Dahlias come in a wide range of colours, flower types and size, foliage colour and heights. They flower freely, are easy care, and make excellent cut flowers for the home. 

Fresh or dried, herbs add zest to cooking, perfume the house and have natural medicinal and cosmetic benefits. The fun of making pot pourri, tussie mussies, infused vinegars and pestos from your own garden is most rewarding. 

April is about planting spring bulbs and the sooner daffodils are planted, the better they will perform. There are always a few places where a few more bulbs can be planted such as scatter plantings of bluebells and crocuses under deciduous trees, little dwarf tulips and irises tucked into rock gardens or fritillaria and dogs tooth violet enjoying some shady spots.

Flowering at a time of year when little else can be found flowering, Cyclamen are a popular indoor houseplant. With their beautiful, long-lasting flowers and interesting heart-shaped leaves with a marbled silvery pattern, who can resist one to brighten up any room in the house!

An easy-care garden is a perfect answer for the homeowner who wants an attractive garden to enhance and add value to the house but wants to spend their weekends enjoying leisure activities. The wide range of colourful, hardy, low-maintenance plants and quality landscape materials available makes all this possible 

There is always a place for a climber or two. Whether it is to hide an eyesore or to soften architectural lines, they can be grown up walls, over archways, or along fences - such is their versatility. Deciduous or evergreen, some cling, twine, scramble, or just lean. Whatever their method they can be trained to fit any shape or space 

The style is timeless and suits modern houses as well as those of last century. Wide borders containing a profusion of fragrance, colour and foliage can transform a house of quite simple lines. 

They are the perfect solution for today’s lifestyle gardener who may not have a conventional garden, but wants to add atmosphere to a patio, deck or balcony. 

Ferns come in all shapes and sizes with a classic beauty of their own. There are the magnificent giant tree ferns, right down to the small moss like ferns found on the forest floor. Where ever they grow ferns require shade, moisture and little attention. 

Flowers have long been associated with a luxurious feeling of well being, such as the calming effect of lavender. Leaves too can have hidden delights. Try crushing a leaf of lemon verbena or rose-scented geranium for a rapturous experience. 

Gardening in a hot and dry area in your garden is always a challenge. By choosing plants suited to these harsh conditions and by taking extra care at planting time, a charming, colourful effect can be achieved. Plants native to the Southern Hemisphere, the Mediterranean and South Africa, that have adapted to a shortage of water, will provide the best framework. 

They have another less known use as clean air machines, removing impurities from the air and replacing the impurities with oxygen. Studies by NASA show Peace Lilies and Boston Ferns are two very effective clean air machines.