1st December 2006
This is the time of year for hardwood cuttings, they don't need a propagator, heat, misting or any specialist equipment, all you need is good old fashioned garden soil, sharp sand and a pair of secateurs. Plants that can be propagated using this method include 'Dogwood', 'Buddleia', gooseberries, roses, winter flowering viburnum's and red and flowering currants too. Cuttings are taken after leaf fall from stems that are one year old, as thick as a pencil, with the soft tip removed. Cut the stems into sections 15-30cm (6-12in) long with a sloping cut above a bud at the top and a straight cut at the base below a bud and remove the buried buds. They should be planted in a trench in a sheltered site on well drained soil, with a layer of sharp sand at the base with two thirds of the cutting below ground. Check the trench after early frosts and firm the soil around them if required. Keep them well watered during dry periods and lift the new plants the following autumn after leaf fall. If outdoor conditions are unsuitable bundles of up to twelve cuttings can be put into a cold frame filled with moist sand until the spring. Towards the end of March to early April, before the buds break make a trench 12.5cm (5in) deep and line out the cuttings 10-15cm (4-6in) apart with two-thirds of the stem buried and firm the soil around the cuttings. They root most successfully just after leaf fall but results are excellent any time, apart from early in the New Year, until just before bud burst in spring.

Winter is a great opportunity to check over hand tools, replacing broken handles and sharpening blades. Use a fine file to flatten notches on the cutting edge of hoes and spades, even if you've already developed the good habit of keeping one in your pocked while digging on stony soil. Years ago when I worked on the local Parks' department, Fred, the play equipment maintenance man sharpened our hoes each day with an angle grinder! Whatever you choose to sharpen blades, don't check the edge with your finger; try cutting a branch or twig instead, for obvious reasons. Brush away any soil, clean off rust with wire wool, spray the surface with water repellent and treat wooden handles with linseed oil before hanging them in the shed.

Open greenhouse vents for as long as possible on mild sunny days, remembering to shut them before temperatures drop early in the afternoon to save the heat. A combination of high temperatures and low light makes leaves and stems soft, spindly and prone to grey mould which spreads rapidly in cool, damp conditions. Good air circulation is vital, but chilling draughts should be avoided; don't leave the door wide open and err on the side of caution!

And a final reminder. 'Acer's', 'Birches' and grapevines should be pruned before Christmas to prevent the wounds from bleeding, which disfigures the bark and in severe cases causes the death of the plant. Happy Christmas!

1st November 2006
If you've never tried growing garlic, make this the year! It needs light soil, an open sunny site and can be planted from early October to late December. Don't plant until spring on heavier soils, digging in grit or planting it on ridges or temporarily in pots of loam based compost then transplanting outdoors in spring. They need a period of one to two months from 0-10degC (32-50F) to ensure they produce decent sized bulbs so I'm putting mine in the fridge for a while, just to make sure! Make sure the 'blunt' end is at the bottom and the tip is just below the soil to discourage curious birds from pulling them out. There are 'hardneck' and 'softneck' varieties, 'hardnecks' are gourmet garlics with fewer larger cloves, but they don't tend to store well, so most gardeners go for 'softnecks'. This year I'm growing 'Spanish Roja' an old variety that is quite rare that is a regular winner in taste panels in USA and is regarded by many connoisseurs as the 'King of Garlics' let's hope that it lives up to the title. It is a 'hardneck' but stores better than most in this category. There's also 'German Red' which is vigorous with lush green foliage and bulbs formed from good sized cloves which are said to be easy to peel that is hot, spicy and perfect for dishes demanding plenty of garlic! It's ready to harvest from early July and will store up to the end of the year and 'Oswego White' is a 'softneck' with large bulbs that are mild tasting and good roasted. If you've never eaten roasted garlic, it's absolutely delicious! Softnecks are not as hardy but are better protected with cloches during very cold periods or on an exposed site; 'hardnecks' are very hardy.

On the first of November there'd still not been a frost in my part of Hertfordshire - strange times indeed! Most of my tender container plants have now been moved into the greenhouse for winter protection in frost free conditions. As you see from the image, Impatiens tinctoria, was determined to finish the season with a flourish and was still flowering. Even though it's related to the 'Busy Lizzie' this is not your average 'Impatiens' with wonderful orchid like flowers and is found in mountain forests and shady gullies from Eastern Sudan to Ethiopia and Uganda. In milder areas it can be overwintered under a thick mulch if planted by a wall or near a greenhouse in rich free draining soil. Alternatively, in cooler areas or on heavy soils, treat it like a dahlia and over winter in a cool greenhouse.

There's plenty to do in the garden this month, clear leaves regularly from the lawn to stop the grass from dying, raise containers on pot 'feet' to prevent waterlogging, cut back cluster flowered and hybrid tea roses back by one third to prevent wind rock. Finally, remember to build your bonfire for 'Guy Fawkes' night as late as possible to prevent hedgehogs from taking up residence and use the opportunity to burn any debris that doesn't compost readily.

1st October 2006
It's long been the practice to spray tough weeds like 'Ground Elder' and 'Bindweed' when they're in flower but it's recently been discovered that autumn is particularly effective. At this time of year the sap is being drawn deep into the roots and stored for the winter, so it's increasing the concentration of herbicide that is absorbed by the roots. Spray with a systemic or translocated herbicide on a still, dull day, when the foliage is dry and rain is not expected and always follow the manufacturer's instructions. You'll find with well established weeds that applying two sprays a few days apart at 50% of the recommended dilution rate can be more effective.

You can sow hardy annuals 'Love-in-a Mist', 'Larkspur' and 'Poppies' in spring, but doing it now means stronger, earlier flowering plants. Sow them where they are to flower in borders and protect them with cloches or fleece if the weather gets really cold. In cooler areas sow them in trays and plant them into individual pots when they are large enough to handle or when the seed leaves appear, then grow them on in a cool greenhouse or cold frame, with as much light as possible. They don't need high temperatures, just keep the environment cool and frost-free. By the time they are 'hardened off' and planted out in their final positions in May they too will be bushier, stronger and flower earlier than those sown in the spring.

