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…
Top tips
How to clean timber decking
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…
Best roses for containers
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…
How to make your own compost
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…
How to Prune Roses
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…
The ultimate guide to compost
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…
Sow tomatoes early
If you have a heated propagator or a space on a warm, bright windowsill, sow tomatoes seeds at the end of January or start of February. Here’s how to sow…
Spring lawn care tips
When it comes to spring lawn care there are three key jobs need doing. These are scarifying, spiking, and top-dressing. SCARIFYING removes moss and ‘thatch’ – small pieces of dead grass…
Find out how long your seed packets will last
If you are sorting through old seed packets through the winter months use this handy table to decide whether seeds are worth keeping. Veg and flower seeds and how long…
Berries on holly explained plus 5 top buys
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)…