June is all about new season's roses arriving in store. Most flower gardeners consider it unthinkable to create a garden without roses as they can easily lift your garden out of the ordinary. Simply by situating them so...

With the hustle and bustle of summer is over the great autumn clean-up should be in full swing as autumn breezes flurry fallen leaves into little damp heaps and bedraggled plants are in need of a good tidy up. Tidying up the garden is a great way to start composting too!

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.

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.

Easily grown outdoors throughout the season or in the glasshouse, these nutritious greens are a great addition to salads and sandwiches and are full of antioxidants for your better health.

There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh vegetables straight from the garden. Add to this the satisfaction and sense of achievement, the savings, the knowledge that your vegetables are free of pesticides and you have some very powerful reasons for growing your own vegetables.

Whether you're a green-thumb or not, success with plants is relatively easy to acheive provided a few basic steps are followed - especially in planting season. For best results, allowing a little extra time and money at planting time will eventually pay off.  

Autumn is the best time for planting out bulbs for a delightful Spring blooming show. While planting bulbs in April and May is great for successive blooming, getting stuck-in with your early bloomers in March means flowers are ready to show themselves right at the beginning of Spring - just when we all need a lift from the dreariness of winter.  

Autumn is the best time to sow a new lawn and rejuvenate an old lawn because from March to mid-April the autumn rains will soak well into the soil while it is still warm helping grass to establish itself. 

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.

Simple and fun to make, garden plant markers remind you which seeds you have planted, where. And they are ideal for introducing your little ones to the fun of gardening. 

This is your last chance to plant cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli for winter to give them enough growing time to form hearts before our growing season comes to an end.