There are three 'must have' plants for winter fragrance that are really reliable and easy to grow and will be in the nurseries now. Viburnum x bondnantense 'Dawn' is deservedly popular and flowers for several months. Clusters of pink, sweetly scented flowers burst out along the naked stems from November to March - whatever the weather! In summer it's the perfect host for clematis to weave their way through the upright, arching stems; a deep, red cultivar like 'Niobe' is the perfect partner, highlighting the red veins on its leaves.

Then there's Lonicera x purpusii 'Winter Beauty', a shrubby, rather straggly honeysuckle, with small, pale cream flowers and a wonderful perfume that's deliciously sweet, without being overpowering. But my favourite of all is Chimonanthus praecox or 'Winter Sweet', although it is slow growing and takes several years to flower it really is worth the wait. Grown as a shrub or against a sunny wall it produces extraordinarily delicate, yellow, waxy flowers with the exotic aroma of allspice!

At ground level, it's still not too late to plant 'Scillas', 'Chionodoxa's or Iris danfordiae to form colourful carpets, through borders. 'Hellebores' look wonderful too, in pots or planted in borders. One of the most famous is Helleborus niger, known as the 'Christmas Rose'. It isn't a rose and rarely flowers at Christmas but is so beautiful you'd be prepared to forgive it anything! They flourish in dappled shade or the protection of a north facing wall in limy soil with lots of compost. The beautiful white, waxy flowers with a cluster of golden stamens really are an inspiring sight and the perfect winter tonic. There's still plenty of time to brighen up your borders for winter.

1st September 2006
Autumn is main seasons for lawn maintenance. Rake out the 'thatch' or dead grass and moss that has accumulated over the mowing season using a wire rake or lawn rake from the tool hire shop. To save money, you could hire it and share the use and cost with several friends. Spike compacted areas with a fork; push the spikes into the ground rocking it backwards and forwards to loosen the soil. In severe cases you may need to 'hollow tine', these too can be hired or there are smaller versions as hand tools which are like a large apple corers and then brush in top dressing. Repair worn patches, with seed and feed with autumn lawn fertiliser.

Some enthuse about the delights of spring, others prefer summer, but one of my favourite times is when late summer herbaceous plants come into flower, and the cornerstone of the display are the Asters. They flourish in sunshine or some shade and need soil that's moisture retentive, even in dry summers, so where necessary, dig in plenty of organic matter before planting. To keep them vigorous and healthy, 'Michaelmas Daisies' should be divided every two or three years in spring. Cultivars of Aster x novi-belgii are particularly prone to 'Powdery Mildew' a grey dusty fungus that coats the upper leaf surfaces if this appears, spray with a fungicide like Bio Supercarb and dispose of the stems and foliage at the end of the season - but not on the compost heap! There are masses of colours to choose from in shades of violet, purple and white even the cerise pink of Aster novae-angliae 'Andenken and Alma Potschke', the soft shell pink 'Harringtons Pink' and Aster amellus 'King George' an old purple-blue cultivar with a fabulously long flowering season from July until mid autumn but one of the best and possibly my favourite, is the hybrid, Aster x frikartii 'Monch' with flowers of stunning rich, lavender-blue that are produced from July right through to October! If you want to see the glory of the Asters in early autumn, with some useful planting ideas too, why not treat yourself and visit the National Collection at Upton House in Warwickshire? Don't forget autumn flowering bulbs too, like the pink trumpets of Amaryllis belladonna, candy blooms of Nerine bowdenii and Zephyranthes candida with its wonderful white flowers which I grow in free draining soil at the base of a south facing wall.

Your summer bedding should still look good so keep on feeding, watering and deadheading as until they start to deteriorate. If frost is forecast later in the month protect your plants with several layers of horticultural fleece or newspaper to prolong the display. Depending on where in the country you are, the firsts frosts can strike anytime in September, (what a dreadful thought!) though they're not often as hard as those form November onwards, they can still signal the end for tender plants. You'll know from past experience when to bring your tender plants like Osteospermums and Agyranthemums under cover; just listen to the weather forecast and don't get caught out! Throw away any that are poor quality and take cuttings too as an insurance in case the parent plants don't survive - you can always give extras away to friends.

1st August 2006
It's important to make arrangements for someone to look after your smaller houseplants while you're on holiday. Ideally ask a neighbour who's keen on gardening. If your kitchen draining board is away from scorching sunshine, group all your houseplants there, write down the instructions clearly on a piece of paper or stick the instructions on the side of each pot and take them through their individual needs before you leave. Alternatively, stand them all on an old towel or capillary matting with one end dipped in a sink full of water to act as a wick; single plants can be watered using a wick of a cotton shoelace or a piece of wool. They can also be put outdoors in a shady spot outdoors - houseplants enjoy a holiday too and can stand outdoors once the danger of frost has passed and be brought in before the first frosts of autumn.

Japanese onions are among the best for over wintering and should be sown from mid-August. The timing is critical, sow too early and they 'run to seed', too late and they won't survive the winter. Sow from mid to late August, depending on whether you are in the north or south of the country. The seeds should be 2.5cm apart and the rows 30cm apart, rake a high nitrogen fertiliser into the seedbed before sowing and top up the nitrogen again in spring for the highest yields. 'Express Yellow OX' and 'Buffalo' are two excellent varieties, if you've never tried them before, I'm sure you'll be impressed.

Late summer is the ideal time to collect seed hardy and half-hardy annuals. Don't bother with F1 hybrids that won't come 'true' from seed, concentrate on species like Nicotiana sylvestris, 'Love in a Mist' and annual poppies that flower 'true to type'. Towards the end of the flowering season, keep a close watch on the seed pods and start collecting as soon as they start to split. Cut off the seed heads carefully so that you don't loose the seeds and put them into paper bags or an enveloped marked with the name of the plant and when the seed was collected or put the pods on a tray. When the seeds have dried, keep them in envelopes in a draw or sealed in a glass jar with some silica gel, anywhere cool and dry until next spring when you start sowing.

