How to divide lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

Colourful beetroot has made a comeback! No longer seen simply as a root veg only good for pickling, it is now eaten raw – roots, stems and leaves – as well as in many traditional recipes such as borscht and as an ingredient in wines and cakes. Of course it is delicious when served hot with other vegetables, too Pests and diseases Birds will attack young seedlings; netting the crop will keep them at bay. Slugs and snails will nibble the leaves and roots and can be deterred with animal fri

Chrysanthemums are popular border plants, adding valuable colour in late summer and autumn. However, these vigorous and free-flowering plants tend to wear themselves out quite quickly. The oldest part of the plant, in the centre of the clump, becomes weaker and the stems flop, while the outer shoots remain thick and healthy. It’s easy to propagate chrysanthemums by taking basal cuttings every few years in spring. These will root easily in a cold frame, propagator or on a sunny windowsill. Mo

Chicory is a bitter-tasting, leafy vegetable. There are three different types: ‘forcing’ chicory, red chicory or radicchio and ‘non-forcing’ chicory. To force chicory you need a ‘forcing’ chicory, such as ‘Witloof’. To produce pale, crisp heads of tightly packed leaves, chicory needs to be forced into growth with the light excluded. This will also prevent them from tasting bitter. Forcing can be done in situ in the garden in early spring, but for winter harvests, lift the plants in autumn and

Repotting an orchid: It’s not as hard as you might think With such exotic-looking flowers, orchids might seem hard to grow. But that’s just not true for much of this enormous plant family! The key is to properly repot these beauties when they need a little more room. This will keep their roots healthy and will help make sure they get adequate water and air circulation. Don’t worry, we’ve outlined everything you need to know to successfuly repot an orchid. Scroll on to learn about when