Gardening advice

This section will grow and grow; please check it again soon.

Planting Top Tips

Your choice of plants will be influenced by:

The style of garden you would like to create

Soil type e.g. clay, sand, chalk

Aspect e.g. how much sunshine/shade your garden receives

The size of the area you want to plant

Existing plants

A good planting scheme will include

Some specimen or focal plants e.g. a tree or architectural shrub

Framework plants to add Winter interest

Decorative shrubs

A variety of herbaceous perennials, which flower in different seasons

Self-seeding biennials

Bulbs

Planting time

You can plant potted hardy plants at any time of the year, providing that the ground is not frozen. The best time to plant is Autumn, when the ground is moist and still warm. Most people plant in Spring and Summer, but attention must then be paid to regular watering during dry spells in order for roots to establish.