Growing irises from bulbs is easy and provides some of the earliest blooms in the garden; later-flowering varieties compliment summer-flowering plants. Whether in containers or in the open garden, ...

Tuberous begonias are ideally suited to growing in containers and hanging baskets, whilst fibrous rooted begonias make an attractive addition to summer bedding schemes. Begonias for the garden have ...

Whitecurrants are easy to grow and produce plentiful crops of pale berries that ripen from mid-summer onwards. These have a refreshing, tart flavour – great for jellies and jams, or in desserts mixed ...

Star jasmine offers an abundance of small but highly fragrant summer flowers. This woody evergreen climber likes a warm sheltered spot and is ideal for growing near a seating area or doorway, where ...

Lettuces are quick and easy to grow, and come in many colours, flavours and textures – your salads need never be boring! Choose from large hearting lettuces to loose-leaf types and salad-leaf mixes ...

A productive greenhouse can be in use for most of the year. Heated greenhouses allow for maximum, year-round use but are rarely cost effective. When growing in greenhouse borders, reduce the build-up ...

Cheerful and fun, zinnias are half-hardy annuals grown as a bedding display or cut flower crop for a sheltered and warm site. They perform best in a good summer.

These spreading deciduous shrubs, ranging from 2.5-5m (8-16ft) in height and spread, produce spider-like, usually yellow (but also orange or red) flowers on the bare branches in late winter. The oval ...

A generally easy-to-grow cottage garden favourite, with a few species that are best suited to rock and woodland gardens. Columbines bear dainty flowers in a wide colour range in late spring and early ...

Lavatera are stress-free, good value plants. Although the shrubby types are not very long-lived, they remain firm favourites with many gardeners for their profuse summer-long flowering. Here we look ...

Timing The main pruning season is late winter to early spring, but some can also be pruned in early summer after their first flush of flowers Although there are numerous clematis species, hybrids and ...

Rosa can be deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs or scrambling climbers, with usually thorny stems bearing compound pinnate leaves and solitary or clustered flowers. Flowers may be followed by showy red ...