Leafy veg and salad leaves prefer cool, shady spots and grow well in pots or in a trough, so they’re ideal for shady balconies and small gardens. You can sow the seeds directly into your pot, and vary the leaves to suit your own tastes. Discover more vegetable crops to grow in shade. Keep picking and watering the plants, and you should be able to pick them again several times. From late summer, sow winter salads such as oriental greens and grow beetroot for leaves. Discover how to plant a quic

This striking combination of snowdrops, black ophiopogon and silvery convolvulus is just the thing for brightening up a terrace or doorstep. A terracotta pot, sprayed with metallic paint, will set off the contemporary planting scheme to perfection. You Will Need

Traditional door decorations are beautiful at Christmas time, although it’s sometimes tricky to illuminate them. No more – with battery operated lights, you can add sparkle without trailing wires or a power source. This decoration couldn’t be simpler or cheaper to create. Just use Christmas tree branches trimmed from the base of a tree, greenery gathered from your garden and a set of lights. We used pittosporum, miscanthus, ivy seed heads and a couple of phormium leaves.

Many hanging basket arrangements use bedding plants, which tend to be double-flowered, or are bred for long-lasting colour at the expense of nectar and pollen. This hanging basket display uses single-flowered bedding plants known for their attractiveness to wildlife, resulting in an attractive display that also provides food for bees and other pollinators. Here, we’ve used conifer branches and lawn moss to line the basket. This not only has recycling value but provides hiding places for insects.