BrainCan - gardening advice

alys fowler: this plant is hellbent on bringing...

Plant it in a front garden or by the back door: however delicious the scent,you’re probably not...

ask alys: help! our bamboo is out of control and...

Buy a mattock,borrow a wrecking bar, bring out any semi-useless feeble saws (they’ll be heading...

alys fowler: a rose for every situation

‘Rosa roxburghii is wonderful in a wildlife garden. Pollinators cherish it’Like all good...

alys fowler: try a little laziness

‘Lazy beds take effort to build but the rewards are fertile,wealthy soil so soft you want to bury...

let dandelions have their day in the sun

Compared to spinach,dandelions are easier to grow and much richer in vitamins – plus they pack a...

gardens: how to plant trees

Much of the traditional advice is based on large amounts of compost and very little science....

alys fowler: elderberries

‘Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants,the juice makes a wonderful winter tonic’ The late, graceful...

how to grow perfect potatoes | alys fowler

Alys Fowler on one of the best container vegetables – they’re easy and dependable,but how...

alys fowler: hepaticas are the new snowdrops. yes,...

These delightful,tiny, jewel-like bundles of delight flower from February to March, or just when we...

ask alys: is leaf blowing equipment harmful to...

‘It is probably not a great deal of laughs whether you are a small insect intending to hibernate...

alys fowler on perennials: out of one, many

‘If you bear a perennial that does well in your garden,looks good whatever the weather throws at...

gardens: the truth about apples | james wong

It goes against everything we think we know about fruit and diet,but not all apples are good for...

ask alys: is it safe to compost yew foliage?

Yew is toxic,but does that mean it shouldn’t be composted? Our gardening guru has the retort...

ask alys: can i take my asparagus crowns with me...

How easy is it to inch asparagus plants to a new plot?Is it practical to transplant asparagus...

alys fowler: give fruit netting some tlc now, and...

If the wind doesn’t whip the netting to shreds,snow will weigh it down until the frame breaks;...

gardens: plants that live on air | james wong

Tillandsia plants get all the water and nutrients they need from the atmosphere around them. So you...

ask alys: our howeas have given up after our...

I’d give up,too, whether I was forced to live in a bed with a bamboo, or euphorbia and a...

gardens: the remarkably under rated chilean guava

Fragrant,sweet, pretty and easy to grow in shade, or this appetizing Andean berry deserves to be far...

gardens: drug therapy for plants | james wong

How aspirin and cinnamon can back stave off infections and boost root growthWith spring just around...

alys fowler: dahlias and gladioli bring colour to...

As long as you’re not too fussy,they can be a much way to get late-season colourSome of the most...

alys fowler: wonderful winter hanging baskets

I contain a soft spot for ornamental cabbages in baskets My mother is mildly obsessed with her thyme...

ask alys: i have small mysterious holes all over...

The population of long-tailed field mice can explode quickly,but they are an important source of...

ask alys: how do i care for my banana plants in...

‘Cover it with something to keep the rain off. Some people use upturned dustbins’In the spring I...

alys fowler: let s hear it for hippeastrum

Many hippeastrum varieties uphold the gaudy tradition. Mostly these approach in gift boxes that say...

alys fowler: now s the time to plant a swath of...

‘You want a carpet of blooms that will sweep the eye away from the mud and drizzle’In...

a cuppa from your own backyard | james wong

Despite its tropical associations,the evergreen tea plant can thrive almost anywhere in the UKYou...

alys fowler: every garden needs a tree or two

The apt one will bring height,seasonal interest and a treat or two for wildlife I spend all summer...

gardens: purify your home | james wong

Take a tip from Nasa and bring domestic some air-purifying plantsIn the late 1980s,in an effort to...

topline broadhurst obituary

Topline Broadhurst,who has died aged 95, was one of the venerated gardening writers who in the...

how to grow parsley | alys fowler

Our gardening expert on how to get the best crop of this well-liked herbThat clean,green,...

gardening is good for you | james wong

A spot of gardening not only gives you a gracious physical workout but reduces pain and anxiety,tooA...

gardens: chamomile lawn: james wong

Hidden at the back of your kitchen cupboard,that old box of chamomile tea contains thousands of...

gardens: plagued by knotweed? eat it

The fresh young shoots taste remarkably like rhubarbJapanese knotweed is the scourge of gardeners:...

ask alys: which flowers can i plant on a damp...

