Top tips

  • June 5, 2015

I HAVE always wanted more colour in my summer garden, so this year I was determined to get my summer bulbs – including corms and tubers – in on time.…

  • May 1, 2015

Summer is the season for taking stem-tip cuttings of heathers. Our Amatuer Gardening expert shows you how to go about it in six easy steps. Step 1 Remove a strong, healthy,…

growing sweet peas

  • March 31, 2015

The steps you need to follow for growing sweet peas success!     1. Buy quality seeds from a sweet pea specialist because seed quality varies. 2. Sow in late…

  • March 19, 2015

Sowing Sunflower Seeds in 5 Simple Steps Step 1: At the end of March/early April sow seeds into 9cm pots. Use an equal ratio of loam, perlite and sand. Step…

  • March 12, 2015

THERE IS little more satisfying than growing magnificent, colourful flowers or delicious crops from a few tiny seeds. It’s also a lot cheaper than buying young plants. Many people never…

  • March 2, 2015

But if you had timber decking installed a decade ago, chances are it’s now looking tired, dirty and algae-stained. One question we often get asked at Amateur Gardening is how…

  • February 20, 2015

Pot-grown roses can be planted into patio containers at any time of the year, but around the end of February is a good time, as plants are just about to start…

  • February 9, 2015

The easiest way to start composting at home is to invest in a compost-maker. Most garden centres will stock two sizes: 220-litres or 330-litres. The golden rule is to buy…

  • February 6, 2015

To ensure you achieve the healthiest and best-shaped roses, which in turn give you the best flowers, you need to prune roses annually – and this can be carried out…

  • February 5, 2015

Multi-purpose compost The best all-rounder. Once called ‘universal’ compost, these mixes cater for a host of uses – including sowing large seeds, pricking out seedlings and planting-up pots, containers and…