Expert plant guides, seasonal calendars, and practical tips for every gardener — from first-time balcony growers to seasoned allotment holders.
Warm, sunny, and rewarding. Our complete guide covers sowing to harvest.
Plant guides
Stake taller varieties and pinch out suckers for bigger fruit. Water regularly at the base.
Sow directly into loose, stone-free soil. Thin to 5 cm apart for best root development.
Pinch out flowers to keep leaves coming. Thrives in pots on a warm, sunny windowsill.
Plant cloves in autumn for a summer harvest. Loves a sunny, well-drained spot.
Prune in late winter, feed monthly, and deadhead to keep blooms coming all summer.
Cut-and-come-again types are great for containers. Sow every 2–3 weeks to avoid a glut.
Planting calendar
Follow the seasons and you'll always have something to sow, tend, or harvest.
Practical advice
Simple principles that make a real difference, season after season.
Add well-rotted compost each spring. Healthy soil — rich in microbes, moisture, and nutrients — is the foundation of everything. Your plants will take care of themselves.
Direct water to the base of plants, early in the morning. It reduces evaporation, prevents fungal disease, and trains roots to grow deeper.
Observe your beds across a full day before deciding what goes where. Most vegetables need 6–8 hours of direct sun — many gardeners underestimate this.
Basil near tomatoes deters aphids. Marigolds alongside brassicas repel cabbage white butterflies. Nature's pest control is free and beautiful.
Move indoor seedlings outside for 1–2 hours each day before final planting. They need a week to adjust to wind, rain, and temperature swings.
A 5 cm layer of mulch locks in moisture, suppresses weeds, and regulates soil temperature. Bark chip, straw, or homemade compost all work well.
Raised beds transform difficult ground into productive growing space. They warm up faster in spring, drain freely, and let you control exactly what goes into your soil. Whether you use timber, stone, or brick, the principles are the same.
In this guide, we walk through choosing the right site, building a simple frame, filling it with a mix that will last years, and what to plant first in the season you build it.
Read the full guide →