Echium vulgare
A biennial plant often found on grassy and disturbed situations. It prefers a well drained chalky soil and is often seen on bare places, on chalk and limestone downs. It is often found by the coast on cliffs, sand dunes and shingle. E.vulgare has ... [... more]
BBC |
Potato Pictures By Variety
The potatoes in the table below are all recommended varieties for the home gardener. Potatoes are affected by the type of soil in which they are grown, so try a couple of varieties before deciding which is correct for your garden. New varieties ... [... more]
Garden Action |
Buying and Planting Roses
Your roses can be bought either in containers or bare-rooted. Bare-rooted roses are sometimes sold by mail order nurseries - the lack of soil keeps down the weight and therefore the cost. Unlike containerised roses, which can be planted ... [... more]
Garden Action |
removing rose suckers
Rose suckers are light green and their leaves usually look smaller than the cultivated variety. You need to pull (not cut) these off right at the root to get rid of them totally. You may need to remove some soil to get to them. Most cultivated ... [... more]
Rose Buddies |
What and how to mulch plants
For beginner gardeners we describe why it's good to mulch plants and what organic materials are available. . A mulch is a substance (e.g. bark or black plastic) which is applied to the surface of soil. The reduce the loss of water considerably ... [... more]
Garden Action |
Bergenia 'Baby Doll'
This is a great ground-cover plant for low maintenance areas. It is a tough, evergreen perennial with large, rounded, bronzed-tinted leaves, which tolerates any soil, but leaf colour will be best on poor soil in full sun. In mid- to late spring, ... [... more]
BBC |
Astrantia major 'Roma'
A surprisingly hardy plant, with a delicate appearance, Astrantia produces branched heads of neat pincushion flowers surrounded by a ruff of greenish wine red bracts. It likes a moisture retentive soil and can make good ground cover planted in a ... [... more]
BBC |
Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow'
This is a very easy going shrub that will do well in any situation or soil. It's one of the more attractive barberries with small, rounded, reddish-purple leaves marbled with pink and white. It is dense, with a rounded shape, and loads of spines ... [... more]
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Persicaria bistorta 'Superba'
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Clay/heavy, Acidic, Moist, Boggy With a decent flowering period from late spring to midsummer, the vigorous Knotweed is an excellent choice for the damp garden. The bottlebrush-like, tiny mauve-pink flowers are ... [... more]
BBC |
Growing raspberries
Raspberries are expensive to buy in the shops, but are really easy to grow if you can give them a sunny or partly shaded spot with well-drained soil. Prepare site by weeding and digging in plenty of well-rotted manure a few weeks before ... [... more]
BBC |
Growing cabbages and brassicas
How to grow cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts and kale from seed successfully. Brassicas grow best in a partially-shaded spot that has fertile, free-draining soil, free from stones. Start digging your soil in late autumn and add ... [... more]
BBC |
Grow gooseberries
Gooseberries are easy to grow and one of the earliest fruits of the year. Follow our guide to growing your own. Prepare soil in autumn by forking over a large area and removing weeds. Dig a planting hole and fork in compost or well-rotted ... [... more]
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