How to create a snowdrop container

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

From midsummer, dahlias start producing their stunning showy flowers, but they lose impact if the stems flop forward under the weight of the flowers. To get the best dahlia floral display, tie their stems to canes as they grow to give them some support. Discover how to tie in dahlias, below. You Will Need

There are lots of ways you can enjoy lavender’s fresh, calming scent. The essential oils are produced in all parts of the plant, but especially in the flowers – so they’re ideal for drying in generous bunches to be placed around the home. You could even use them in wedding bouquets. To get the most scent, it’s essential that you cut the flower heads before the individual florets have opened. The best lavender cultivars for cutting and drying in this way are those with long flower spikes, such