Tidy up early-flowering spiraea

Laurel is a common garden plant, which can take over a space if left to its own devices. If you visit a stately home, local parks or woodlands, you’ll see how dominating they can become, blocking out

Cut back, feed, water and remove reverted stems

If your apple tree has become overgrown, or you’ve inherited a neglected tree, now is the perfect time to give it a summer prune. By pruning in summer rather than winter, you remove some of the tree’s

The latest from Carol's beautiful cottage garden... plus her diary for the week!

Throughout August I cut the box hedges that give shape to the vegetable garden. They’re just under waist height but that’s enough to protect most plants from the wind and they are a good dark backgrou

Simple steps to keep your plot looking good