Alan's 'How to' for July

Holiday survival guide

You can forget Jaws, Dracula and Frankenstein, every gardener’s nightmare is to return from holiday to find their prized plot Possessed. Leave a garden for a fortnight and the greenhouse becomes a breeding ground for Alien-looking beasties, Zombie weeds run amok in beds and borders, and the kitchen garden becomes a Waste Land as vegetables run to seed and fruit hangs rotting, still waiting to be picked.

Alan shows how to Garden Ideas: Cascades of Colours

Like most gardeners, I’m always on the lookout for new garden ideas that use plants in inspiring ways - especially if it enhances the overall design. If you want to add drama and the illusion of movement, one of my favourite design solutions is to create a plant cascade or living waterfall.
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Alan shows how to Design a formal garden

Formal gardens may not appeal to everybody, but garden designs based on traditional Italian, French and English formal styles have much to offer the 21st-century gardener.
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Alan's shows how to make watering easy

Don’t get me wrong, I love watering, but it gets very time consuming and hard work if you have as many pots and baskets as I do. That’s why I’ve worked out how to water plants more efficiently and effectively, so I can spend more time enjoying my garden.
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Alan shows Extending The vegetable Harvest

Like most veg gardens up and down the country, my plot is looking its best right now and it feels fantastic to know there’s all that tasty, home-grown veg waiting to be harvested. A veritable production-line of peas, carrots and salad veg as well as crops of beans, cabbage, calabrese and early potatoes waiting in the wings.
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