How to prune fruit trees
Keep your fruit trees productive and looking good with our easy pruning guide. Free-standing fruit trees, such as those grown in an orchard should be pruned when they are dormant, in winter. Trained trees, such as espaliers, cordons, pyramids and ... [... more]
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Create a mini pond
Brighten up your patio and encourage wildlife to visit your garden with your own container pond. Select a combination of marginal, aquatic and oxygenator plants. Plant marginals in aquatic baskets filled with garden soil and top-dress with ... [... more]
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Building a pebble fountain
Bring your garden to life with a trickling pebble fountain. It'll add another dimension to your garden. Choose the position of your pebble fountain. Use the reservoir as a guide to mark out the area for excavation. Lay a sheet of strong mesh over ... [... more]
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Aronia melanocarpa 'Autumn Magic'
Find out how to grow Aronia melanocarpa 'Autumn Magic' Common Name: Chokeberry Species: melanocarpa Cultivar: 'Autumn Magic' Soil type: Well-drained/light, Clay/heavy, Acidic 'Autumn Magic' is a great plant for year round interest in the small ... [... more]
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Verbascum, mullein
Verbascums are reliable show stoppers, adding height, structure and a profusion of colour to summer borders. Verbascums are either deciduous perennials or biennials. Be warned: the biennial varieties self-seed copiously. If possible, leave ... [... more]
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Growing a peach tree
Once peaches and nectarines could only be cultivated in greenhouses but new dwarf trees have been bred which are ideal for growing on a warm, sunny patio. We show you how to grow your own peaches. Choose a large container that is at least 30cm ... [... more]
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Phaseolus coccineus 'Sunset'
A decorative runner bean, 'Sunset' is worth growing for its pale peach flowers as much as its beans. It's useful for covering arches and pillars, as well as traditional bamboo cane rows and wigwams. Crops can be used in rotation with other ... [... more]
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Growing tomatoes
Growing tomatoes from seed is easy and there's a huge range of delicious varieties to choose from. Follow our easy care guide and sow during late February and March for a good summer crop. Scatter seeds thinly across the surface of 7.5cm (3in) ... [... more]
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Lilium speciosum Rubrum
This dramatic looking lily is one of the last lilies to flower each summer, so place it somewhere that it will be seen and enjoyed. It flowers profusely, and its bold dark-pink speckled petals curl back on themselves as the buds open. These ... [... more]
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Impatiens omeiana
Although related to the brightly coloured busy lizzies that are often used for summer bedding, this species is grown mainly for its foliage rather than its flowers. It forms a low-growing, spreading clump covered with handsome dark green, velvety ... [... more]
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Dasylirion longissimum
One for the exotic garden, this Mexican, tree-like succulent (with a trunk) has a spray of stiff, arching, strap-like leaves. There is a dramatic summer show of bell-like white flowers. The only way to grow it in the UK is in a container, stood ... [... more]
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Tulipa 'Havran'
This stunning variety bears luscious, rich crimson blooms at the end of April through the early weeks of May. Often two to three single, classic, tulip-shaped flowers appear on each slender stem. 'Havran' is a superb choice for any garden. It is ... [... more]
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