Blue star fern

Striking pops of autumnal colour, brilliant ideas for small shady spaces and even a wildlife pond in a pot – this urban oasis has it all…

Try our pick of the most beautiful plants you can buy now

Mike Palmer shares his passion for these leafy lovelies and explains how to get the very best from plants

Here’s everything you need to know about choosing, growing and dividing these shade-loving stars

It would be difficult to imagine a more challenging situation for a small back garden in London: north-facing and shady, overlooked at close range by a large mansion block, far broader than it is long

Make sure your plants don’t dry out if you’re going away for more than a few days. Many can simply be watered where they are and left with no issue for several days. But leafy house plants such as fer