Flower Gardening

Winter/spring flowering bedding plants

Autumn is the perfect time to plant autumn, winter and spring bedding plants into their flowering positions to take over when the summer colour fades. 

Hardy annuals

Hardy annual seeds are sown directly outside. There’s no fiddly sowing seeds in containers in propagators, pricking out the young seedlings, hardening off the plants and planting out. 

Mulch your beds & borders

Spend less time weeding and watering this year by applying a thick mulch to your beds and borders now. 

Beds and borders

Dig a hole and put in the plant roots? To ensure plants establish quickly and live a long time, you need to take a little more trouble than that. 

Improving border soil

If you have heavy clay or sandy soil you will need to add plenty of organic matter to improve the structure and widen the range of plants that will thrive. 

Growing lavender

Lavender is a fabulous scented evergreen shrub with colourful summer flowers. Every garden should have some. 

Mulching

Understand your soil and you are halfway to gardening success. Soil acts as an anchor for plant roots and holds air, water and plant nutrients. 

Ericaceous (lime-hating) plants

Plants that don't like growing in soils that contain lime are called ericaceous plants, acid lovers or lime haters. 

Growing herbaceous perennials

Herbaceous perennials are the mainstay of beds and borders. They provide great splashes of colour, along with structure - and they're easy to grow. 

Growing roses

Roses are one of our favourite garden plants. Careful attention will prevent any possible rose problems. 

Feed your plants easily

Before you create a chill-out area in your own garden, it's important to think carefully about which plants are to be used to create this relaxing haven. 

Feed all your garden plants

Now that your plants are growing well, they’ll all need a good feed to ensure they produce fabulous displays to be proud of. 

Planting bulbs, corms and tubers

Daffodil, tulip, crocus, lily and dahlia are bulbs or 'bulbous plants'. They are all swollen parts of roots or stems which when planted grow into new plants. 

Plant watering

Only in hot, dry summers is extra watering needed, but plants grown in pots, hanging baskets, and other containers will need watering regularly. 

'Water Smart' gardening

Here are some Water Smart tips that will help you carry on gardening and using available water in the most efficient way possible. 

Container Gardening

Hanging baskets

Hanging baskets are great for small spaces and a brilliant way to add colour to otherwise drab walls and fences. 

Pots, tubs, window boxes and other containers

Pot and tubs are the mainstay of every patio display in many sizes and shapes of container. Ones with drainage holes are essential for year round use. 

Let nothing contain you

It's to create cascades of colour to brighten up the drabbest corners. You don't need to have acres of space or buy brand new pots. 

Vertical gardening

Even the tiniest of spaces can be transformed with a little ‘vertical gardening’. 

Houseplants

Houseplant care

Neglected houseplants may not die, but sooner or later they can get untidy and covered in dust. Regular attention will pay handsome dividends. 

Successful houseplants

You don't need greenfingers or special equipment to have thriving houseplants. Instead, a little loving care and a few basic facts are sufficient. 

Make your houseplants happy

Houseplants are perfect to liven up the rooms of your home - the trouble is, they sometimes turn yellow or wilt, and you have no idea why. 

Feeding houseplants

Just as we water houseplants because rain doesn't reach them, so we need to feed them because their roots aren't able to reach out for nourishment. 

Watering houseplants

Get to know your plants. Their needs for water will change depending on humidity, time of year, temperature and amount of light available. 

Caring for orchids

Orchids are tropical plants living as epiphytes this means they grow on trees and between rocks, not directly in the soil. 

Caring for Christmas houseplants

Christmas houseplants are a great way of brightening up the house, making it colourful and festive, and they make fabulous Christmas gifts. 

Propagation

Sowing seeds indoors

Seeds of non-hardy or half-hardy plants have to be sown indoors in compost in pots or seed trays with gentle heat. 

Sowing seed outdoors

Hardy annual flower seeds and seeds of many vegetables and salad crops can be sown directly outdoors where they are to grow. 

Seed sowing and growing seedlings

Many plants can be grown from seed. Their needs for temperature, light and aftercare will be clearly marked on the seed packet. 

Growing on small plants

Immature plants that can be grown on to flowering and cropping are the mainstay of most garden centres. 

Rooting stems and cuttings

Some shrubs, trees and other plants are best propagated from parts of the plant that can be persuaded to produce roots. 

Have a bright bulb moment

Just four simple steps this autumn will give you stunning rewards in early spring, which will make a dazzling re-appearance year after year. 

General Gardening

Making miracles grow

Nothing is more pleasing than seeing your plants flourish, so follow our Miracle-Gro tips and advice to ensure you grow strong, healthy plants. 

Great spring feeds

There are some garden situations where a granular general feed or a specific feed, supplying a specific plant nutrient, are needed.  

Plant feeding: application

Remember that plant foods can only be absorbed by roots when there is sufficient moisture present in the soil. 

Plant feeding: nutrients

Specially balanced plant foods supply the nourishment needed to produce strong root systems, healthy growth and abundant flowers and fruit. 

Drought-resisting plants

To make the most of dry conditions in your garden, you can plant a selection of drought-resisting plants. 

Get some kerb appeal

Transform the dullest of driveways into a sensational but low maintenance showstopper. 

Making the best use of water

As plants rely on a regular supply of water, it makes sense to make the best use of water in the garden. 

Compost types

Choose the right type of compost for the job you have in mind. Not all composts are the same. 

Making composts

Composting your kitchen and garden waste will give you an environmentally friendly source of organic matter and it's free! 

The Growing Media Initiative (GMI)

The GMI is a horticultural industry scheme, led by the HTA, to encourage the purchase of peat-free and peat-reduced growing media. 

Choosing a Christmas tree

With so many varieties of Christmas tree available it can be hard to decide on the best choice. We’ve listed the most popular trees to help you choose.