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Quick Answer Plant spring bulbs in pots from September to October, and Tulips in November, at three times the bulb’s height deep. Use a pot with drainage holes, at least 30cm deep, filled with peat-free compost mixed with about 30% grit. Pack the bulbs close together, water in, and leave the pot outside over winter. […]

Quick Answer Plant spring bulbs such as Daffodils, Crocus and Alliums from September to October, and Tulips in November. Summer bulbs like Lilies, Gladioli and Dahlias go in from March to May, and autumn bulbs in July and August. Plant every bulb at three times its own height, pointed end up, in well-drained soil. Every […]

Quick Answer The best time to plant Daffodil bulbs in the UK is September and October, while the soil still holds enough warmth for the roots to establish before winter. November is fine, and you can plant as late as December as long as the ground isn’t frozen. Plant them 15cm deep, pointed end up, […]

Quick Answer Heucheras grow best in partial shade in free-draining soil, planted with the crown level with the surface. Plant in spring or early autumn, mulch without burying the crown, and divide every three to four years in spring. Revive woody, lifting plants by replanting them deeper, and check pot-grown plants for vine weevil grubs. […]

Quick Answer Skimmia japonica is a compact evergreen shrub for shade that needs very little care. Plant it in light to full shade in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil or a pot of ericaceous compost. Only female plants carry berries, and they need a male nearby, unless you choose the self-fertile Skimmia japonica subsp. reevesiana. Yellow […]

Quick Answer Pyracantha (firethorn) is a tough, thorny evergreen shrub that grows in sun or shade on almost any soil, flowers white in early summer and carries red, orange or yellow berries through autumn and winter. Prune it lightly after flowering, then shorten new growth in late summer to show off the berries, always checking […]

Quick Answer Compost is decomposed organic matter you can mix into the soil to improve structure and feed plants but also be used as a mulch. Mulch is any material you spread on top of the soil to suppress weeds, retain moisture and protect the surface. They do different jobs and work brilliantly used together. […]

Quick Answer Mulching means spreading a 5 to 7cm layer of organic material, such as compost, bark or leaf mould, over weed free, damp soil in April to May or September to October. Keep it clear of stems and trunks. Done properly, it cuts weeding by up to 80 percent, halves summer watering, and steadily […]

Quick Answer Cut back deciduous ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus, Calamagrostis, Panicum and Pennisetum in late February or March, to about 10 to 15cm above the ground, before the new shoots grow through. Never cut evergreen grasses such as Carex, Festuca or Stipa gigantea to the ground. Comb out the dead leaves in spring instead. […]

Quick Answer The easiest things to make with Damsons are Damson gin, Damson jam, crumble, fool, chutney, ice cream, clafoutis and compote. Damsons are too sharp for most people to eat raw, but their high pectin sets jam with ordinary sugar, and freezing them overnight splits the skins for gin. Pick them in September, when […]