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Quick Answer Most plants that look dead in winter are simply dormant, having dropped their leaves or died back to the ground as a normal survival strategy against cold and low light. To check, scratch a fingernail against a stem or bend it gently: green and pliable means alive, brown and snapping means that particular […]

Quick Answer Fatsia japonica is a big, glossy, hand-shaped leaved evergreen shrub that copes with deep shade, pollution, coastal wind and near total neglect better than almost anything else you can plant. It wants planting in the ground rather than a container long term, tolerates full shade to part sun, and needs an occasional hard […]

Quick Answer Japanese anemones flower from late summer into November when almost everything else in the border has finished, thriving in full sun, part shade and even dry shade under trees. They are also some of the toughest perennials you can plant, spreading steadily by rhizome once established, so choose their spot with intent rather […]

Quick Answer A bulb planter tool is a simple hand tool that removes a plug of soil so you can drop a bulb straight in at the right depth, then replace the plug on top. Handheld planters suit small quantities and containers, long-handled planters let you work standing up for borders and lawns, and drill-powered […]

🌱 Quick Answer For most UK gardens the Dirty Pro Tools Garden Shredder is the best all-rounder, powerful enough for a proper pruning clear-up and priced sensibly for occasional use. If you are shredding thick or woody branches regularly, the Makita UD2500 is quieter and far less prone to blocking. If you only need something […]

🌱 Quick Answer For most UK gardens the Ryobi OBV18 18V ONE+ Brushless Blow-Vacuum is the best all-rounder, powerful enough for a full autumn clear-up and versatile enough to mulch leaves into the bag rather than just moving them somewhere else. If you would rather stay corded, the Flymo PowerVac 2700 covers the same blow, […]

Quick Answer A potted Christmas tree goes brown mostly from drying out, either from being left neglected outdoors over summer or from too long indoors in warm, dry central heating. Once a conifer’s needles have died they will not turn green again, so the priority is stopping further browning through regular watering, good drainage and […]

Quick Answer The best climbing plants for UK gardens include Clematis, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Wisteria and Star Jasmine for scent and flower, Ivy, Climbing Hydrangea and Virginia Creeper for shade and difficult walls, and Climbing Roses and Campsis for sunny, sheltered spots. Match the climber to the aspect and the support it actually needs to climb […]

Quick Answer Bare root hedging plants are lifted from the field while dormant and sold without a pot or compost, costing roughly half to a third of the equivalent container grown plant. Plant them between November and March, work mycorrhizal fungi into the trench, then cut them back hard the first spring to force bushy […]

🌱 Quick Answer Plant tulip bulbs in November, after the first hard frosts, in a sunny spot with sharp drainage. Set them three times their own depth, roughly 15 to 20cm down, pointy end facing up. Waiting until November rather than jumping in with the daffodils in September is the single biggest factor in avoiding […]