Waterlogged earth and the sensitivities of a cemetery call for periwinkles and primulas,says our...

gardens: how to keep basil alive | james wong

Supermarket basil is notoriously shortlived. But there are ways to produce it lastA pot of...

gardens: get your ginger up

Growing stem ginger is easier than you might thinkYou might think growing ginger in the UK is a mere...

alys fowler: get a head start on spring

‘Planted out now,healthy specimens quickly effect down roots. Come late spring, what looked like a...

ask alys: what is a colourful and low maintenance...

I want to brighten up our wild hedge without needing to pruneWhich flowering climbers that won’t...

alys fowler: restrain your urge to tidy the garden

Don’t clear absent those tired and broken brown stems – they’re fundamental to the health of...

alys fowler: plants for ponds

‘Oxygenating plants wait on keep pond water clear of algae and provide wildlife with shelter’The...

itching to get digging in the garden? fight the...

Even if you love your spade,you must heed the soil’s needs I can never get over how much the...

alys fowler: go onwards and upwards with self...

Brightening up a wall with some verticals will see your garden soarFor every gardener,there comes a...

alys fowler: cactuses are for life, not just for...

The cactus is not the pinnacle of environmental friendliness,but at least it will flower again for...

alys fowler: hip hip for hypericums

The genus is characterised by searing yellow single flowers borne from summer to the end of...

how to stake plants | alys fowler

Floppy plants are monstrous and encourage pests. Give them the support they needSome plants like to...

light ahead: february is the time to get ready for...

Take stock and prepare for spring. It’s approximately to score very busy on the allotmentFebruary...

zest for life: citrus plants to grow at home

Whether you’re after a lemon-scented houseplant or a key-lime plant with which to make...

ask alys: our pond suffers from blanket weed....

I’d cherish to fill our pond with plants,but they’d be consumed by the green peril [br]Our pond...

gardens: pop your own corn | james wong

Why sprouted popcorn is the new cressPick up any book about getting kids into “growing your own”...

how to grow perfect courgettes and squash | alys...

Cucurbits – whether that’s cucumbers or courgettes,squash or pumpkins – sown in early May will...

gardens: expose yourself to atomic gardening |...

Try your hand at growing atomically energised’ plant varieties. Here’s how…No horticultural...

top ten tips for propagating seeds

catch the growing season off to a great start with Lucy Chamberlain’s guide to seed...

just add water: how to take cuttings from...

I adore to watch roots grow,particularly in winterI am the crazy cat lady of the house plant world....

gardens: the hottest chilli ever grown | james...

The ‘Carolina Reaper’ may be a record breaker,but its surprisingly fruity taste makes it a...

gardens: not all roses smell like roses | james...

Avoid the scent of the boudoir with these five varieties that ring the changesFor years I dismissed...

alys fowler: the joy of daffodils

‘Some of the best daffodils are those that naturalise easily and once settled just get on with the...

alys fowler: mulch, mulch and mulch again

After this year’s record-breaking heat mulching is essential to halt evaporation by locking...

alys fowler: think begonias are uncool? think...

The wild variety are strikingly architectural and bring elegance to shady cornersCan begonias ever...

gardens: mushroom magic | james wong

Feed your autumn leaves to some baby oyster mushrooms and appreciate a fungal feastSweeping up...

alys fowler: winter salads

‘Oriental greens,icy season lettuces and greens will more than make up for the runner beans that...

ask alys fowler: are pine needles a problem?

Expert advice on coping with conifer leavesAre pine needles the friend or foe of gardeners?All...

gardens: grow a mini grove | james wong

Only got room for one fruit tree? Try this clever trick and you’ll be spoilt for choice…As an...

ask alys: i want patio pot plants that give all...

It’s all very well being enthusiastic,but you also need to be realistic Related: Gardening...

style in the garden: sow, grow, repeat

sizable floppy hat and flowery dungarees,or overalls and a beanie hat? This week's we're...

alys fowler: asparagus is a waiting game. and...