From mid summer, rhododendrons and camellias are forming their flower buds for next year's display and it's absolutely vital that the compost or soil around them doesn't dry out or they will not form buds or shed those they already have. During dry periods, check them daily plants daily and water them thoroughly if necessary, using stored rain water a mulch with well rotted organic matter really helps when the soil is moist in spring, so put that in your diary for spring next year! Those in pots are particularly vulnerable and may need watering twice a day. The indoor azaleas that you've been growing outdoors for next winter's display will need the same treatment too but should be watered with soft, tepid water.

1st July 2006
Lawn grasses are remarkable plants and their power of survival is never more obvious than during hot dry summers when there's a hosepipe ban. It doesn't take long before the lawn is brown, parched and seemingly dead, yet like grasslands worldwide from the Prairies to Africa, they always re-grow when the rains appear. So I'm not too worried even though my lawn looks a little pale as you see in the picture, even though it's been refreshed by a shower of rain. Watering is unnecessary, unless you insist on an immaculate lawn and is better used on other plants like trees and shrubs that were recently planted that are more susceptible to drought. If you must water, do it thoroughly once a week in the early morning or evening; a little water encourages roots to the surface, making it more vulnerable to drought. Position sprinklers carefully so water is not wasted on walls, fences or paths and if the lawn starts to flood, stop the sprinkler, allow the water to soak in then lightly spike the surface. Coarser grasses like rye grass and fescues are less susceptible to drought, so most general purpose lawns should be fine, but my advice is be water wise and don't water your lawn, you may need it later in the year for something more important! You may have to put up with weeds infesting the grass but they can be controlled by 'spot weeding' using herbicide or by hand. The key to recovery is to help the lawn recover once the drought is over and be thorough with your annual lawn maintenance in early autumn when it should be scarified by hiring a lawn rake, weed-killed and fed with high potash autumn feed. The usual reaction to drought is to cut the grass short, but you should raise the height of cut to 5in/4cm and mow at least once a week. Cut too low and you encourage moss and weeds, the lawn is 'scalped' where the blades scrape the surface and it really begins to suffer.

Another way to save water is by 'tactical watering' in the vegetable garden. Water thoroughly when the plant needs it most and you'll get excellent crops. Vegetables with edible seeds and fruits like peas, beans and marrows have the greatest need for water when the flowers and pods are forming so give them about 22 litres/sq m per week while leafy crops like lettuce and spinach need 11-16 litres/sq m per week. It depends on the rainfall and soil type, over-watering makes tomatoes tasteless and carrots bland, if you stop watering for a couple of days before harvest, the taste becomes more concentrated. Root crops need regular watering to stop them from splitting but don't overdo it or they produce leaves instead of root - about 22 litres/sq m a week is enough. You'll need to water your hanging baskets and containers at least twice a day; early in the morning, evening; check them at lunch time too. Plants like petunias and pelargoniums are drought resistant, but under watered fuchsias and lobelia can take weeks to recover. Feed your flowers weekly with high potash fertiliser and many varieties need dead heading daily for a dazzling display. Don't forget to check other permanent container plants daily too, regular feeding and careful watering will ensure that your plants remain in tip-top condition right through the summer!

1st June 2006
The cool spring, heavy rain and little sunshine over the past weeks has ensured that this years sowings in my vegetable plot were well behind schedule. There's no point in following the sowing dates on the seed packet if seeds only rot before germinating, sow when conditions are favourable and they soon catch up. Parsnips are recommended for early sowing, but germination is poor if the ground is too cold, much better to leave them until April when the soil has warmed and 'French Beans' that like warm soil are better started in pots in the greenhouse and there's still time to sow some now. When thinning vegetables in the plot, keep the stronger seedlings while maintaining the correct spacing between the plants, put your fingers around the base of those you want to keep and gently ease out the weaker seedlings to minimise root and soil disturbance. It's easier to thin when the soil is moist, so water the rows first if the weather is dry. Watering is particularly important when thinning carrots as 'Carrot fly' are attracted to the crop by the smell of the juice and can detect one molecule from over 1km away! To avoid problems, thin carrots when it's overcast day and water again after thinning. You don't have to pull them out by the roots, just pinch off the tops just above soil level and throw them on the compost heap. If you 'station sow' by putting two or three seeds at the correct spacing and removing the weakest ones, it reduces thinning and saves on seed.

Look out for 'suckers' that appear on plants like flowering cherries, roses and lilacs that are grafted onto rootstocks and 'Sumach's which naturally spread that way. Leave them to grow and they'll eventually swamp the parent plant or march off to appear in the lawn and the most awkward places possible. As soon as suckers appear remove the soil from around the base of each one and tear them off at the point where it is connected to the root. Don't cut them off at the base or at ground level, it only stimulates the dormant buds into growth and you'll end up with several instead of just one. Roots producing 'Suckers' that appear in the lawn should be severed at the junction with the main stem of the tree then painted with herbicide containing glyphosate; if they remain attached, the parent plant will die as well. Because they are growing on their own roots, lilacs and roses that are grown from hardwood cuttings dont have this problem and some nurseries now propagate them that way. While we're talking 'Lilacs' don't forget to remove the 'dead head's' after immediately after flowering taking care not to damage the new shoots near the base that often develop while the plant is in flower and provide next years blooms. One of their less appealing features is that the flowers turn brown as they die, so I remove them at the first signs of their decline. It's a good reason for not growing white flowered cultivars as the contrasting colours are less noticeable in dark flowered varieties. Happy Gardening!

1st May 2006
Although it is May and the garden centre is awash with beautiful bedding, it's better to resist the temptation to buy until the last frost has past, so many gardeners buy early and regret later. It is, however a good time to plant up hanging backets, giving them a few weeks in the greenhouse to establish, so they look good before putting them outside. Always buy your plants from a supplier with a good reputation, prices may be higher but the choice should be greater, the quality higher and if there's a high turnover, plants won't be standing around on the benches for too long. Choose your plants carefully; select colours that work well together in bright or pastel shades and roughly work out how many you need, beforehand to save the cost of impulse buying. The plants should be compact, pest and disease free and the leaves should show no signs of yellowing, make sure there aren't masses of roots growing through the drainage holes and that the compost is moist. When you do finally buy bedding plants for outdoors, acclimatise them for a couple of weeks in the green house, leaving them outside during the day and bring them into the glasshouse at night. When they're finally planted out, give your new plants a boost by watering in with liquid general fertiliser.

