Innehållsförteckning för Ultimate Garden Tips & Tricks från Ultimate Garden Tips & Tricks

Bulb planting season comes round quickly every year, but how to choose from the dazzling selection on offer? Read our guide to the main bulb groups so you can choose the best ones for your space, even if it’s only a windowsill. Bulbs come in every size and colour imaginable, to suit shady or sunny, small or large gardens. Many work brilliantly in containers. They can be incredible value and are low maintenance as well – once you’ve planted them, your work is done until they pop up in spring. So start planning your spring scheme now. Cast your mind back to spring in your garden (refer to snaps if you have them) and consider which bulbs could best complement your spring trees or shrubs, fill gaps in the border,…

The idea of companion planting is simple. It’s about growing two or more different plants close together so that they benefit from each other. Choosing the right combination can help to protect against pests, improve the soil with nutrients, offer shade against the sun, provide a natural support for leggy stems, or cleverly disguise an unsightly aspect of a particular plant. Although it may sound complicated, it’s not. "Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start," say the experts at Suttons Seeds. "It is just about planting the right plants beside one another so that each benefits from its neighbour." The principle of companion planting has been used for thousands of years and is often based on plant lore rather than hard scientific evidence. It is particularly effective if…

It’s so easy to get things wrong by making basic garden design mistakes when planning your outdoor space. Before you start, always stand back and take an overview. One of the most important things is to link the garden with the style of the house and its interior. Think about flow and connecting the spaces. Andrew Duff of Inchbald School of Design (inchbald.co.uk) says, ‘Treating the house and garden as two separate elements is one of the most common errors in garden design. You need to create a relationship by using the architecture of the house to influence the garden.’ Look at the bigger picture too by factoring in the climate and conditions where you live. Be realistic. Don’t try to force plants into an environment where they can’t thrive.…

Star of the month CLEMATIS MACROPETALA There’s a clematis for every month of the year, and who could resist the early lavender-blue flowers of ‘Virgin’s Bower’. Plant it deeply in a sheltered spot against a trellis. H: 4m Seasonal container The start of spring is the perfect time to plant up a container, and there’s plenty of hardy plants that will stand up to frosts over the next few weeks. To give the display staying power choose an upright, flowering shrub as a centrepiece and pop in some foliage plants, such as euphorbia, rosemary and trailing ivy. Buy pots of ready-grown bulbs, such as narcissus, and edge the container with primulas and violas. For impact, choose flowers in complementary shades that are opposites on the colour wheel; try yellow and…

Star of the month FOXGLOVE (DIGITALIS) It’s foxglove season, and spires of bell-flowers that are adored by bumble bees dominate this month. Try ‘Firebird’ (shown), which produces coppery pink flowers. H: up to 1.8m 5 ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR JUNE 1 Water succulents and cacti when the compost is dry. Place houseplants outside for a summer holiday. 2 Now that slugs and snails are about go on a torch-lit hunt treat vulnerable young plants with Nemaslug – the effects will last for six weeks. 3 Drape netting over blueberries, currants and cherries to keep birds off; protect strawberries too. 4 Deadhead perennials such as catmint, geum, astrantia and scabious before seed sets to encourage a second flush. 5 Give tomato plants in the greenhouse a shake to help pollination and ensure a good crop. Pinch out the side-shoots…

Star of the month ANEMONE HUPEHENSIS VAR. JAPONICA ‘SPLENDENS’ A beautiful Japanese anemone with striking, deep rose-coloured flowers which bloom for several weeks. Does well in sun or part-shade. H: 80cm Wildlife watch + September is traditionally a time to start tidying the garden but if you’re trying to encourage wildlife, don’t go too far. + By all means rake up fallen leaves (store in pierced bags to make leaf mould) but leave some piles to provide habitat for insects and, if you’re lucky, hedgehogs.  + Similarly, leaving the skeletons of perennials and grasses standing over winter means that birds can feed on the seedheads and that spiders – voracious eaters of garden pests – have plenty of choices of where to spin their webs. What to do in the…

Colourful border display In this lively border display, tulips are the perfect partners for erysimums (wallflowers). Flowers are best in late April/May. WHAT YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS ● A border, cleared of summer bedding● Border fork● Organic matter, ie. manure● Grit or gravel PLANTS ● Wallflowers ‘Winter Orchid’, seven plants per sq m of border● Tulips (10 per sq m) ‘Red Impression’, ‘Negrita’ ‘Ballerina’ 1 Clear away spent summer bedding and fork over the soil, adding organic matter. 2 Plant the wallflowers, spacing plants around a trowel’s length apart.  3 Either mix the tulips up together, or plant in separate colour drifts – depending on your desired scheme. Place the bulbs on the soil between the wallflowers at regular intervals.  4 Plant the tulips in between the wallflowers, adding a…

