Hang strips of fat from trees in the winter to encourage birds. If you are edging your paths with roses remember to plant them far enough away for the thorns not to be a menace. If a plant has failed or died in one location, never replant that space with the same type of plant. When designing a garden don't forget to include the vertical element in your plans. Arches and trellises add considerably to the interest. If you have a dark and difficult corner in your garden, why not consider a fernery? To romantically 'age' ornaments, paint them with a mixture of milk and cow manure to encourage moss. Office paper shreddings are an effective ingredient for your compost heap. Once a year skim off the surface soil of containers in the garden and replenish with new compost. Save ash from a fire grate to use as a deterrent to slugs in the summer. Save soot to scatter on your soil as a deterrent to slugs in the summer. Use large round pebbles to top your outside containers. They will keep weeds out, reduce evaporation, and will help stop the wind blowing them over. Keep opened seed packets in an airtight container where they will keep for months, possibly years. Prepare seed beds a few weeks before sowing. This will give annual weeds a chance to germinate so you can hoe them away immediately before sowing. Use your microwave to sterilize compost. It takes three minutes on full setting to sterilize 1 kg. Always use a non-metallic dish. If in doubt about how deep to bury seeds, a good guide is to always cover them with twice their diameter of compost. When selecting seedlings from a packet of mixed colours, remember to keep some of the smaller seedlings. These can often give the best colours. The tiniest seeds should be scattered directly on the surface of the compost as they haven't the strength to push through the soil to get to the light. For bushier plants prune above outward facing buds. For tighter bushes prune above inward facing buds. If you choose a cedar greenhouse, don't forget that it will need a treatment of wood preservative every two or three years. Softwoods need treatment annually. Snow provides a good insulator for greenhouses. Don't be in too much of a hurry to sow outdoors unless your soil is light, well drained and tends to warm up early. When weed seedlings appear, this is a good sign that the soil temperature is just right for sowing. Sow seeds in rows rather than broadcast so you can distinguish flowers from weeds. Keep a watering can full in the greenhouse so it can warm up before use. Revive greenhouse overwintered perennials by soaking pots and pruning into shape. When digging, never discard stones, keep them to one side for use on paths and for topping containers. Look out for birds' nets when clipping hedges in the spring. Wrap the bottom ends of fence posts to preserve their life and to prevent rotting. Household bricks don't make good paths. They crumble too quickly. Buy purpose made bricks instead. If you want a greenhouse but you are short of space, consider a lean-to type. These also benefit from the warmth of the adjacent wall. Keep your compost nice and airy by including bulky materials such as shredded newspaper, large weeds and straw. Don't plant any poisonous plants close to paths or where children have access. Grow ivies as ground cover to suppress weeds. Sow radish seeds to mark rows of other seeds that take longer to germinate to mark the row. You will get a quick crop too. Propagate comfrey. Not only has it pretty flowers which attract bees but it also makes a valuable addition to the compost heap. When the weather starts to warm in spring, it's a good time for hoeing to clear weeds. If moles are a problem, deter with creosote soaked rags pushed down run. If slugs are a problem, try growing hostas in pots. Always compost grass cuttings for at least 6 months after treating with weedkiller. Always skim off the top layer of soil from bought in plants from garden centres. It is sure to be contaminated with weeds. Cats don't like the smell of Cocoa shells. Use as a mulch. Weaken and eventually eradicate horsetail by constantly picking off the young shoots. If you must spray against pests and diseases do it in the evening when the beneficial insects have disappeared. Sow herbs in punnets every 6 to 8 weeks for a constant succession of fresh herbs. If you want to pamper your cat try Hakonechloa and Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta' ornamental grasses. Half filled seed trays with compost topped up with sand provide a good start for your cuttings. Push cuttings through the sand so that they are just in contact with the compost. Worn out heather clumps can provide a valuable source for new plant material. Just heap soil at the centre of the old plant. New growth will appear which can be removed and potted up. Rainwater stored in butts shouldn't be used in the greenhouse. It may well be contaminated with pests. To harden off plants in a cold frame; open halfway in the day in the first week and close at night. In the second week, leave open during the day and half close during the night. Always site a pond where it will receive at least 8 hours of sunshine per day. Lay drainpipes in your pond to protect fish from predators. Before using electrical equipment: mowers, strimmers, clippers; make certain to fit a power breaker for safety. Apples are ripe for picking when they pull easily off the branch. To avoid cross pollination problems and generate variety, consider planting a 'family' apple tree. Use black plastic sheet as a way of suppressing weeds and warming the soil. Trap earwigs by filling plantpots with straw then upending the pots on canes. When buying new aquatics for your pond, carefully wash off any duckweed: it is impossible to eradicate from a pond once infected. When choosing containers for growing plants in the garden, remember: the bigger the pot, the less you will need to water. Clay pots provide better aeration than plastic pots and are less prone to waterlogging. Make an old sink look like a stone trough by painting it with a mixture of 2 parts moss peat to one part sharp sand and one part cement. Tall canes placed around the edge of a pool will obstruct a heron's access to your fish. Organic gardeners make use of beneficial insects to maintain their garden's health. Beneficial insects are generally faster moving and more agile than garden pests. Encourage hover flies, a natural predator of aphids, into your garden by planting marigolds. Pour table salt onto weeds in lawns which will cause them to shrivel overnight. When sowing seeds in cellular seedboxes sow a small pinch of seeds in each cell. Tiny seeds like lobelia don't need thinning but take measures to prevent damping off. For bigger blooms feed your ornamentals with liquid tomato fertilizer. Avoid using general fertilizers for your annuals. It will probably encourage leaf growth at the expense of flowers. As variegated plants have less chlorophyll in their leaves they can't make their own food as easily as their green leafed counterparts. In general be prepared to give them better conditions and more food. The best time to water is in the evening. This gives the water a better chance to soak into the soil before the sun can evaporate it. Remember, the main aim of pruning is to allow light and air to get to the centre of the plant. If you use this as a guide, you are unlikely to make mistakes. Before herbaceous perennials flop tie them to a cane with string. They'll never look the same once they are allowed to flop. To ensure water gets where it is needed, sink plantpots into the soil next to your plants. Water directly into the pot: no water is wasted. If in doubt when to prune flowering shrubs and climbers: if it flowers before midsummer, prune in the autumn. If it flowers after midsummer, prune in the spring. If cracks appear on your lawn in the summer fill them with a mixture of soil, grit and a little bonemeal. A tree's roots will probably travel outwards a distance which is approximately the height of the tree. For more abundant flowering and fewer problems, choose climbing roses rather than ramblers. Don't replant roses in the same spot you ha