It's been a late season but greenhouse will soon be full of seedlings, I've sown melons, peppers, courgettes, ornamentals like Zinnias and unusual perennials like Lobelia gibberoa, a giant plant which lives high in the mountains of Uganda, were the gorillas play. It promises 15' flower spikes after several years and is most unlike the ones we grow in hanging baskets!

The flavour of fresh herbs beats anything you can buy in a supermarket and now's the time to sow herbs from seeds for your summer supplies. Sow coriander, dill and fennel in pots, trays or directly into the soil, parsley germinates better with fluctuating temperatures so sow it in trays or modules and putting them in the greenhouse during the day and outdoors at night. Sow basil too, there are some wonderful varieties including Basil' including 'Cinnamon' which is very good for pasta or with spicy food, 'Dark Opal' with strongly flavoured purple leaves, 'Genovese' the traditional variety, low growing 'Bush Basil' (Ocimum minimum) and 'Siam Queen' (Ocimum x citriodorum) with an intense liquorice flavour and extra large leaves. It can be planted out once there's no danger of frost and should always be watered early in the day as it does not like going to bed with its feet wet!

Now that the weather is warming up, keep an eye on watering and feeding. Check plants in containers every day but don't just pour in water in as a matter of routine, check the moisture level in the compost first by pushing your fingers just below the surface, if particles of compost stick to your finger, then it doesn't need watering. Ignore established trees and shrubs and concentrate on those which are newly planted; it is an ideal opportunity to use washing up water, but not on edible plants; cut down on detergent and recycle! Soak plants thoroughly when watering, a little and often encourages roots to the surface where they are more vulnerable to drought.

1st April 2006
Now's the time to repot or 'top dress' houseplants, just before they start into growth and it's a good idea to give them a spring clean too. Check all of your plants annually, not all will need repotting as they can last for 2-3 years but being heavily congested with roots will cause most houseplants problems. Soaking the root-ball for half an hour makes removal easier, though you may need to slide an old kitchen knife between the pot and the root-ball to ease it out before transplanting into pots one or two sizes larger. Terracotta pots should be soaked overnight and re-used plastic pots should be washed with a little detergent and rinsed thoroughly. Put a layer of broken terracotta pot fragments, polystyrene pieces or bottle corks in the base to help drainage, tease out some of the roots from the root-ball then re-fill around it with compost firming each layer with your fingers as you go. Don't pack the compost too hard or the roots won't be able to grow into the new compost or plant them too deeply and leave a gap between the rim of the pot and compost for watering and top-dress with gravel or crushed glass or other ornamental mulches to conserve moisture. Water thoroughly, allow plants to recover for a few days then put them on display. If your plants don't need re-potting, top dress by carefully removing the top 11/2 -2" of compost with an old culinary fork and replace with new compost mixed with slow release fertiliser

Use a make-up brush to dust hairy leaves and wipe glossy leaves with a soft damp cloth, making sure you supporting them underneath so they are not damaged. Don't wipe new leaves for the same reason. Wiping is not always practical imagine cleaning a large 'Weeping Fig'! It is easier to put them out for a wash in the spring rains when the weather gets warmer or wash them in the shower with a soft jet of tepid water then your plants will be in tip top condition for the new growing season.

Out doors, slugs and snails are now on the prowl, get on top of the problem now to control numbers through the season. Try biological control nematodes, they are very effective, station 'slug pubs' around the garden made from margarine tubs buried so the rim is a half inch above the soil so other slug predator's like ground beetles are not accidentally drowned then fill the container with stout or ale. Check them regularly and empty as required! Try slug hunting in the evening and pick them off the plants; lie sacking, roof tiles, upturned grapefruit or lettuce leaves on the ground then removing from their hiding places! Encourage natural predators like hedgehogs and song thrushes or try copper tape round the rim of a pot. Make 'collars' cut from plastic drinks bottles and put it around your seedlings. Finally, try grit, or Aluminium sulphate pellets that are effective against young slugs. There are enough slugs to try all of these methods! Matt

1st March 2006
Last year's carrot crop was reasonable, considering the soil, they prefer it light and free draining but my garden is clay. This year I'm hoping for even greater success from my new raised beds filled with well rotted compost, fertiliser made from wormcasts and sieved loam that will improve the growing conditions all round. They are standing by ready for action as soon as the weather warms up.

I love fresh crunchy carrots and the children do too and there are enough varieties to suit everyone from long rooted giants to those the size of golfballs. On stony soils, rake off and dig out larger stones when you are preparing the seedbed and create a fine seedbed and sow short or round rooted varieties like 'Parmex' that are certainly a novelty on the plate. Buy fresh seed each year to ensure good germination, sowing seed mixed with sharp sand stops them from clumping together too. If possible, sow when a warm, dry spell is forecast to encourage germination and growth, the way the weather has been through Feburary should encourage you to wait a little longer until the end of this month. I've had problems with carrot fly in the past, so beds raised to almost 2' should help but just to make sure, a barrier of horticultural fleece which creates a warm wind-protected microclimate that is particularly useful early in the season and will remain in place throughout the season too. Try fly resistant varieties like 'Flyaway' and 'Sytan' and thin crops on a damp day to discourage carrot fly or water the rows after thinning then bury them in the compost heap or feed them to the chickens. Slugs ate some of last years seedlings but biological control nematodes, watered into the soil before the seedlings appears usually does the trick. Other options include scattering wood ash and soot over the seedlings to make them less palatable, a layer of sharp sand reduces slug numbers and scattering bran along the rows works too - though it sometimes has the effect of encouraging more to come and dine. Combining some of these with hand picking slugs by torchlight each evening should keep your seedlings safe. Then it's just a matter of keeping them moist, if you let them dry out and water again they are likely to split. Start by sowing early carrots like 'Amsterdam Forcing' or 'Early Nantes' in cold frames or under cloches you'll have enough carrots to keep 'Bugs Bunny' happy!