Garden experts are encouraging gardeners to adopt the sacrificial plant method to keep their produce slug-free this summer. How to get rid of slugs is always a hot topic among gardeners, but recently it has received lots of media attention. In the last few months, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) re-classified slugs and snails so that they are no longer considered garden pests, and slug pellets were banned. While it is essential to recognise the role slugs play as a vital part of a garden’s ecosystem, most gardeners would rather not have them munching on their prize plants and vegetable patches. That is where 'sacrificial' plants, also known as 'trap' plants, come in. "Plants with quite thin and soft foliage are a magnet for slugs," says Jamie Shipley, managing director…

If you don’t have a garden with a dedicated veg patch, growing vegetables in pots is a great alternative. Those with tiny outside spaces, paved-over gardens, balconies or even just a windowsill in the sun can turn their hopeful green thumbs towards growing edible plants in pots. Growing crops in containers is accessible, flexible and as satisfying as growing into soil if you know how to give your plants what they need to grow and thrive. It’s a great option for those who only have little pockets of outside space, rent their homes or aren’t comfortable with kneeling down and would rather garden without bending over. Although it’s true that not everything will grow happily in a pot, there are benefits to container gardening. Your potdwelling crops will require more…

Star of the month HAMAMELIS ‘DIANE’ This striking witch hazel is at its peak, pumping its powerful spicy perfume around the January garden. It has spidery flowers on bare stems in a stunning deep red. H: 3m 5 ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR JANUARY 1 It’s the perfect time to build paths and patios, while plants are still dormant, so organise landscaping jobs.  2 There’s still time to sow sweet peas for flowers and scent in late May and through summer. Plant in peat-free multipurpose compost in tall pots or kitchen rolls and put somewhere warm. They’ll flower earlier and make stronger plants.  3 Deadhead winter-flowering pansies weekly, to keep them blooming. 4 Boring, maybe, but necessary – clean pots and sharpen and oil tools for the new season. 5 Check containers…

Star of the month TULIPS These bulb favourites are in their prime. Try Tulipa ‘Flaming Parrot’ for yellow and red striped petals or ‘Pink Impression’ (shown), with a subtle hint of bronze on pink. H: 50cm Wildlife watch + Provide nesting boxes for garden birds, such as blue tits, and regularly clean and top up bird feeders with seed.  + Use a squirrel-proof bird feeder to prevent squirrels from stealing the food and don’t let seed build up on the ground as it may attract rats. What to do in the VEG PATCH + Draw out a planting plan on paper as you sow seeds so you know what is growing where, and add plant labels with the dates that seeds were sown. + In April, vegetables such as beetroot,…

Star of the month SALVIA NEMOROSA This perennial will complete your July border with slender stems of vivid blue-purple flowers, loved by bees. It will bloom until autumn in full sun or dappled shade. H: 50cm Wildlife watch + Bees and butterflies will be out in force, so provide nectar-rich plants. Verbena bonariensis, buddleia, lavender and sage, along with marigolds and snapdragons, will top up supplies. Night-scented plants, such as tobacco (Nicotiana) and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) attract moths, which in turn feed bats. + If slugs and snails are eating your plants, replace them with more bullet-proof species. Snails love hostas, but rarely touch ferns, which will look equally beautiful in shady spots. What to do in the VEG PATCH + Keep sowing small quantities of fast-maturing crops, such…

Star of the month PYRACANTHA This spiny evergreen shrub comes alive with bright berries, standing out against greenery this month. You’ll find blackbirds feasting on them. H: from 2.5m Wildlife watch + If you’ve planted spring bulbs, cover the pots with netting to stop squirrels digging them up. Prevent black spot from forming on roses over winter by clearing away fallen rose leaves. + Clean bird feeders regularly, especially after a downpour, to stop the food from turning mouldy and keep them topped up. Make sure bird baths are also cleaned and refilled regularly. + Leaving some seedheads provides shelter for insects over autumn and winter. + Provide food for hedgehogs to help fatten them up in the run-up to hibernation. If you see a hedgehog during daylight hours call…

Star of the month EVERGREEN COTONEASTER The evergreen shrub Cotoneaster lacteus will look good all year round. Large clusters of small white flowers are followed by small red berries in autumn and winter. H: 90cm 5 ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR DECEMBER 1 Make sure climbing plants are securely attached to their supports with ties. Check tree ties and stakes too. 2 Dig over empty borders and pile manure on top. It doesn’t have to be perfect as you can leave it to the worms and frosts to break up the soil. 3 Harvest holly berries for making Christmas garlands and wreaths. Stand them in a bucket of water until you need them. 4 Lift and divide established clumps of rhubarb to renew the plant and get more. 5 Keep looking after…

