The aim of this guide is to make gardening simpler and, hopefully, more enjoyable. If you want to relax and enjoy your garden, and not let it become a chore, it is essential to know what the main tasks are and when they need to be done. Careful planning and organization are necessary to enable you to enjoy your garden to the fullest extent, ensuring that it will always be at its best, any time of year.
The site is divided into twelve main sections, one for each month of the year, which outline the major tasks to be carried out for that month. Each section has information on flowers, trees, shrubs, lawns, vegetables and fruit growing; describing the basic gardening techniques for each subject in detail. Additional sections are also provided on the common tasks that need to be performed throughout the year. Use the links below or the site toolbar above to select a section
Each month we will feature a selection of plants that will be at their best. Although there is only space to list a few of the many possibilities, the range includes deciduous and evergreen shrubs, bulbs, annuals, perennials, small trees and climbers that are appropriate to the time of year. Also included are plants that have particular interest by way of their flowers, fruit, foliage or coloured stems.
By choosing and introducing a few plants from each section you will be able to have decorative interest throughout the year - even in midwinter. It should be noted that the weather in Great Britain is always unpredictable. Location and local climatic conditions will have an effect on flowering times and you may find that in your garden the plants can either flower earlier or later depending on these conditions. These differences are always a problem when drawing up a calendar of garden plants and routine jobs. For example; Scotland is frequently a month behind the south coast of England in the spring and autumn can arrive anything up to a month earlier, whereas some parts of Cornwall can enjoy almost sub-tropical conditions throughout the year.