It's good to sow a few beetroot too, that can be harvested about the size of golf balls adding taste to early salads. Make sowings at monthly intervals for a constant supply, the first sowings can be made under cloches in early March for harvest in late May or early June and round varieties started off in modules. The first outdoor sowings can be made a little later, remembering that they do not germinate if soil temperatures are below 7C (44F). Do try varieties other than 'Bolthardy'; 'Pablo' has excellent flavour and 'Monokel' is pretty good too. Happy eating! Matt

1st February 2006
Few gardeners grow soft fruit these days, a few strawberries or a row or two of raspberries at the very most - Red or White currants are out of the question because gardeners assume that they take up a lot of space. I inherited a range of familiar and unusual red and white currants and gooseberries, they are protected from late cold winds and are planted against an east facing fence. They belonged to Peter Maunder, the father of a flat-mate from my student days, he was a great gardener and fruit enthusiast who collected soft fruit in all shapes and sizes. There's gooseberries like sweet and delicious 'Langley Gage', 'Hinnomaki Red' from Finland a heavy cropping, mildew resistant cultivar and 'Guido' a large dessert and exhibition variety. Among the currants are two pink currants labelled 'Hollande Rose' and 'Couler de Chair', the first is in the 'Plantfinder' and have found nothing of the other. Thank goodness such committed collectors exist, preserving our heritage; each back garden collection is a small but significant back up to the National Fruit collection at Brogdale in Kent. They are grown as space saving vertical cordons, with a single main stem with fruiting side shoots, it's simple, effective and packs plenty into a small space, you can train the lower laterals to form highly ornamental double and triple cordons if you're feeling adventurous and they could be used as a productive ornamental hedge. Maintenance is simple; they are pruned twice a year; once from late June to early July when the current season's new growth is cut back to 4-5 leaves and again from November to March cutting the leader at the top of the main stem leaving 6" of the new growth and the summer pruned side shoots back to one bud. White and Red currants are perfect plants for a north facing or shady wall, provided the soil is moist and free from the drip of overhanging trees. Each berry is a brightly coloured translucent balloon of water so make sure they are well watered once the fruit have formed particularly before the onset of dry weather. They still need supporting canes and I'm installing an irrigation system later in spring; mulching round the base keeps them weed free and ensures that their shallow roots aren't damaged by hoeing. If you have a fruit cage, gooseberries and currants look great as standards and are very ornamental, particularly redcurrants like 'Jonkheer van Tets' and 'Red Lake' whose eye-catching fruits hang like glossy pearl drop earrings. But how can they use them? - there is only so many 'Summer puddings' you can make. A dip into recipe books reveals such temptations as 'Currant creams', redcurrant cakes, cherry and red currant sauce, and baked gooseberry pudding. Now all I have to do is devise a system to protect mine from the birds. The traditional planting time is between leaf fall and bud burst, there's a whole range of fruit available from specialist nurseries - all you have to do is get planting!

1st January 2006
Draw the curtains, throw a log on the fire sit back and dream of summer. It's the best advice I can give you now Christmas has passed and we hunker down through the worst winter months. What ever the weather, don't be dispirited, it's the perfect time to get out the books and magazines and search for inspiration and ideas to develop your own garden. Much of the time I leaf longingly through books about gardens and plants; few people have totally original thoughts, there was only one Gaudi and Dali - though I'm certain that many gardeners have great ideas but don't have the courage to try them. Most modify a style, incorporating their ideas and remembering the cost! For several years I've been waiting to plant an exotic border but it's taken longer than expected to complete the hard landscaping where I'd like it to be. The site, as you can see 'has potential'! To create a lush exotic border you need a mass of leaves and brightly coloured hardy or tender plants. Prevent the border being bare in winter when tender plants are kept just above freezing in the greenhouse with a few strategically placed evergreens like the classic hardy palms Trachycarpus fortunei or carefully trimmed 'Box', then once the danger of frost is passed you can fill the gaps with tender plants, annuals and houseplants. Plants should be packed tightly together either in pots or planting them temporarily in the ground until just before the first frosts of autumn. Large leaved plants like Tetrapanax papyrifera with giant fan like leaves and brightly coloured 'Canna's' are 'must have' plants and there should always be a place for the hardy Banana Musa basjoo can be unprotected in winter in milder climates, though a good mulch of well rotted compost 3-4" deep is a good insulating layer over the roots. One of my favourites, Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii', is a tender banana with fabulous green paddle shaped leaves edged with dark purple-black that is beautiful vibrant and vigorous. Houseplants, standing outside for a summer rest can join the carnival too. Acclimatise them outdoors, in a sheltered spot for two to three weeks from mid April or when the danger of frost has past, bringing them indoors at night. 'Cheese Plants', 'Syngonium', 'Dracaena's', 'Bird's Nests Ferns' and large leaved Begonias all add to the look and flourish, providing you remember their individual needs by keeping them away from scorching sun. Buy large leaved 'Yams' from a supermarket or greengrocers and grow them on in a warm greenhouse before putting them outdoors, pots of annuals are useful too, particularly wiry stemmed Verbena x bonariensis beloved of butterflies that seeds freely or Escholtzia californica with iridescent orange flowers. I've started making plans; if you wonder where I found my inspiration, it's the garden of a pal of mine Will Giles, (www. exoticgarden.com) who's promised me some plants! Have a look at his website - tropics are much closer than you think! Happy gardening!

1st December 2005
The biting chill of early snow and promises of a cold winter have made the shelter of a cosy greenhouse very welcome! This year I'm really feeling the cold; until late November I was basking in tropical sunshine on a cruise through the Caribbean and Panama canal, a fact envied by several friends who had the last laugh when I returned home to freezing Britain - 32 one day to -2 deg C the next was a real shock to the system! Ever since, I've been pottering in the greenhouse, an activity that is always a pleasure as even in December, there's still plenty to do! The tops of this year's 'Canna's' browned and stiffened by frost have been cut back and composted, the rhizomes will be lifted from their pots and stored in trays of slightly moist multipurpose compost in the frost free greenhouse. As always, it's essential that plants and label's are never parted, otherwise you could have problems next year. Start 'Canna's' into growth under glass from late March and they'll reach their pomp early, by mid summer next year.

