August can be an interesting month; if the weather warms up it is ideal gardening time, however, you can get stung by an about-face from Mother Nature sending us back to winter mode. All things going well though, August should be all about getting back into the garden, preparing for spring planting and having a general tidy up.

Celebrating the end of winter, vibrant spring flowering bulbs give maximum effect for minimum effort.
There is no limit to the number of bulbs that can be planted to give late winter and early spring colour and, with a bit of careful planning, there could be bulbs flowering in your garden right through to late summer.

Making compost is a very good practice from all points of view. Composting disposes of kitchen and garden waste and is environmentally friendly. Compost improves soil texture, reduces compaction, retains moisture in summer, encourages soil microbic activity and recycles nutrients - all great for the growth and maintenance of your plants.

Nothing beats the taste of a fresh, homegrown tomato - especially compared it to supermarket varieties, and this is often why 90% of home-gardeners grow tomatoes. Many gardeners encounter tomato growing problems however but here we show you what you can do about most common diseases, fungus and pesky bugs