Amateur Gardening 25 August 2018 – free seeds worth £2.05

What’s in Amateur Gardening
25 August 2018

Bank holiday gardening
Make the most of your three-day weekend, says Ruth

This won’t take long!
Quick tasks to help the garden and the wildlife

Penstemons and cuttings
Ruth shows you how to get more plants

Lift onions and shallots
Top tips for harvesting and storing those alliums

Free seeds/What’s On
How to sow these pretty multi-coloured cornflowers

Pick of the very best: dwarf tulips
Planning your spring bulbs already? Read this first!

Ways to save money
We ask the experts for their best money-saving tips

Bulbs to plant now
Madonna lilies and other dramatic flowers

How to choose standout shrubs
We show you nine options for autumn/winter interest

Get the look: the downsized garden
A smaller scale can still give you a lovely space

Peter Seabrook
‘Finger gardening’ is a summer delight, reflects Peter

Bob Flowerdew
Want repeat roses? I’ll show you how, says Bob

Val Bourne’s garden wildlife
Val explains how she looks after her mini meadow

Lucy Chamberlain’s fruit and veg
Cut and tie raspberries, revive old beans, prune fruits

Ask John Negus
Infected apple leaves, deceased gladioli, mystery plant

Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass
Anne explains how and when to prune fruit trees

RHS explains
The science behind why certain plants open and close

How to grow clematis
The secrets to growing these classic climbers – revealed

A gardener’s miscellany
This week, plums are the juicy subject of trivia and puzzles

Your letters
Bonsai plea, moths and butterflies, veg-growing teenagers

Toby Buckland
An inedible banana can be a visual powerhouse, says Toby

Latest news
Eight great new plants launched for next year

Tried and tested: container watering tools
Special kit for holiday watering and tall baskets tested

Cover photograph: Helianthus annuus (pic: Alamy)