What's new, what's growing, what we're learning. Updates, guides and stories for people who take their garden seriously.
Wish you had three more of your favourite plant? An overview of the four routes to vegetative propagation and how to decide which one fits which plant.
Muskmelon or watermelon in your own garden: from a warm start indoors through pollination and care to the knock test that tells you when to harvest.
Lay the fleece on only when frost is forecast, air it out during the day, stand pots on wood: a few simple moves carry your beds and potted plants safely through the cold nights.
Chives are native, perennial and easy, as long as you give them moist, rich soil. Here is how to cut, divide and force them right.
Dill and coriander dislike transplanting. With direct sowing, the right spot and clever succession sowing, you harvest leaves all summer plus aromatic seeds.
Drying, freezing, in oil and salt: how to secure your summer herb surplus for winter, with the right harvest moment and the right method for each herb.
Without pruning, lavender falls apart after a few years. With two simple cuts a year it stays dense, compact and flowers more lavishly summer after summer.
Mint is effortless to grow and a rampant spreader at the same time. With a root barrier, the right spot and regular cutting, you get fresh mint all summer without it taking over the bed.
Thyme is easy once you understand where it comes from: sun, poor soil, little water. The way you prune it decides whether it lasts ten years or goes bald.