Several 'Sweet Peppers' remained on the plant until late November, storing on the plant is a good way to keep them fresh though temperatures should not drop too low and the compost should be slightly moist to stop the fruit from shrivelling. A single 'Chilli' plant that remains in the greenhouse is destined to be taken indoors, put on a sunny south facing windowsill where temperatures are slightly higher than in the greenhouse and it should continue to produce bright red fruits through the winter.

Despite my best intentions the vegetable seeds for over-wintering crops are still in the packets, once the border is cleared of 'Canna' pots, I'll be sowing several crops including 'Kohl Rabi', carrots and Oriental vegetables. It will be interesting to discover how they react at this late stage in the season but anything is worth a try- after all, plants don't read books to know when they should grow and are more likely to do so in the soil than the packet!

A 'Silver Birch' in my front garden needs a large branch removing too. It hangs over several apple cordon's creating shade and reducing moisture. Most trees can be pruned any time of year but 'Birch' can only be cut when the sap is going down to the roots, otherwise it will bleed. Late summer onwards when growth has stopped and the sap is sinking should be perfect. The offending limb will be removed in sections for safety's sake and stacked for firewood and the smaller branches saved for pea sticks or supporting herbaceous perennials next year. When storing wood for open fires remember that dry wood ignites easily but burns faster while wet wood is better for a slow burn. Ideally you should have a mixture of both, then all you need are the chestnuts! Happy Christmas and best wishes for a great gardening year in 2006!

1st November 2005
All cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti! They combine to form a remarkable group that flourishes in deserts, one of the most hostile environments in the world. However, not all bask in hot dry conditions, a few prefer rainforest conditions, living in the upper branches of trees where high evaporation rates and seasonal rainfall make the ability to store water essential for survival. The most familiar rainforest cacti, from the genus Schlumbergera are more commonly known as 'Christmas Cacti'. The six known species, found in the rainforest in the mountains near Rio de Janiero, are pollinated by humming birds. In the house or greenhouse they need bright but not scorching light, at temperatures at least 40 deg F and planted in multi-purpose compost with 20% John Innes no2. They should be watered with tepid rainwater each time the compost surface dries out in summer and kept drier and cooler in winter. They need 12 hours of darkness from September onwards to initiate flower buds don't move the plant once they have formed as the change of light level causes bud drop. Put them out doors in dappled shade once the danger of frost has passed, tipping the pot on its side so it doesn't become waterlogged during heavy rain.

Another, less well known but equally spectacular rainforest group are known as 'Orchid Cacti'. They need a bright spot away from scorching sunshine, in a container or hanging basket of orchid compost; the oldest stems are pruned out after flowering. Water regularly in summer soaking the compost once the surface has dried out and feed with high potash fertiliser from May to the end of August. Most of the year the hybrids are unkempt straggly plants, hidden under the greenhouse bench but are totally transformed in bloom, illuminating their fifteen seconds of overnight fame in a range of psychedelic colours from vivid orange 'Moonlight Sonata' and pink 'Fantasy' and cerise 'Friendship' though one or two are more subdued. I've fallen for the serenity, elegance and perfume of Epiphyllum oxypetalum a native of Mexico and Honduras that is often known as 'Lady of the Night'. The flowers appear towards the tips of the leaves over several weeks in late June or July, but this year we've just enjoyed two late flowers as an autumn bonus. They are several inches across, up to dinner plate size with pure white petals like ostrich feathers, their transitory beauty only lasts overnight, filling the room with an exquisite perfume, opening around 8.00pm, they are closed by morning. Every time it flowers we are stunned by its perfume and beauty - it's always a cause for celebration. The first time it flowered, my wife Gill and I pulled a cork then sat and toasted its beauty late into the night; friends of mine always have an impromptu party. Check the internet and you'll find several sources; I can promise you it is money well spent and that will give you endless hours of pleasure.

1st October 2005
Madeira, a jewel in the Atlantic with a balmy, maritime climate, is known as the 'Island of flowers' and every year, particularly in early spring, British gardeners arrive on its shores to savour the joys of landscapes awash with wild flowers and gardens burgeoning with blooms. The major town, Funchal, (so called because early Portugese discoverers found the area covered in Fennel) is interwoven with a maze of narrow streets. Gardeners head to the bustling market place early in the morning to admire the Island's finest fruits; avocado's three times the size of those in British supermarkets and unusual fruit like guavas and the delicious fruit of the 'Swiss Cheese Plant', it's worth visiting the fish market too for a glimpse of the scary-looking 'Espada' fish that is hauled up from the deep. The flower market is ablaze with colour; 'Belladonna' lilies, Strelitzia's and orchids abound and it's the ideal place to buy local bulbs. I bought Scilla peruviana from one of the many ladies dressed in traditional costume who are passionate and knowledgable about their plants, it has spectacular blooms with a dense cone of up to one hundred starry violet-blue flowers that dries to become a flower arrangers dream. They should be planted in autumn at the base of a sunny south facing wall, in free draining poor soil; we're in the middle of the bulb planting season and now's the time to plant tulips, daffodils and spring flowering bulbs. It is better to leave 'Snowdrops' until the spring as they are better planted after flowering or 'in the green'. Another of my purchases, three plump bulbs of glorious, dark candy-pink flowered Nerine sarniensis, are flowering now, they're not reliably hardy in Hertfordshire, so I grow them in a pot of John Innes no 2 with added horticultural grit to improve the drainage, they over-winter in the greenhouse and go outdoors in spring once the danger of frost has passed and come indoors before the first frosts of autumn. It is worth trying bulbs of borderline hardiness outdoors, particularly in warmer areas of the UK, keeping a few in the greenhouse as 'back up' stock in case of failure. Many bulbs come from parts of the world with a Mediterranean climate with cool wet, winters and hot dry summers, dig to three times the depth of the bulb when planting; smaller bulbs should be at least 2" below the surface to prevent them from drying out. Among the exceptions are late summer flowering Nerine bowdenii, with a starburst of sugar pink flowers and Amaryllis belladonna with pretty pink trumpets that are planted with the tip of the bulb on or just below the surface. If you are buying Cyclamen or Snowdrops make sure they are not collected from the wild as many species are now endangered through over collection. Most bulbs flourish with minimal care; let the leaves die back completely before removing them, don't knot the foliage of daffodils and feed with sulphate of potash in spring. Plant some now and let bulbs illuminate your garden next spring!

