How do I prune a shrub?
The general principles of pruning — what to cut, where to cut, and the timing rule that determines whether you get flowers next year.
intermediate1 hr 30 min3 min read
Garden Maintenance
Pruning, weeding, watering and tidying up.
132 guides in Garden
Why will my petrol lawnmower not start?
A four-check sequence in the order that finds it fastest — fuel, spark, air and the safety interlocks — and why old petrol causes most spring no-starts.
beginner45 min6 min readCan I reduce the height of a leylandii hedge?
The one-way rule that governs leylandii — you can take the top off, but you cannot narrow it into brown wood — and how to plan a reduction that does not leave a permanent scar.
intermediate4 hr5 min readGlass or polycarbonate — which greenhouse glazing is better?
Light transmission, insulation, safety, lifespan and cost compared honestly — and the reason most people end up choosing on breakage risk rather than on growing performance.
beginner12 min4 min readHow do I start a garden from nothing?
Assessing what you have before buying anything, and a first-year plan that does not become overwhelming.
beginner4 hr2 min readHow do I cut back a badly overgrown shrub?
Which shrubs tolerate hard renovation and which will die, the three-year staged method, and how to bring a plant back without losing it.
intermediate2 hr3 min readHow do I fit a water butt to a downpipe?
Siting and supporting a butt, fitting a rainwater diverter at the right height, and the overflow arrangement that stops it flooding the wall.
beginner1 hr 30 min4 min readHow do I plant a new hedge?
Bare-root versus pot-grown, spacing that gives a dense hedge rather than a row of shrubs, and the first-year watering that decides whether it works.
beginner5 hr5 min readHow do I prune roses?
When and how to prune bush, climbing and shrub roses, and the cut that determines where new growth goes.
intermediate1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I prune wisteria?
The two-cut-a-year system that turns rampant growth into flowering spurs, and why wisteria pruned once a year flowers badly.
intermediate2 hr3 min readHow do I water a garden efficiently?
How to use less water and get better results — timing, depth, mulching and where watering actually matters most.
beginner45 min2 min readIs water butt water safe to use on vegetables?
Rainwater off a roof is fine for most of the garden and carries a small, manageable risk on crops eaten raw. The distinctions that matter, and the ones that do not.
beginner12 min5 min readMy neighbour's tree blocks my light — what can I do?
The uncomfortable answer is that a single tree blocking light usually gives no legal remedy at all — and what does work instead, in the order worth trying it.
beginner35 min5 min readWhat size greenhouse do I actually need?
The standard sizes, what each one realistically holds, why almost everyone wishes they had gone bigger, and the running-cost consequences of doing so.
beginner15 min3 min readWhen should I prune a plum or cherry tree?
Late spring to midsummer, never winter — the silver leaf reason behind the rule, and what to do if the tree needs work outside that window.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I choose a tree surgeon?
The qualifications and insurance that actually mean something, the questions that separate an arboriculturist from a man with a chainsaw, and the quote red flags.
beginner30 min5 min readHow do I keep a garden alive in a drought?
Prioritising which plants get water, watering in ways that actually reach roots, and the mulching that halves the need.
beginner45 min2 min readDo watering spikes and globes actually work?
The terracotta spike, the glass globe and the plastic bottle all work on different principles and fail in different ways. Which is worth buying, and what each realistically buys you in days.
beginner12 min5 min readHow do I make a garden safe for children and pets?
The genuine hazards — water, chemicals, toxic plants and access — and how to address each without redesigning the garden.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I make a small wildlife pond?
The profile that makes a pond a habitat rather than a water feature, what to plant, and why fish and fountains defeat the purpose.
intermediate5 hr6 min readHow do I make my garden better for wildlife?
Changes ranked by how much difference they make, from water and untidiness through to planting choices.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I make my garden need less watering?
Soil improvement, mulch and plant choice — changes that reduce watering permanently rather than for one season.
beginner2 hr2 min readHow do I prune lavender, rosemary and other woody herbs?
The one rule that governs every Mediterranean subshrub — no dormant buds in bare old wood — how to prune within it every year, and what to do with a plant already past the point of rescue.
beginner40 min5 min readHow do I shade a greenhouse, and when should I put shading up?
Shade paint, external netting and internal blinds compared, the right time of year to put shading on and take it off, and why external shading beats internal by a wide margin.
beginner45 min4 min read