Culinary herbs are the original cut-and-come-again crop, and many benefit from regular pickings. Find out how to pick herbs from annual and perennial herbs, for the very best results, below. You Will Need
Welcome to Modern Agriculture!
Perennial wildflower meadows are ideal for bare patches in the garden, large and small. Pollinating insects will be pleased, too.
Discover three ways to create a mini meadow.
Sown now, perennial wildflowers such as ragged robin, ox-ey
e daisies, bellflowers and lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis) will germinate quickly and put on plenty of growth, giving some flowers later this year, but the real display will be a glorious mass of flowers next spring and summer.
In this video, Monty Don recommends a selection of beautiful native meadow flowers for a range of garden situations, and demonstrates how to sow the seeds into trays indoors in spring.
Discover how to create your own own colour-infused meadow by sowing perennial wildflowers, below.
Before sowing perennial wildflowers, the site must be first cleared of competitive weeds. Prepare for sowing by firming the soil, then raking it to a fine tilth before soaking with water.
For random coverage, mix up the seed before scattering them over the area. On large sites, stand on a board to avoid damaging the raked surface.
Gently rake the seed into the surface and protect from grazing birds by installing bright scarers or netting.
Culinary herbs are the original cut-and-come-again crop, and many benefit from regular pickings. Find out how to pick herbs from annual and perennial herbs, for the very best results, below. You Will Need
Repotting gives the plant a proportion of fresh compost to root into and this will provide water and nutrients to promote new growth. As a rule, choose a pot that is just a little larger than the one it was growing in before. Choose a container with holes in the base that is larger than the one in which the plant is growing, or one that is large enough to accommodate the roots.
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