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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 […]

🌿 Quick Answer Winter is one of the best times to get ahead in the garden. Prune dormant deciduous trees and shrubs, cut back herbaceous perennials once they’ve died down, plant bare root trees and hedging while they’re dormant, and tackle perennial weeds while borders are bare. Leave evergreens and anything that flowers on old […]

Quick Answer Sloe gin is made by pricking ripe sloes, layering them with sugar and gin in an airtight jar, then leaving the mixture in a dark cupboard for at least three months, shaking it weekly. Sloes are traditionally picked after the first autumn frost, though freezing fresh sloes overnight has exactly the same softening […]

Quick Answer Pumpkins and squashes are ready to harvest once the skin resists a firm thumbnail press, the colour has fully changed for that variety, and the stem has dried out and gone woody. In the UK this usually falls in the last two weeks of September through to the first week of October, ideally […]

Quick Answer Acers most often die or decline in UK gardens because of leaf scorch from drying wind, hot sun or drought, which is environmental rather than a disease and is by far the commonest cause. Late spring frost damaging tender new growth, a container that has become root bound and dries out faster than […]

Quick Answer For most UK gardens, an 85 litre single wheel barrow with a pneumatic tyre handles everyday jobs comfortably. If you regularly move a lot of soil, compost or rubble, a two wheel barrow around 200 litres, such as the Agri Barrow twin wheel model, saves trips and keeps you steadier underfoot. If balance […]

Quick Answer For most UK gardeners, bypass secateurs are the best all-round choice. The Felco Model 2 and Okatsune 103 are the two professional benchmarks. If arthritis or grip is a concern, go straight to ratchet secateurs. The right pair for your hand size, maintained properly, will last years rather than months. What frustrates me […]