Every garden should have a few shrubs for winter colour.

The following offer colour from flowers, foliage or bark. Try combining each of these features to create an attractive mixed group.

• Cornelian cherry (Corn us mas) Masses of small yellow flowers appear on the bare branches of this excellent shrub. 3-3.6m/10-12ft. Likes a good fertile soil and plenty of sun.

• Dogwood (Corpus alba `Sibirica’) Deciduous shrub producing thickets of brilliant red stems. Cut down almost to the ground each year in early spring. Likes a moist soil, and sun or partial shade. Height of annual stems about 1.8m/6ft. Read the rest of this entry »

Some types are so distinctive that they are best planted in isolation. When planting in a lawn, leave a 45cm/18in radius of bare soil around each one, as grass right up to the stems or trunks retards growth.

• Birch(Raula pendula `Youngii’) A weeping form, with a white trunk and a mushroom-shaped head of branches which eventually reach the ground. Deciduous 4.5-6m/15-20ft. Any ,. soil. Sun or partial shade. Read the rest of this entry »

These flowering shrubs are indispensable for bright colour in the spring garden. Grow some spring-flowering bulbs around them, to augment the effect.

• Barberry (Berberis darwinii) Highly popular evergreen shrub with shiny, deep green, holly-like leaves and deep yellow flowers followed by blackish berries. Any soil, including chalk. Sun or partial shade. Grows to around 2.4m/8ft.
• Broom (Cytisus scoparius hybrids) Green stems bear masses of yellow, red, cream or white flowers. Height about 2.4m/8ft, very quickly attained. Good for poor, sandy, acid soils, needs full sun. Cut off dead flower heads. Read the rest of this entry »

Arepertoire for reliable and easy shrubs to grow for their flowers or coloured foliage. Some of these should be in every shrub or mixed border.

• Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) Bushy semi-evergreen which produces its tubular pink and white flowers from mid-summer to mid-autumn. 1.5-1.8m/5-6ft, soon attained. Needs a warm, sunny sheltered spot and well-drained soil.

• Barberry(Berberis x ottawensis Purpurea’) Vigorous shrub grown for its large oval, rich red-purple foliage. Quickly attains 2.4-3.6m/8-12ft. Grows on any soil, particularly good on chalk, and best in full sun. Read the rest of this entry »

An autumn garden can be highly colourful if it includes some of these shrubs. Some are grown for their autumn leaf colour and/or berries, others for their flowers. To complement them, plant some autumn-flowering bulbs and perennials, such as autumn crocuses and Michaelmas daisies. Read the rest of this entry »

Dense shade under large trees, where the soil dries out in summer, is a difficult situation for plants, yet the following will flourish. Dig in plenty of organic matter before planting, and water well in summer.

• Cherry laurel (prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’) A dwarf shrub, about 60cm/2ft high, with long narrow shiny evergreen leaves and, in spring, spikes of white flowers. Makes excellent dense groundcover.

• Holly (Ilex aquifolium J.C. van Tor) Many hollies are suitable for shade with dry soil, but this variety bears particularly heavy crops of red berries. 6m/20ft. The evergreen leaves are almost spineless. Read the rest of this entry »

These are widely planted small trees which you could include in a shrub border to give extra height; or, if you prefer you could use them as isolated specimens, although none of them has a particularly distinctive shape.

• Autumn cherry (Prunus subhirtella `Autumnalis) An extremely useful deciduous tree for winter interest, as the small, semi-double, white flowers are produced, on and off, between late autumn and early spring. 6m/20ft. Any fertile soil is suitable. Sun or partial shade.
• Crab apple(Malus floribunda) Popular and beautiful deciduous spring-flowering tree. The arching branches bear masses of white flowers, from red buds. Later, small yellow and red fruits appear. About 4.5m/15ft. Sun or partial shade, fertile soil. Read the rest of this entry »

Certain ornamental plants will provide a low canopy of foliage sufficiently dense to prevent weeds from establishing beneath it. These are known as ground- cover plants. They enable you to keep a garden looking neat even if you lack the time or inclination for routine maintenance such as weeding and mowing. For example, they offer a labour-saving alternative to large areas of grass, or a way to reduce weeding between shrubs and roses. They will not suppress perennial weeds such as docks, nettles, bracken, couch grass and ground elder, so you must eradicate these before planting by spraying them when they are in full growth in spring and summer with a weedkiller containing glyphosate.

