When Ned met Auntie Bumps

A chance meeting at a tea party in Surrey led one of the greatest partnerships (and friendships) in English garden history, as Mark Griffiths explains…

Is it time to rethink Rambler roses?

Space-hungry, disease-prone, difficult…? Ramblers get bad press, but they’re not all the same and modern types are well worth making space for, says Graham Clarke

Florists' favourite Alstroemeria

If you want plants that offer loads of flowers over a long season, that look exotic but are fairly easy to grow, Peruvian lilies are the pick of the bunch, says Sally Jenner

Talking rot

Not all slugs are baddies, says Val, as she explains how some clear up rotting and diseased vegetable matter

Get the wildlife flocking in

Nectar-rich flowers are a magnet for bees, says Ruth

Get the feeding right

Nourished plants give the best results, says Ruth

Cranesbill of rights

Although cranesbills have a reputation as interlopers, Toby has a special affection for these pretty garden plants

Focus On... Compact Growing

You may not have sweeping fruiting vistas and endless rows of veggies, but you can still dream big if you grow in small spaces. Lucy considers the options of compact growing

What to plant with roses

With peak rose season only a few weeks away, get some gorgeous companion plants in the ground now to complement those blooms, says Sally Jenner

Tough love for tenders

Make time getting tender crops adjusted to the outdoors and harden off well for more productive plants, says Bob

Timing is everything

Our changing climate is causing the flowering plants many animals rely on to be out of sync, says Val

Plant the rainbow with Bearded irises

For flamboyant spring-to-summer flowers in a spectrum of shades – often within the same bloom – flag irises are an obvious pick. Anne Swithinbank shares her favourites

For trans-seasonal colour, try Adaptable alliums

Versatile, colourful and perfect for pollinators, ornamental onions look just as glorious in borders as on the veg patch, and will fill the June flower gap perfectly, says Val Bourne

Care of trees and shrubs

Making them strong for summer’s growth, says Ruth

Can I revive succulents?

Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: elderly succulents

Bending the cherry

Toby is determined that his festooning measures will come good and that it won’t be him that goes round the bend!

Baskets full of ideas

Hang bright containers to bring vertical colour, says Ruth

Really Fruitful Gardening

Grow the best-eating strawberries yourself, says Peter

Amazing Stories About Plants

We look at the dahlia, rosemary, the ‘Painted Lady’ sweet pea and the first pink daffodil

It's time you discovered The broom family

If you’re in the mood for some intense late spring colour, you cannot beat a flowering broom. Graham Clarke explores the relative values of cytisus and its cousins…

Beef up beds with Beautiful biennials

Sow seeds now to guarantee gorgeous gap-filling flowers in a year’s time – we promise the results will definitely be worth the wait, says Anne Swithinbank

Take action with seedlings

It’s time for potting on and sowing outside, says Ruth

Sorting your spring bulbs

Make sure spring colour returns next year, says Ruth

Swallows and martins

Both swallows and house martins have been through some challenging times recently, as Val explains…

The scent of Summer

For an olfactory treat, sniff out plants with aromatic leaves and fragranced flowers – they’ll lift your mood, invigorate the garden and conjure up happy memories…

Olive and let live

Even in poor ground, Toby’s olives are defying expectations, but he’s still making time for a bit of tender olive care…

A glorious carpet of colour

Asters provide low-growing patches of beauty, says Ruth.

Attracting Frogs To Garden Pond

Anne Swithinbank’s masterclass on: bringing frogs to a pond

Make borders sing with Clever colour combinations

Summer is the season of colour, and by choosing your perfect palette – and sticking to it – you’ll give your garden a stylish, put-together look, says Camilla Phelps

Mulch and how to use it

It’s time to mulch beds and borders, but what to use and how much are the keys, says Tim