A fishbone cactus is easy to care for, durable, and fast-growing which makes it ideal for beginners.
29.11.2023 - 15:39 / gardenersworld.com
Basil is a versatile annual herb used in pasta sauces, pizzas, salads and Thai curries. It is a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Sweet basil plants tend to dominate the supermarket shelves, but there are many other exciting types to try when you grow your own.
How to grow basilSow basil seed successionally from spring to summer so you have a continuous crop. Pot on into individual pots when plants are big enough to handle. Water sparingly as basil suffers when sitting in wet compost. Harvest leaves individually rather than chopping the plant with scissors, as this will enable new leaves to grow.
Basil is an essential topping for homemade pizzas and a key ingredient for many tomato sauces. Check out our tests of the best pizza ovens, in collaboration with BBC Good Food.
How to sow basil seedGrow basil in well-drained, fertile soil in a warm, sheltered position out of direct midday sun. To get a quality crop that lasts from early spring to mid-autumn, it’s best to grow basil in a container.
Start your basil seeds off in pots of moist peat-free multi-purpose compost on a warm (around 20°C), bright windowsill out of direct sun. Water sparingly until germination, then water only when needed and in the mornings to avoid damping off. When seedlings are big enough to handle, pot them on into individual pots filled with a peat-free, soil-based compost. Pinch out tips to encourage bushy plants.
Keep potted basil plants indoors or plant outside in warmer locations, in the ground or a container, in a sunny sheltered spot, from June to August. To acclimatise plants to conditions outdoors, stand them outside in a sheltered, lightly-shaded spot during the day, and bring the basil pots back in at night. Do this daily for about
A fishbone cactus is easy to care for, durable, and fast-growing which makes it ideal for beginners.
Coleus plants are easy to care for, low-maintenance, and grow quickly, which makes them ideal for beginners.
Silver birch (Betula pendula) is a deciduous tree with a slender shape and graceful appearance, which has given rise to its lovely name of the ‘lady of the woods’. Silver birch trees look attractive year-round with white bark, spring catkins and yellow autumn leaf colour. The catkins and seeds are popular with wildlife such as bees and birds, while several species of moth lay eggs on birch leaves.
Hardy fuchsias are commonly grown in UK gardens, and it’s no surprise – many flower from June to November and need very little care. Native to Central and South America, most hardy fuchsias survive UK winters (RHS hardiness rating H4), although some may still require protection from the harshest weather (RHS hardiness rating H3 or H2). In milder parts of the UK, hardy fuchsias can grow into a shrub up to 3m in height but in colder regions they may be damaged by frost and require cutting back to the base, from where they regrow in spring.
A great tree for multi-season interest, Lagerstroemia fauriei adds a decorative flourish from summer to winter. The Japanese crepe myrtle, as it is also known, is a deciduous tree with gorgeous fall color. This crepe myrtle also develops beautiful summer blossoms and attractive peeling red and brown bark.
Mahonias are woody evergreen shrubs and the best of them flower in winter. In the past, they were regarded as something to shove in the shady corner or, even more insultingly, as car park plants. But now – thanks to the demand for architectural foliage – they are having their moment in the sun... or, rather, their moment in light shade, which is where they prefer to be.
Who would be without a hellebore or two in the dark months of February and early March, when we long for the onset of spring? Their generous, characterful flowers bring colour and hope to the garden when we need it most, and they really don’t need much to keep them happy.
As inextricable from mass festive wares as tinsel and paper hats, the poinsettia blazes red in most shops and homes during December. Being such an omnipresent sight makes it unappealing for many of us, but, thankfully – if the standard scarlet species makes you wince – there are less common forms available that are well worth buying to brighten the house this Christmas.
Should you be stopped in your tracks by the blazing colour of a tree this autumn, it is likely to be a maple (Acer). Their distinctive palmate leaves burn breathtaking, vivid shades of scarlet, ruby, or gold before they fall, outshining most trees in the vicinity. Some acers also offer colourful spring foliage; others have a sculptural spreading shape with multiple trunks; and a few provide attractive bark during the winter months.
Cherry blossom on show in a west London garden by Sheila Jack
How to Grow a Ginseng Ficus Bonsai
Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) is also known as everlasting flower, immortelle and paper daisy. Strawflower plants have an upright habit and branching flower stems topped with many-petalled blooms to 8cm across. Hardy annuals, strawflowers bloom abundantly from summer into autumn, in shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, purple and white. The naturally dry texture of the blooms makes them an excellent choice as cut flowers to use fresh, or in dried arrangements that will last for years. Strawflower grows quickly and easily from seed and lasts for one growing season only.