Spring

Add structure, colour and foliage interest with pretty summer-blooming shrubs

Dahlia expert Kim O’Brien explains how to boost blooms and help keep dahlias safe from damage

The summer show is warming up – and plants just want to grow. Harness that energy now to enjoy flowers, food and pollinators

Start deadheading the flowers in hanging baskets as soon as they fade. Snip them off at the base of the flower stem. This keeps them producing more flowers right through the summer, providing you reme

Add drama to your garden with potted exotics. Soak the plant, in its original pot, in some not-too-cold water. Then move the new, empty, pot into position; this saves you doing so when it’s full of he

It’s time to sow chicory seed for plants to force and eat in winter. Witloof chicory sown now and thinned to 30cm apart will form plants that can be dug up to force the roots from October. Sow the see