25 Easy Ways To Be A Better Gardener In 2020

Whether you’re an old hand or a newcomer, make sure you get the most from your plot in the coming year with Graham Clarke’s pointers

- Graham Clarke's

If your resolution for 2020 is to become a better gardener, you may be wondering, “OK, but how?” The really great thing about gardening is that there is always something new to learn, whether it’s by going back to the age-old techniques of our grandparents, or by using the latest products or advice.

Here are 25 gardening tips that may well have passed you by, but which will help you garden better and more effectively next year.

1 Plant pots of daffs: Use daffodils in containers to add bright colour to dark corners and places you couldn't grow them in the soil (under trees, paved areas and so on). These locations can be dry, so water regularly.

2 Bargain basil: Instead of buying basil from the supermarket, make small weekly sowings on a warm windowsill, starting in February. It’s cheaper, and you can try purple or Greek basil, which you don’t find in shops.

3 Shovel shortcut: When you need to clear snow off a garden path in winter, you’ll make the job easier if you give both sides of your shovel a good coating of oil or wax beforehand.

4 Snowdrop success: Planting ‘in the-green’ (after flowering, with leaves) is better than planting dry snowdrop bulbs. It works for snakes head fritillaries, wood anemones, English bluebells, and lesser celandines, too.

5 Weed, don’t slice! When lifting roots of perennial weeds a digging fork is better than a spade, and a hand fork is better than a trowel. Both reduce the risk of slicing through the roots and allowing pieces to regrow.

6 The best moves: If you need to move a deciduous tree or shrub to a better spot, for best results do it when it’s ‘dormant’ (having its winter sleep). Late winter, just before growth starts again, is ideal.