Spider Plant

Sources Tetranychus urticae Female of the red form of the spider mite Scale : mite body length ~0.5 mm Creative commons by Gilles San Martin, on Flickr Chuck Crandall ‘Whats wrong with my plant?’

Get your bulb catalogues out and select your planting scheme for a glorious display next spring. Plant some bulbs just to cut for indoor flowers – the bunches will be superior to those you will pay na fortune for in the shops next year and you have the fun of growing your own.

There are a lot of things to go wrong with plants in the greenhouse but a red spider mite infestation is one of the most frustrating. This tomato plant in India has had its day.

From obenson flickr

Commonsense will help you get the best out of your houseplants. Compost for bought plants will have enough feed for the short term but careful watering will be needed. Go with the seasons do not fight nature just because your plant is indoors.

A special Daiseye.

Red, White and Blue the patriotic colours of the Hydrangea are augmented by pinks and purples like H. Ayeshia above as a variation on those themes. Flowering from mid-summer these shrubs give a magnificent display with very little effort. Did you see Hydrangea maritima on seaside holidays in large displays of sugary pink and sometimes blue.

Greenery is all very well but I like to see swathes of colourful flowers. I try to envisage how mixed planting will shape up in terms of colour but generally my minds eye falls short when it comes to the imagination department. The best tip is to keep it simple with only a very limited number of varieties chosen because they are due to flower around the same time.

Think before you allow poppies to proliferate. Poppies rob a lot of goodness from your soil.

Plants of the thistle family and close relatives are particularly good for wildlife. When in flower they attract Bees and Insects and the fine seeds provide bird food particularly for Goldfinches. In many cases the Thistles can and have provided food and medicine for human consumption.

Annual begonias can make a good display in a planter. Not all planters are as tall as this.