Gardening Ideas & Projects

How to Improve Clay Soil

Clay soil is generally fertile and a wide range of plants, including roses grow well on it. However it can be very heavy and wet in winter and…

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Getting the best from tulips

Glorious tulips are one of the delights of spring. The good news is that they are so easy to grow: just plant a few bulbs and you are almost certain…

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Planting Roses

Although container grown roses can be planted at any time of year, many roses are planted bare root from late autumn right through to early spring.

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Getting the best from Hydrangeas

Getting the best from Hydrangeas … Hydrangeas are such reliable flowering shrubs and they suit gardens of all sizes. They flower for much longer than…

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How to kill moss on your lawn

How to kill moss on your lawn … Few lawns are moss free after the damp days of winter. Where they are shaded by trees, or on damp, poorly drained…

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Growing Japanese Maples

Getting the best from Acers … Few plants have the fabulous foliage, elegant form and all year appeal possessed by the Japanese maples. Beautiful…

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Preparing a New Bed or Border

Creating a new bed or border is a bit like decorating a room in the house. You have an idea of what it might look like, but there is a fair bit of…

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Getting the best from roses

Roses can be so rewarding, or so disappointing. That first flush of blooms in summer is soon over: then what? Are there more flowers to follow, or do…

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Getting the best from your olive tree

Olives, Olea europaea have been treasured and cultivated since ancient times for their fruit which yields that precious oil with a multitude of uses.

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Mycorrhizae – the key to a successful bare root planting

Whilst bare root shrubs, plants and fruits can be planted all year round, autumn through to early spring is known as bare root season as plants are…

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Getting the best from azaleas & rhododendrons

Azaleas and rhododendrons are the jewels of the late spring garden. Their exquisite blooms bring notes of exotic colour to pots and containers, beds…

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How to chit early potatoes

To chit or not to chit, that is the question? Potatoes can be planted without chitting, but whether you chit your potatoes before planting out…

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Planting Trees and Shrubs

Container grown trees and shrubs can be planted at any time of the year as long as you give them the best possible start and water regularly after…

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Planting Spring flowering bulbs

Spring bulbs are such versatile garden plants. Easy to grow, they are a guaranteed source of early colour for little investment and effort from you.

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Planting winter flowering shrubs and perennials

Winter can be a really magical season in the garden if you choose the right plants. Evergreens come into their own against the bare branches and…

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How to control slugs organically

Control slugs without risk to pets, wildlife and the environment … Slugs and snails are the gardener’s worst enemies. Controlling them is…

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Planting a new hedge

Hedges are such an important part of gardens, not only do they provide privacy and screening, but also they divide, enclose and add essential…

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Growing your own strawberries

Strawberries are easy to grow, whether you grow them in the open ground, or in pots and containers. They are attractive too, both in flower and fruit…

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Making the perfect compost heap

Adding organic matter to your soil in the form of garden compost improves you soil’s structure and its ability to hang on to water and…

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Growing lilies

Lilies are often recognised as the Nation’s favourite flowers, even more popular than roses! These glorious plants are easy to grow and so…

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Dealing with tree stumps and unwanted saplings

It is all very well getting a tree cut down, but you are still left with the stump and the roots in the ground. Some species respond with vigorous…

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Getting the Best from Fruit Trees and Bushes

The winter is an important time for fruit trees and bushes. It’s the time to plant new ones and to lavish a little attention on existing…

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Getting the best from Fuchsias

Fuchsias are glorious garden plants which reward the right care with a magnificent display of flowers from mid to late summer right through autumn.

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Growing the best sweet peas

Of all the annuals grown in gardens, sweet peas are the most enduringly popular. Even if you do not grow any other flowers from seed, chances are you…

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Protecting lawns against an ant invasion

The hard work of caring and nurturing a lawn during winter and spring comes to fruition during the warm, summer months, but it can also be quickly…

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How to Compost Fallen Leaves

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year as the leaves of deciduous trees change from green to shades of red, flame and gold, colouring the landscape…

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How to Restore a Tired Lawn

Lawns get tired; sometimes after heavy use during the summer months, after drought, after moss and weeds have invaded over winter, or just as a…

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Growing flowers for cutting

Growing your own flowers for cutting is easy and rewarding: they give you the opportunity to bring your garden into the house and to share it with…

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Caring for Tree Ferns and Palms

Tree ferns and palms are wonderfully architectural plants that make a dramatic and exotic statement in your garden, conservatory or home. The secrets…

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A guide to planting indoor bulbs

Brighten your home with colourful blooms and fragrant scents all year round with the HighGround Indoor Bulb Planner. Packed with information on when…

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Protecting plants from pests and diseases

However experienced you are as a gardener pests and diseases can attack your plants. Few or us like using chemicals to control them, so any means of…

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How to overwinter Dahlias

As soon as the frosts arrive the colourful display provided by dahlias through late summer and autumn is over. Dahlias are not frost hardy, so when…

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How to Make a Shrub or Climber Flower

Sometimes you plant a shrub or climber expecting a glorious display of flowers and it just refuses to perform. It probably grows quite well; maybe…

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Planting Pots for Autumn and Winter

As summer bedding fades in pots and containers it’s time for a change. If you hang on to the bitter end they may survive for a week or two, but…

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Growing the tastiest tomatoes

Nothing beats your own tomatoes picked straight from plants growing in your garden. But do they taste as good as those you enjoyed on a Mediterranean…

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Growing blueberries in pots

Imagine picking superfood blueberries fresh from your garden? These delicious vitamin-packed fruits are so easy to grow. They do need acid soil, but…

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Caring for topiary

The art of topiary: trimming and training a shrub to maintain it as a controlled shape, dates back to the Romans and remains enduringly popular.

