow soon for success

You can start sowing seeds now in a propagator or on a warm windowsill – and the sooner, the better, says Bob

Focus on...Blackcurrants

Tangy fruits in abundance are within reach

Houseplant survival

Steve and Val Bradley explain the best techniques for looking after plants given as Christmas gifts

Gold, frankincense and myrrh

Oliver Dawson takes a close look at the witch hazel and its association with Epiphany, when the three Wise Men brought gifts to the infant Jesus

Get more from young trees

We planted them in nursery rows and if they weren’t sent out after a year or so, we would carefully dig them up for transplanting into a different part of the nursery.

Get the best gooseberries

Q I’ve been reading about the flavour of old-fashioned gooseberries and would like to plant some of the older cultivars. What is the best way to grow them, and how do I avoid mildew? Fiona Westfield, Grantham, Lincs.

An uncertain future

Horticultural clubs need to attract members, says Peter