How to force daffodil bulbs

This pretty pot combines daffodils, bellis daisies and polyanthus – all readily available at the garden centre in spring. Daffodils such as ‘Jetfire’ trumpet the arrival of spring just as well in pots and containers as they do in borders and grassy banks. A palette of golds, cherry-reds and pinks creates a heart-warming display. Simply deadhead to keep the display tidy. Apart from the bellis daisies, all the plants will come back every year and can be planted in the garden once flowering has f

In the wild, primroses are colonising plants that gradually spread from an original clump. By dividing the clumps, gardeners can take advantage of this tendency to spread to get new plants for free. Summer through to autumn is the best time to divide them, but you can also try this with newly bought plants, too. Primroses need to be divided fairly frequently and single crowns of a nice, chunky volume will establish well. Within a couple of years they can be divided again. Watch Monty Don dem

Topiary is the term used to describe the pruning of plants to create bold shapes that have been popular since Roman times. These can be simple balls, cubes or pyramids, or complex lollipop trees, even shaped like chickens. Smaller topiary looks great in containers or borders, where clipped evergreens make a sharp contrast to colourful informal planting, in pairs to flank paths or gates, and as focal points. Box and yew are classic topiary plants: small-leaved, they respond well to shaping and

Keeping your shears sharp and well oiled means that they will be easier to use and have a longer life. In addition, the sharper the blade, the cleaner the cut, which results in a neater finish and fewer chances of disease getting into the cut and therefore the plant. Here’s how to maintain your shears in three easy steps. You Will