Cold frames are great items to purchase if you have some spare space in your garden and you don’t have a greenhouse or conservatory. They allow tender plants to survive by keeping out the worst of the wet and cold … Continue reading →

Try to clear up fallen leaves from roses; this will prevent blackspot spores from overwintering in the soil. However please remember not to place these leaves in your own compost heap as this will spread the spores. Now is a … Continue reading →

Thankfully damage from pests and diseases will start slowing down this month; however a lot can be done to prevent them from overwintering and causing so many problems next season. Try and remove as much dead material in the borders … Continue reading →

Seeing what a wet summer we have had, snails and slugs will be most prevalent. It seems they can’t resist the lushest of foliage. There are a number of ways of combating them without having to resort to slug pellets. … Continue reading →

Prune early flowering shrubs such as philadelphus and weigela this month. Don’t leave it too late. This will enable the shrub to put on new growth which will flower next year. Cut back fading flowers on perennials this month unless … Continue reading →

Don’t be tempted to cut your lawn too short, even if it is knee high! Keep the blade high and then slowly reduce the height every other week. The aim is to try and cut the grass by a third … Continue reading →

Here are a few tips on how to ensure your garden can get by if a hosepipe ban is introduced this summer: Lawns – Make sure you leave your grass longer than normal, by doing this it will create a … Continue reading →

Towards the end of April is the best time for planting out summer flowering bulbs like gladioli. If planting in heavy clay, don’t forget to put some coarse grit in the planting hole and place the corms on top of … Continue reading →

With warmer weather hopefully around the corner be on the lookout for an increase in insect pests, particularly infestations. You can either rub them out or prune out badly infested shoots. Perhaps this is where we get the saying ‘nip … Continue reading →

Once your winter flowering heathers have finished flowering now is the time to trim them back. Use garden shears to trim to the base of the flowering stalks, doing this will encourage side shoots and prevent the centre from going … Continue reading →