Propagating & Growing Plants

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 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 Monkey puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) need a sheltered, sunny spot with moist but well drained soil and room to reach 12 metres or more, so check your space before planting. Browning is usually one of three things: natural shedding of the oldest lower branches, drought stress in a pot or newly planted specimen, […]

Quick Answer Crop rotation means growing a different plant family in each bed every year, usually on a three to four year cycle, rather than growing the same crops in the same spot repeatedly. It stops pests and diseases building up in the soil, keeps nutrients balanced, and improves yields. Group vegetables into families such […]

Sowing seeds is an activity that brings joy and smiles all around to gardeners. Each year, gardeners and allotment holders around the country eagerly sow seeds of both flowers and vegetables to grow in their gardens. Sowing seeds is really cost-effective and offers gardeners an unbelievable variety of plants that you simply can’t buy from […]