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Dahlias for late summer colour

Dahlias for late summer colour … Dahlias are such wonderful plants for late summer colour; they are versatile too. Some varieties are ideal for pots…

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How to control ants

There are around 36 different species of ant found in the UK, but of these only two species, the Common Black Ant and Pharaoh’s Ant, are…

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How to kill lawn weeds

Even if you use a lawn feed, weed and mosskiller early in the season weeds persist and new ones appear in the grass as the year progresses. These can…

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Growing apples in pots and containers

Even in the smallest gardens it is possible to pick your own delicious apples straight from the tree; simply grow one in a large pot. Although we…

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Protect trees in winter for summer success

Autumn and winter is the ideal time to prepare the ground for the new season and complete all essential pruning in readiness for the warmer months.

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Growing Agapanthus

Agapanthus (African Lily or Lily of the Nile) are glorious, sun-loving plants which produce large, spherical flower-heads which brighten up any…

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How to deter moles

Moles are such appealing creatures it is hard to believe that these tiny, innocent looking animals can cause such havoc in the garden as they burrow…

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Planting container grown roses

Vitax Garden World Youtube Channel … Roses are such rewarding plants, many bloom from early summer through to autumn bringing colour and fragrance to…

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Making the most of Clematis

Few can resist the allure of clematis, aptly referred to as “Queen of Climbers”, from the small flowered, prolific early flowering varieties that…

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Planting for late summer colour

As summer moves towards autumn the garden can look rather tired, especially if the weather has been warm and dry. There are most probably gaps and a…

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Dealing with tough weeds

During the course of the year tough weeds take advantage. Going un-noticed in the border they thrive, growing stronger and spreading through your…

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How to control apple and plum maggots

How to control apple and plum maggots … There is nothing more frustrating than having a decent crop of apples or plums only to find those perfect…

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How to get the best from salad leaves

How to get the best from salad leaves … Even if you do not grow many vegetables you can easily grow salad leaves, whether you are gardening in…

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How to deal with sooty mould

“What are the black, sooty deposits on my camellia leaves?” must be one of the most frequently asked gardening questions. This is a…

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Pruning Clematis

Pruning Clematis … Clematis pruning can be very confusing. When you buy a plant the label often give reasonable advice about how and when to prune.

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Controling greenhouse pests

How to control greenhouse pests … A greenhouse may be the perfect place to protect your plants from the ravages of the winter weather, however it is…

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Caring for houseplants

Caring for houseplants … After several years in the shadows, houseplants are back in the spotlight. More and more people are using then to bring life…

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How to keep rabbits at bay

As cute as they may be, rabbits are widespread garden pests that do a lot of damage in gardens. They scratch hollows in lawns and flower beds. They…

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How to get the best from raspberries

Raspberries are one of the most popular soft fruits and perhaps the easiest to grow. They are usually planted as bare root canes (basically sticks…

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Caring for pots and containers through summer

We put a lot of effort into planting up pots, hanging baskets and containers for summer colour. Modern varieties of seasonal bedding plants can be…

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How to keep cats off gardens

Whether you love them or loathe them, cats can be a problem in the garden. Lawns, gravel surfaces, flowerpots and freshly cultivated soil can all be…

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The way to a beautiful lawn

As spring progresses into summer your lawn grows faster, the individual grass plants competing for water, nutrients and light. As with anything else…

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How to control clothes moths

Identifying clothes moths … The adult moths and their larvae do not pose a health risk. The adult moths themselves cause no harm, but unfortunately…

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How to cure yellowing rhododendrons

The way to healthy azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons: glossy green leaves and bountiful blooms … Rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias are amongst…

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Getting the best from your vegetables

Feed, water, harvest bumper crops … Growing vegetables in your garden is so rewarding, but only if you give them what they need while they are…

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How to keep Buxus healthy

Common box or boxwood, Buxus sempervirens is the foundation of classical formal gardens and contemporary designs. We use it in pots, we trim it into…

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How to prevent box blight and keep hedges healthy

You’ll find Buxus, Box or Buxus Sempervirens in most gardens, so keeping them healthy and bug free is essential. A staple for most gardens, Buxus…

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Tackling a New Build Garden

The garden of a newly built or restored property is an exciting prospect: a blank canvas to work upon, whether you tackle it immediately, or…

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How to Keep Citrus Healthy

Citrus are rewarding plants to grow; evergreens with wonderfully scented flowers and the promise of delicious fruits. Being able to pick your own…

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How to Take Cuttings

Green fingered gardeners have great success in making more of their plants by taking cuttings. There is something very satisfying about taking a…

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How to Keep a Blue Hydrangea Blue

Most plants grow on most soils, however some need specific types of soil to thrive. Rhododendrons, azaleas and other ericaceous plants will not grow…

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Starting a New Lawn

An area of grass is a feature in most gardens and most gardeners start a lawn at some point, whether extending or changing the shape of an existing…

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