CATEGORIES

Dividing Siberian irises

Remove old growth to keep clumps productive

Annual report

Val looks at the joys of sowing and saving annual seed

Midsummer garden jobs

Do a little, often, to keep your plot flourishing

The Show must go on...

Chelsea Flower Show 2023 had echoes of past treasures as well as fascinating spectacles with weeds

Top Ten Impatiens

A few years ago busy Lizzies were hit by downy mildew, but now mildew-resistant impatiens are on sale again

Pest controls

At the first sign of pests you may want to start spraying, but biological controls can be more efficient

Lawn care in the summer

Ruth looks at ways of helping grass cope with drought

Houseplants in summer

Feed, water and move some of them outside, says Ruth

More peas and beans

Think it's too late to sow beans and peas? Think again! Bob reveals how to start legumes on the plot in summer

Top bananas

Some 'pseudo' bananas are grown for their beauty, while others are transforming lives overseas, as Toby explains

Protecting plants from birds

Steve and Val Bradley offer options for stopping crop damage

Poppies for a sunny spot

These citrus colours bring summer delight, says Ruth

A long battle

Val reports on a successful prosecution following ecological vandalism on Herefordshire's River Lugg

Peonies

With their large, bowl-shaped flowers, peonies are long-lived perennials that come in a range of colours

So many cuttings to take!

This is the prime time for plant propagation

Between the roses

To make the most of your roses - and the space they need - choose planting partners that will enhance the display before, during and after blooming

CROCOSMIA

With their striking sword-like foliage and dazzling flowers, crocosmias bring a bright burst of high-summer colour to the garden

HELENA PETTIT

The high-octane karate kid who is shaking up RHS Shows on her life as bouncer, staying calm in a crisis and engaging children and new entrants to gardening

Balancing act

For this modern Dutch house, Piet Oudolf has combined richly planted roof gardens with the calm of a micro forest

Twice as nice

Designer Sue Townsend has blended two cottage gardens into one with meadow-style planting that drifts dreamily through the different spaces

TOTAL IMMERSION

Sara Jane Rothwell has softened the hard landscaping of this sloping plot with rich planting that contrasts with the repeated use of Corten-steel features

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

If you've despaired of why botanists keep changing the names of your favourite plants, columnist Ken Thompson explains the logic behind the taxonomic tinkering

Sum of the manse

For this walled garden on the edge of the Cairngorms, designer Jonathan Snow has created a sloping parterre filled with flowers and food

Exotic mix

In his own small Surrey garden, designer Robert Stacewicz has assembled an eclectic mix of exotic plants that are well suited for a changing climate

Picture this

Drawing on the wildflowers she loved as a child, Margarida Maia has created a garden in central Portugal that is now an Instagram sensation

Where the wild things are

In rural West Sussex, Chris Moss has created a sustainable, rustic-chic garden that hums with wildlife and shimmers subtly with modern cottage-style planting

Frost and fragrance

Positioned within sniffing distance, scented autumn and winter plants add a warm glow to cold days. From modest to massive, there are options for all plots

Potting up the first dahlias

They grow well in containers as well as the soil

Planting summer annuals

Ruth plants summer colour for our changing climate

Amazing Aquilegias

The columbine is one of those classic cottage-garden flowers that comes in a range of colours and pleases almost everyone. Graham Rice looks at why we love aquilegias