1st September 2005
Growing vegetables in raised beds, a technique developed centuries ago in Asia, is the perfect way to make small domestic plots productive. There are many tempting advantages; the soil warms earlier in spring, extending the growing season, they are easier to maintain as you don't have to bend to ground level, crops are sown closer together than in conventional beds yet production can be up to four times greater and the leaves create a canopy, smothering weeds. Perhaps the greatest advantage of all is no more digging! The plot is dug over when the beds are constructed, to break up the soil and remove perennial weeks, before compost is added to raise the beds, then never dug again. The secret is never to walk on it, so a good structure is formed. This and the fact that manure is concentrated only where it is needed makes the soil rich and fertile so roots can penetrate deeply, reaching water at lower levels, making them more drought resistant. Raised beds should be in a sheltered sunny spot and a maximum of 3m (10') long unless you can resist the temptation to step over the corners and wide enough, about one meter across, so you can reach the centre comfortably, without over stretching and should be tailor-made to suit.

The simplest raised beds are created from a flattened mound of soil, with sloping sides, like a segment from a bar of chocolate; digging out soil also creates the surrounding paths - it's simple, cheap and easy. The beds can be slightly angled too, rather than horizontal, a 5 degree slope is equivalent to moving 30 miles south and the sloping sides are perfect for a row or two of small, early crops like lettuce, radish or beetroot. Raised beds can also be enclosed in frames of pressure treated timber and secured with treated wooden fence posts; old scaffolding boards are a useful option, as they are about 9" wide and are simply secured with posts at each corner with 2-3" below ground. My hastily constructed beds are raised about 4" above the ground and secured with site pegs from the builder's merchant but as I'm gardening on clay with flints, I've decided to raise them higher and recycle the 4" timbers as edging for a raised bed for fruit bushes in one corner of the kitchen garden. It's a great job for September as there will still be time to sow autumn crops. They are being replaced with the help of my nephew, Simon, with a double tier of 9 x 2" timbers screwed to vertical posts 3' long, all made of treated timber that will be painted to make them look more attractive. The main reason for the change is that it takes time to improve clay soil, so some of the advantages of raised beds are being lost; deeper beds, filled with compost either bought or home made, increases the soil quality instantly, but the bonus of easier and more comfortable working conditions is the greatest incentive for me and my poor back! Happy gardening! Matt

1st August 2005
As the first autumn catalogues arrive through the letterbox, it's time to order seeds for autumn and winter vegetables. Most gardeners close down the green house in winter, using it only to protect tender plants in a frost free environment. Don't limit your options, it's a great opportunity to grow salads in cool, frost free conditions, the added protection encourages rapid tender growth and it's possible to continue cropping tasty salads right through winter. Lettuce like 'Four Seasons' and 'Tom Thumb', any oriental vegetables, including 'Pak Choi' and 'Mizuna' greens, 'Lamb's Lettuce and spinach like 'Veneto' are ideal for late summer sowing in pots or the greenhouse border and will be ready for harvesting from late September onwards. It's also time to plant new potatoes for Christmas! Late season, second crop potatoes, stored in temperature controlled conditions to keep them dormant are sent out from late July to early August! In warmer areas, plant them outdoors immediately, protecting the foliage with horticultural fleece if frosts are forecast; they will be ready to harvest from late October. In cooler parts of the country where frosts are more common grow them in pots. Stand two or three tubers on a 5in layer of multipurpose compost in a flower pot, at least 12" wide, then cover with a further 4-6" of compost and water well. When the shoots are 6" high almost cover them with another layer of compost, continuing the same process as the stems grow until the shoots are within 2-3" of the top of the container. Move them into the greenhouse before the first frosts; it is a good idea to plant several pots, leaving some to be harvested for your Christmas dinner. Last month I mentioned the fabulous Agapanthus 'Back in Black', which is now available in limited numbers - another good reason to rush!

Hampton Court Flower Show lived up to expectations and despite firm promises to my wife not to buy more plants, I inevitably succumbed! Here's a couple more 'star' plants for your list. I've been searching for Gladiolus papilo 'Ruby' for several months as it has been in short supply; as you can see, the beautiful burgundy blooms are simply stunning. It needs an open sunny site on moist free draining soil and is hardy and vigorous; next year I'm looking forward to more, more, more! I was given Passiflora x violacea 'Victoria' too, it is perfect in a pot, and adds a touch of 'exotica' to the patio. Planted in an equal mix of John Innes no 2 and multipurpose compost with 20% added horticultural grit, and trained up a tripod of canes, it is pruned simply to keep it under control, watered freely and fed with tomato fertiliser once a month. It will happily over-winter with reduced watering and despite its beauty is not too proud to spend winter protected under glass, accompanied by a few lettuces. Happy Gardening! Matt.

1st July 2005
We're past mid-summer and the erratic spring weather that overstayed its welcome has been replaced by a spell of high temperatures and traditional thunderstorms. All of the lovely rainwater is too good to waste so I've somewhat belatedly added water butts to the down pipes on the greenhouse. There's a range of designs on the market but whichever you choose remember they should be raised high enough for the watering can to fit under the tap. Most manufacturers provide purpose built stands though timber or a stack of slabs are useful alternatives; stock bricks should be avoided as they eventually crumble. I'm convinced that plants prefer rainwater 'straight' as nature intended, it doesn't contain chlorine or other additives and is better for acid loving container plants like rhododendrons and camellias, even if you live in a 'soft water' area. Greenhouse plants prefer their drinks tepid, so a rotation of several watering cans allows the water to warm under glass for at least 24 hours before use.

