Amateur Gardening

Every week, Amateur Gardening is the first choice for both beginners and knowledgeable gardeners looking for advice and easy-to-follow practical features on growing flowers, trees, shrubs as well as fruit and vegetables. Be inspired, by our beautifully illustrated features covering plant and flower groups, both home grown and exotic, and take a sneak peek into some of the most beautiful private gardens around the country. Plus, every week we feature expert opinion and tips from some of gardening’s most influential exponents including Toby Buckland, Bob Flowerdew, Anne Swithinbank, Peter Seabrook and Jo Whittingham.

Editor Note

Time to plant summer bulbs • Started now they will give colour until autumn, says Ruth

Get the planting basics right • Good planting encourages healthy growth and flowering

Time to move a hollyhock • Ruth relocates a mature plant that needs more space

Keep houseplants healthy • Remove pests and re-pot them if necessary, says Ruth

Keep up with garden hygiene • Plants aren’t all that need attention now, says Ruth

Dahlias for future years • Sow seeds for tubers and seasons of colour, says Ruth

Seeds of doubt • Saving and sowing seeds can be fun, but there are times when it is best not to use self-saved seed, says Bob

Wild in the country • Val sings the praises of the Lent lily or wild daffodil

Focus on… Weed control • If you need to prevent the chaos and destruction of weeds in the most organic way, fear not. Lucy reveals the kindest controls for maintaining order on the plot

How to make the most of Annuals • ‘Live fast, die young’ may be their motto, but annuals are invaluable for summer colour. Louise Curley reveals your best options for different garden schemes

Bulbs that flower in summer • Now is the time to plant a wide-ranging group of plants that are perfect for adding colour to the garden, says Anne Swithinbank, as she looks at summer-flowering bulbs

This week… English roses • With a long flowering season and disease resistance, English roses are a great choice

Ask JOHN NEGUS • John will reply personally to all your gardening questions

Taking stem cuttings • Alan Toogood describes how to increase many popular plants by softwood, semi-mature or half-ripe, and hardwood or fully ripe cuttings

This week it’s: Oranges… and orange! • We look at oranges – not only the fruit

Word search

Crossword • …just for fun!

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Plant ties and clips • Steve and Val test six devices to support plants

Trimming lavender bushes

Let down by flavour

Amateur Gardening

Spud’s Law • The potato may be one of our favourite foods now, but that hasn’t always been the case, as Toby reveals