To get groundcover plants off to the best possible start, prepare the ground well by adding bulky organic matter, such as well-rotted farmyard manure or garden compost, and applying a dressing of blood, bone and fishmeal fertilizer. Read the rest of this entry »

Two types of turf

When buying turf, always go to a specialist supplier:then you will have a choice of proper lawn grasses and the turf will be (or should be!) free from weeds and cut to a uniform depth.

Field-grown turf This is the most popular. Usually sold in 90cm/3ft by 30cm/1ft ft pieces, each rolled up for delivery. The pieces will be of uniform thickness.

Seedling turf This comes in large lightweight rolls and is well-rooted and of uniform thickness. It’s raised on special nurseries. You can order exactly the kind of grass you want for particular uses, soil conditions or aspects (eg for chalky soil, shady conditions, etc). Read the rest of this entry »

Given a sunny spot and fertile, well-drained soil, most fruits are easy to grow. The greatest problem is damage from birds, which can wreak havoc on ripening crops unless you provide protection. Certain fruits, such as plums, cherries and bush fruits, need defending during the winter, as birds, especially bullfinches will attack and devour overwintering buds.

Bird repellents have a low success rate. Small fruit trees and bushes are better protected by draping them with lightweight nylon or plastic netting. Strawberries should be covered with netting on 45cm/18in high posts. You can safeguard individualfruits by securing paper, muslin or perforated polythene bags or sleeving around them, provided that the tree or crop is not too large. Cardboard collars around the stalks of tree fruits will prevent birds from perching close enough to peck the fruit — again, only feasible on a small scale. Read the rest of this entry »

Five vegetables for winter/spring crops

The vegetable plot can be just as productive in winter or spring as in summer, especially if you grow the following staple crops for winter use.

• Kale ‘Thousand Headed’ Very hardy cabbage, producing an abundance of delicious leaves and shoots. Sow mid- to late spring, setting plants 45cm/18in apart each way. Best grown in fertile soil, but tolerates poor soils.

• Leeks Very hardy, long growing season. Leeks like fertile well-drained soil. Sow outdoors early to mid-spring, transplant in late spring or early summer. Plant 15cm/6in apart, in rows 30cm/12in apart. Drop each plant into 15cm/6in deep dibber hole; water well. Read the rest of this entry »

Vegetables grown at home and used immediately after gathering have a much better flavour than those bought in the shops. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to have a large garden. Various small vegetables do well in containers on a patio, or in patches in a flowerbed or border. There are several vegetables, too, for the greenhouse, and even for growing in partial shade. It is possible to have an all- round supply: many people especially appreciate fresh produce in the depths of winter.

As an alternative to the traditional method of arranging vegetables in rows, the “deep-bed” system allows you to grow more crops in the space available, because the plants are closer together. The crops are grown in blocks or bands across the I.2m/4ft wide beds, which are separated by 30-45cm/12-18in wide paths, from which you work at all times, except when digging. Initially you should prepare the beds by double-digging (see p36) and adding plenty of manure or garden compost. Repeat the double-digging every3-4 years: in the intervening years, use normal single digging. Rotate crops to get the best from the soil. Read the rest of this entry »

Most herbs are easy to grow. The following selection provides a variety of flavours to complement home-grown vegetables and enhance everyday food. Site the herb patch in a sunny well-drained spot near the kitchen. Some of these herbs will also grow well in containers.