1 ASTER Also known as Michaelmas daisies, these plants are welcome for their clouds of tiny daisies in flower from August to October in striking pinks, blues or purples and their vital supplies of nectar late in the year. Pollinators go crazy for asters because the nectar is so easily accessible to them. Grow the single-flowered types for maximum pollinator power. Aster x frikartii ‘MÖnch’, which grows to a height of 45cm, has light-blue petals around a yellow disc. For a striking deep purple, try ‘Violetta,’ which is taller at 1.2m, blooming from September to October. Cut them back in winter. Asters enjoy sun but tolerate shade. 2 ACHILLEA (YARROW) The flattened horizontal blooms of Achillea make the perfect landing pads for hungry pollinators to drink their fill. The flowers…

Using a cyclical system of growing edible crops is easy. It creates a vegetable plot that is cheaper and easier to manage, one that is filled with wildlife, and that is also more plentiful, giving a bounty of healthy produce year after year. The basic principle is that waiting a few years before growing a vegetable in the same place weakens pests, reduces disease, and allows the soil to regenerate. What is crop rotation? Crop rotation is the practice of growing groups of vegetables and salad crops in sequence. The growing area is usually divided into three to five sections, depending on its size. Crop groups (such as root vegetables or legumes) are not grown in the same section for more than one year. Rather, they are rotated, year by…

Knowing where to start when landscaping with flowers is not always an easy thing. Thinking about where to position your flowers, which ones to choose and how to combine them in a cohesive way can take research and planning. But armed with the right knowledge, there‘s no reason you can‘t create your very own plant paradise in your garden. How much of your plot should be given to flowers is purely down to your own choice, how much time you have and also the size of the area you want to cultivate. ‘A rough rule of thumb is 70% flowers,‘ says head gardener Sarah Mead at Yeo Valley Organic Garden (yeovalley.co.uk). ‘But don’t forget trees, shrubs and hedges have flowers, too.‘ We asked five experts how to successfully bring flowers…

Star of the month SNOWDROP (GALANTHUS NIVALIS) These gems provide nectar in January and February. For best results, plant ‘in the green’ in spring, in leaf mould enriched soil, in semi-shade or shade, and they will naturalise. H: 15cm Wildlife watch + Continue to attract birds by feeding them, to encourage them into the garden to snack on pests. Birds will be nesting soon; put up nest boxes now, so that they’re a familiar part of the landscape. Choose a quiet part of the garden out of reach of cats. + Aphids (greenfly) may appear on plants if there’s a warm spell. No need to spray them yet – either remove by hand or, better still, allow hungry birds to hoover them up. Watch out for slugs on strawberry plants;…

Star of the month ALLIUM ‘MONT BLANC’ This impressive towering plant is great for adding height at the back of the border. Dense clusters of white flowers make this a real showstopper, plus the bees love them! H: 2m Seasonal container Add slow-release fertiliser and water-storing crystals to hanging baskets to keep plants in top condition throughout summer. Pot up begonias in containers or hanging baskets for a long-lasting display. Keep well watered in a bright, warm spot and feed during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Hanging baskets or pots filled with lobelia and petunias will also add instant colour especially in patio areas. Team with trailing plants, such as ivy, to add interest. If you have the space, grow bedding plants from seed in a greenhouse…

Star of the month DAHLIA ‘TROPICAL BREEZE’ Showy dahlias are the stars of the cutting garden from midsummer to late autumn. Eye-catching ‘Tropical Breeze’ blooms from late May to October. H: 45cm Seasonal container Your summer pots should be at their very best at the moment but think about what to plant now to keep the colour coming right into autumn. You may want to pull out any plants past their best and pop new ones in for a quick replacement job or alternatively start with a whole new container display. Choose flowers like bold and bee-friendly echinacea and dahlias in burnished autumn shades and pair with bronze heuchera and a mix of ornamental grasses like rubra and panicum to add movement to your display. As this is the driest…

Star of the month CORNUS SANGUINEA ‘MIDWINTER FIRE’ Dogwoods such as Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ really stand out, having shed their mid-green leaves and leaving the fiery stems for winter interest. H: 2m Seasonal container Plant spring bulb displays now in pots on your patio and in borders, and you will be rewarded with beautiful blooms come spring. Pots of tulip, daffodil and crocus bulbs will give you a continuous flourish of flowers. Ensure pots have good drainage as tulips don’t like very wet conditions. Cover large pots at risk of frost damage with a layer of bubble wrap or fleece. It’s also a good idea to cover pots or borders with netting to prevent squirrels from digging up the bulbs. For winter interest now plant up pots with heuchera…