School of rock

Toby salutes the passing of rock legend Meat Loaf with lessons about the positive effects of rock music on plants

Root-pruning technique

Steve and Val Bradley explain an alternative way of pruning to keep plants in check

Early spring lawncare

Start giving your winter-battered lawn some love, says

China asters revival

Renewed interest in growing cut flowers has brought the long-flowering China asters back in fashion, says Anne Swithinbank, as she looks at these colourful annuals

Winter discoveries

Val finds a few nesting sites while raking up the leaves

Hedge renovation

Hedges are great for wildlife and the environment, but they need to be managed. Steve and Val Bradley show you how to control your hedge using planned prunings

Get better bunny rabbits

Pinch the waist of a snapdragon flower and the top petal separates from the lower lip like an opening mouth.

Environmental truths

Sphagnum moss can be regenerated, says Peter

Late winter tree tasks

Plant and prune before the sap starts to rise, says Ruth

The greenhouse in late winter

Ruth is gearing up for an influx of new plants

Do the border shuffle

Toby explains how to turn borders into summer stunners by lifting, dividing and replanting key herbaceous plants

Flower grenades

Plant summer-flowering bulbs now to enjoy their scent and colour in a few months’ time, says Hazel Sillver, as she reveals the best ‘bulb grenades’ to choose

Amazing dahlias

Dahlias are Mexican beauties that offer variety, drama and long-lasting displays right up until the first frosts, says Anne Swithinbank, as she reveals her top choices

A plantsman's choice

G.R. Kingsbourn reveals some of his favourite plants from the 1950s

Planting in the green

Planting ‘in the green’, or while plants are in growth, can help create natural-looking swathes of flowers from late winter to summer.

Potato perfection

Toby considers his best options for garden-grown spuds and eagerly anticipates those first tasty beauties…

Bleeding hearts (Dicentra)

A romantic-looking, shade-loving spring-flowering perennial to brighten your garden

Propagate begonias from tubers

Steve and Val explain the best way to create more gorgeous tuberous begonias

One more lot of cuttings

Ruth uses late-winter rose prunings to make more plants

Best watering practice

Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: watering

Focus on... Plant spring garlic

If you didn’t plant any garlic in winter, the good news is you can start some now. Lucy Chamberlain explains what to do to ensure you grow the finest bulbs possible

Beside the water

Creating a water garden can be hard work initially, but the plants that love such moist conditions always create an enchanting display, says Hazel Sillver

The wonders of willow

Willows work really hard for their place in your garden, and they support and nourish other plants, says Toby

Sticky situations

Sticky leaves are a common problem, but make sure you remove the cause and clean in the right way, says Bob

Rose-replant disease explained

Steve and Val Bradley reveal why new roses often fail when planted in the same place as old ones and offer two solutions to help overcome the problem

Red-twig dogwoods

Get a blaze of colour in your winter garden with these gorgeous deciduous shrubs

Cut back buddlejas

A hard prune keeps them tidy and flower-rich, says Ruth

First and foremost

Plant early flowers for the first bumblebees, says Val

Best plants for a cutting garden

Free up some border space to create a beautiful cutting garden so you can pick vasefuls of beautiful flowers all summer long, says Anne Swithinbank

A fond farewell to Peter

Gardening world in mourning after death of Peter Seabrook