Secateurs and loppers are handy pruning tools, but for thicker branches, a pruning saw is the tool for the job. The last resort before you need a chainsaw, a pruning saw has a toothed blade capable of ...

Purple sprouting broccoli has great flavour, a long harvesting season and is extremely good for you – a single portion provides half your daily requirement of carotenoids, plus high levels of folic ...

Tobacco plant (nicotiana) is a popular summer bedding plant, with long tubular flowers that attract butterflies and moths. Many nicotiana varieties are night-scented and open their flowers only in the ...

Cabbages are a versatile vegetable belonging to the brassica family, and come in a range of different colours and shapes, and with different leaf textures. They take up a lot of growing space and are ...

Broccoli is easy to grow, providing you with a delicious, nutritious crop of blue-green heads, which can be harvested from summer to autumn, depending on when you sowed the seed. There are several ...

When designing a garden it can be difficult to know where to begin. How do you assess the space, draw up a plan, start planting? And what about paths, boundaries, seating and screens? Whether you're ...

Duckweed is a common pond weed, visible as masses of tiny, rounded green leaves that float on the surface of ponds and other bodies of still, nutrient-rich water, including in water butts. The ...

Grass seed germinates at different rates, depending on various factors such as the grass species, weather, time of year and soil moisture. Typically, germination takes between five and 10 days. Once ...

The avocado, Persea americana, bears delicious fruits packed with healthy fats. In the right conditions, trees can reach heights of up to 20m, but they're unlikely to grow so well in the UK. Avocados ...

If your soil is alkaline (with a pH of above seven), you can grow acid-loving plants in pots or raised beds, using ericaceous potting compost. Using the right potting compost is key to success when ...

New to gardening? Browse our list of hints and tips on getting started, sowing, planting and creating wildlife habitats. Gardening is fun and rewarding. What could be nicer than eating food you have ...

Winter flowering pansies are short-lived perennials that are valuable for creating colour in pots and borders during autumn, winter, and early spring when little else is in flower. Masses of pretty ...