• Angelica (Angelica archangelica) Aromatic leaves have various uses; stems are candied and used in cake decoration. Biennial grown from seed. 180cm/6ft tall. Sown outdoors in late summer, under a cloche in cold areas. Transplant to 30cm/12in apart the following spring. Remove flower heads. Read the rest of this entry »

PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Pests and diseases do not spread their ills evenhandedly throughout the plant world. Some plants, such as conifers, hardy annuals and shrub roses, are troubled rarely or never; others, such as bush roses, fruits and vegetables, may be affected by more than their fair share. You should bear in mind that the vast majority of pests and diseases can be tolerated — provided that the plants are healthy and well-fed and never allowed to go short of water. Do not underestimate the value of predatory insects such as hoverflies and insect and grub-devouring birds. Read the rest of this entry »

Lawn care requires an annual programme of various operations. If all you do is mow, you will end up with a thin or patchy lawn that becomes invaded by weeds and moss. For a healthy carpet of green, you must feed, water, remove rubbish and dead material, relieve the lawn of compaction, and perform various other tasks. There are no short cuts. Alarge neglected lawn is an eyesore. If time for routine maintenance is limited, better to have only a small well-kept lawn and devote the rest of the garden to more labour-saving schemes, such as groundcover. Read the rest of this entry »

Most flowering plants are not much at risk as long as they are well cultivated. Among the principal sufferers are bulbs, and plants grown under glass, where pests and diseases particularly flourish.

Five troubles affecting roots

A number of insect pests live in the soil and feed on the roots of plants. Usually you do not know they’re there until leaves and shoots begin to wilt.

• Chafer grub Long fat creamy-white grubs with brown heads which feed on the roots of many flowers. If suspected, water the soil with pirimiphos-methyl or dust with gamma-BHC.
• Cutworm Soil-dwelling caterpillars about 4cm/I 1/2in long, creamy brown, which feed on roots and the surface of stems at soil level. Many border plants liable to attack. Symptom: wilting. Dust soil with gamma-BHC insecticide. Read the rest of this entry »

Many shrubs and trees are not much troubled by pests and diseases, although there are a few to watch out for. Roses have the most problems, especially the bush roses.

Four pests which make holes in leaves

These pests feed on the leaves, causing holes of various shapes and sizes. Caterpillars are the ones that usually cause most trouble.

• Caterpillars Caterpillars of various moths can cause a lot of damage to trees and shrubs — almost defoliating them in severe attacks. As soon as you see them, pick off by hand. In severe cases spray with fenitrothion, gamma-BHC or pirimiphosmethyl insecticides. The biological control Bacillus thuringiensis is also useful. Read the rest of this entry »

The most common problem with lawns is discoloured turf. Mainly this is caused by some adverse cultural condition such as drought, waterlogging, faulty feeding or poor mowing. However, there are pests and diseases that can disfigure, weaken or even kill large areas of turf, so you should always investigate discoloured areas early and apply control measures, if needed, as soon as possible.

Three pests found in lawns

These are the most common, and most troublesome, pests that are likely to invade your lawn. Read the rest of this entry »

Some pests can cause serious damage to leaves and can strip a plant of foliage if not controlled.

• Capsid bug Pale green sap-sucking insect. Attacks shoot tips and young leaves of tree and bush fruits, leaving ragged holes. Spray the affected plants with systemic insecticide, such as dimethoate, after flowering or permethrin or pirimiphosmethyl just prior to flowering.
• Caterpillars The larvae of various moths can attack leaves of fruit trees, making many small holes. To control place grease bands around trunk of trees between mid-autumn and mid- spring to trap adult insects emerging from the soil; give the trees a tar-oil winter wash; spray against caterpillars with fenitrothion, bifenthurin or pyrethrins insecticides. Read the rest of this entry »

Birds usually create the biggest problem, but you should look out too for mites and weevils.

• Apple blossom weevil The small white grubs of this tiny brown beetle eat the central parts of apple flowers. Infested blossoms fail to open. Spray with permethrin as the buds are forming or fenitrothion as the buds burst open.
• Big bud mites Tiny mites that live in large numbers inside the buds of blackcurrants. Infected buds are swollen and round, and usually fail to come into growth. Pick off and burn; spray with benomyl fungicide in spring and early summer. Read the rest of this entry »