Tender plants have now settled into their summer routine. I bought some wonderful pelargoniums last year. They're not the traditional bright colours but have sumptuous flowers for a regal display. 'Morwenna' is a dark, almost black flowered double regal pelargonium flowering from April until October while 'Mystery' a rich, ember red has a dark splash in the centre. In the green house is an exquisite species called Pelargonium triste whose tiara of creamy-yellow flowers with purple blotches are spicily fragrant at night. Unusually, it is deciduous, so watering is reduced in autumn as the leaves die back. Pelargaoniums grow happily in a free draining compost of 50:50 John Innes no 2 and multipurpose compost adding about 1/3 sharp sand or grit to improve the drainage as they dislike being waterlogged! Feed every two weeks during the growing season with high potash tomato fertiliser for an abundance of flowers and remove the flower-heads once they have finished flowering. They vie for a place in my heart with one of the most stunning plants that I've ever seen, Agapanthus 'Back in Black' which should be more freely available in 2006. It's caused a sensation in Italy and gardeners in USA are clamouring for its beauty. It has dark agapanthus blue flowers but what makes it so extraordinary are the blue flower heads, seed capsules and stems which are such a deep blue it's almost black; the camera struggles to capture its beauty! My prediction is that 'Back in Black' will sweep through the gardening world causing a sensation similar to Verbascum 'Helen Johnson'. It is growing in a container in a mix of John Innes no 2 and multipurpose compost and will be over wintered in the glasshouse, in the hope that next year it produces even more flowers. Agapanthus in containers flower better when slightly pot bound, so mine will be suffering for its art for at least another two years! Happy Gardening. Matt

1st June 2005
Go away in May, pay for it in June! This could easily be a tempting advertising slogan, instead it expresses my frustrations perfectly. After sailing around the Baltic leading a gardening cruise for two weeks I returned to find that heavy rain interspersed with frost and strong winds had taken its toll on both greenhouse and garden - in late May!

It may be typical for some areas but not sunny Hertfordshire and it reflected the unsettled weather so far this year. Even as I write, spring has still to decide when to start and it better hurry up as summer is on its way! Yet despite the trials, gardeners must be positive. The collective despondency I shared with several shrubs, their new growth hanging lifeless and brown was followed instantly by optimism; there's nothing that cannot be cured with pruning to an outward facing bud and there's time for plenty of re-growth as we're still in early June.

In the greenhouse where temperatures tumbled despite the warming breeze from a thermostatically controlled heater, cucumbers, who love to be cosseted, expressed their displeasure with yellowing leaves. They will soon recover with a shot of general fertiliser and constant higher temperatures and humidity that will surely follow this month. My other treasures survived unspoiled. There's never been a better time to grow vegetables, there's such a wonderful choice; this year I'm trying two Russian varieties of tomatoes, 'Black Plum' and 'Black from Tula' though if you look closely their tints are rich, deep mahogany brown. They are among the many cultivars that came to the west after the fall of the Berlin Wall where a huge selection of crops had been developed over the decades.

There are some pretty peppers too, 'Chervena Chushka' a Bulgarian heritage variety, is said to be good for roasting and varieties from the continent including Italian 'Golden Treasure' with glossy golden-yellow peppers is destined for black painted pots. A couple of awesome aubergines, 'Listade de Gandia', streaked mauve and white and lavender coloured 'Pintung Long' from Taiwan which is narrow, about 12" long and shaped like a sausage will certainly be eye-catching.

I'm also growing a cucumber from north America called 'Boothby's Blonde' with pale green skin which should be eaten when about 3" long or cooked if allowed to grow longer. All came from a catalogue called 'Simply Vegetables' The peppers and aubergines will be transplanted until they are large enough for 9" pots in 50:50 mix of John Innes no 1 and multipurpose compost; combining the two types creates an open yet moisture retaining medium; they will be fed at every watering, first with general fertiliser like Westland 'Feed All' concentrated plant food, changing once the plants are established to their concentrated tomato 'tomato' fertiliser.

Growing tips are removed from peppers when they are about 6" tall to encourage branching; aubergines should wait until they're slightly taller at 6-12", 3-4 branches will produce 5-6 fruit, leave any more and they will not reach a decent size. Gardeners often overlook the ornamental value of aubergines but some will stand guard outside the greenhouse as decoration during the summer before ending their brief but brilliant career in a moussaka! Happy gardening. Matt.

1st May 2005
In the past I worked in the Palm, Temperate and Alpine House's at Kew and although they are among the globe's greatest greenhouses, there's nothing like one of your own. Now, at last I've got it! As a student at Kew, I often stared over a yard with a Hartley House when lectures became a bit boring! It was used to quarantine Banana's and chocolate, on their way to tropical plantations; now they've provided a more glamorous house that sits opposite the angular frame of the Princess of Wales Conservatory, among the great glasshouses of the world and are in the unique position of being endorsed by Kew.

When buying gardening equipment, always buy the best you can afford; saving up for a quality greenhouse was well worth the wait. After hours of research and considerable deference to the past, I settled on a 'Hartley' greenhouse'. The doors, staging and hinges are robust, the design is distinctive yet practical and unlike the shape of a traditional greenhouse ensures efficient use of light all year round. Direct sunlight should strike the glass at an angle of 90 degrees for the maximum amount to enter and the changes in angle of the glass roof allow for this. It was built in three days with the help of Joel, a Kiwi friend of mine; we'd never built a greenhouse before but the instructions were clear and with a little help from the technical team, the process was straightforward. What did we learn? An absolutely level, rectangular brick base is a 'must', take the time to label all the parts before starting, read the instructions several times before starting, then work slowly, methodically and carefully; it definitely paid off too! We also photocopied of the instructions, so there was one 'working set' and another 'master' copy for future reference.

The garden is an open south facing plot but choosing the location created a few headaches. Putting the greenhouse near the perimeter would have used space efficiently but excessive shade would limit its use, so it's on the edge of the vegetable garden, the apex running east to west. It is shaded from about 1.00pm until mid afternoon by a massive walnut tree in the neighbour's garden, though it's not so close that leaves will block the gutters. It doesn't come into leaf until mid - May, so it will catch the spring sunshine but provide shade from scorching summer sun. The benching is erected along the north side of the greenhouse, a shadow is not cast over the opposite side that will be dug as a bed. Plants growing in the ground make better root systems and watering is not so critical but the clay soil needs improving with plenty of pea shingle and well rotted home compost. I also bought myself a propagator and an electric heater. Over the coming months I'll be telling you what I'm up to and how my recently sown aubergines, peppers and ornamental plants are coming along. Until then, take care and good gardening. Matt.