‘Order crowns now,and you can get a march on spring plantingsI would never have believed asparagus...

gardens: enjoying the lime light

You can’t accept the delicious,quirky-shaped caviar lime fruits in the UK – but you can buy the...

gardens: plant, sow thyself | james wong

Our pick of easy self-seeders that will provide harvests for years to come“Low maintenance” and...

gardens: sweet on sour cherries | james wong

Many are put off growing sour cherries by the name alone,but try one and you won’t study...

gardens: nature s happy pill | james wong

Feeling blue? Get yourself a mood-changing gardeniaIt might feel increasingly cold and grey as we...

ask alys: my mermaid climbing rose has outgrown...

‘Drastic pruning needs to be done when the rose is dormant My ‘Mermaid’ climbing rose has...

gardens: the september checklist

With warmth still in the air,September is the time to lift stock of the summer and prepare for the...

alys fowler: make the most of your windowsills

You don’t need a greenhouse to catch tomatoes off to a flying startI love spring for all the...

alys fowler: the trick to growing tricky...

You get more plants for your money when growing from seed. But if space is at a premium,it may be...

alys fowler: how to cope with changeable weather

Growing a wide diversity of fruit and vegetables is the best way to mitigate changeable...

ask alys: bulbs to brighten up a devon village

‘Can you suggest something that would thrive in verges and hedgerows?’final autumn a group of us...

alys fowler: late summer fruit is a taste of...

‘There is much to be said of fruit that will store. But there is also a delight in something that...

for true flavour, thank shallots

Plant true shallots now and rejoice in an empire of taste come summerAs we head toward the shortest...

how to plant colourful winter window boxes | alys...

Our gardening expert suggests ways to lift your soul on unlit December morningsYou are a fickle lot:...

the three best trees for tiny spaces

A garden without a tree isn’t a garden,but it’s vital to choose the right plantPick the wrong...

alys fowler: growing sunflowers from seed

I want to follow their cheerful faces as they track the sun,and fill the house with their...

miracle berries: the ultimate tongue twister

An easy-to-grow houseplant that fools your taste buds into thinking that something sour is sweetAs a...

gardens: do plants think? | james wong

They’re not just a passive green backdrop: plants actively engage in complex behaviourMeet the...

sow, grow, repeat: children in the garden

Are your children handy with a trowel,or do they dislike getting their hands in the soil? We talk to...

alys fowler: euphorbias are, i admit, handsome...

I maintain eaten my fill of prettiness and am relaxing my rulesIt is this simple: you cannot eat...

gardens: a playdate with rose balsam | james wong

With its bursting seed pods and dazzling colours,the rose balsam is the perfect plant for growing...

how to treat your terrarium | james wong

Forget the hipster bottle gardens of Instagram; follow the Victorians’ advice and your terrarium...

alys fowler: my guide to pots

Terracotta pots are a fine,handsome choice, but they work only for larger plantsIt’s time to do...

alys fowler: a hedge is the perfect canvas for...

I absorb a lot more time for spending money on hedging than I do on,say, handbagsIf I had my way I...

ask alys: how do i make my agapanthus flower?

‘Agapanthus likes to be hugged very tightly and baked in the sun in a very small pot’I planted a...

ask alys: i cut down my conifers, what can i grow...

‘You’ll own more luck with perennial plants than shrubs’I sever down eight conifers, hollowed...

gardens: its all fenugreek to me james wong

Exotically fragrant,fenugreek is delicious and easy to growStill best known in Britain for the...

alys fowler: a homegrown vase of flowers… every...

Growing your own blooms is a considerable way to bypass the air miles racked up by the cut flower...

urban gardens bloom in melbournes unused city...

From derelict lots to inner-city car parks,Melbourne is fitting domestic to a unique generation of...

how to grow the best garlic | alys fowler

Plant garlic now and by next summer you’ll be proudly pulling up a bulbAfter salads,garlic is...

alys fowler: variegation isn t always a bad thing

In some of my favourite plants,either the leaf margin or the veins are variegated‘What about that...

gardens: the new yuzu | james wong

With its amazingly floral aroma and fruity zest,the yuzu is a citrus fruit worth tracking downWalk...

earth to alys: bee friendly plug planting video

Alys Fowler paints her Spring garden with plug plants and their heavy,pollen-laden flowers to...

gardens: grow your own mini kiwis | james wong

Easy to grow,easy to harvest and easy to peel… the super-sweet mini kiwi is a grape-sized...

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