AG gardening editor Kris Collins, shows you how to get your flower garden underway
Fill cell trays with sieved seed and cutting compost. Don’t compact the compost by pressing down, but do tap the tray to knock out trapped air.
Water the trays with a fine-rose watering can until you see water escaping from the drainage holes. Allow to drain fully…
Even though the weather has prevented me finishing my winter digging in borders, I did manage to venture into the greenhouse last weekend.
Trying to stay busy I decided to check over my potted plants for pests and diseases. One plant that caught my eye was a hellebore, which I bought bare rooted last autumn.
The foliage is showing signs of either…
Plant begonia tubers now ready to early cuttings in spring, says AG garden writer Michelle
Fill a seed tray with light, sandy, loam-based compost. Or mix horticultural sand with multi-purpose compost. Adding leaf mould to the mixture will give the tubers perfect growing conditions.
Space the tubers in the tray, hollow-side up, about 2in (5cm) apart so they are not touching each…
Got gaps to fill, or didn’t plant in autumn? Plant sprouted bulbs this weekend for a quick fix, says AG garden editor Kris Collins
Autumn is the traditional time to plant out dormant spring bulbs, but if you didn’t get round to the job last year, help is now at hand. Garden centres seem to have upped their game in supplying…
Want a quick fix green boundary or screen? ‘Trough’ hedging is an option, says AG garden writer Michelle
Although we have hit a cold spell, spring is just around the corner so if you are thinking of planting bare-rooted plants the time to do so is running out.
But don’t forget that many plants can be bought in containers and these can…
AG gardening editor, Kris Collins, shows how to bring a large tree back down to size
If a tree has out grown its space in the garden, you don’t have to get the chainsaw out and shout ‘Timber’. Try the ancient method of pollarding instead. Some timely hard pruning while the tree is in its dormant phase will bring it back…
Hollies are either male or female – only the females berry. Very few are self-fertile, so a female generally needs a male nearby (in the same garden or a neighbour’s) to produce berries. Over pruning may be the reason for a non-berrying holly (hollies only fruit on wood two years old, or more). Late pruning (only prune in late winter/early…
If you are sorting through old seed packets through the winter months use this handy table to decide whether seeds are worth keeping. For more info on seed viability, proper storage and testing seeds before the main sowing season, see Amateur Gardening 21 Jan 2012, available at news agents and other outlets from 17 Jan.
Veg and flower seeds and how…
Impress your Christmas guests with this snazzy, easy-to-make festive container
For a cool, sophisticated look choose white and silver plants and embellish them with silver decorations and bright lights. This display will look classy for many months and the cineraria can be planted in the garden once the other plants are over. The calocephalus will do…
Deck the halls with a difference, says AG gardening editor Kris Collins
This is a great alternative to traditional Christmas decorations. Use up surplus apple harvests or buy a few bags from the supermarket. Take a walk and see what berries you can find to add to the display. Treat yourself to a floristry foam cone or create your own shape…
