Cobaea: Grow the Cup-and-Saucer Vine
How to grow cobaea, the cup-and-saucer vine, in the UK: sowing seed on its edge, planting out after frost, support, feeding and why it won't flower.
Open guidePlanting and care guides for trees, shrubs, hedging, and climbing plants that thrive in UK gardens.
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English Ivy: Grow It or Get Rid of It
English ivy in UK gardens: when to keep it for wildlife, whether it harms walls and trees, how to grow it well, and how to remove it for good.
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Eucalyptus in UK Gardens: Grow or Remove
Eucalyptus in UK gardens: the hardiest species, planting small, coppicing to keep it shrub-sized, and how to tame or remove a tree that's too big.
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Flowering Currant: Grow and Prune Ribes
How to grow flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) in the UK: where to plant it, when to prune for more flowers, the best varieties and easy cuttings.
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How to Grow Abutilon (Indian Mallow)
How to grow abutilon in the UK, from choosing a hardy or tender type to wall planting, pots, feeding, pruning and keeping it alive over winter.
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Flamingo Tree Care: Keep the Pink Coming Back
Flamingo tree care in the UK: why the pink fades, the March hard prune that brings it back, removing suckers below the graft, and watering pots.
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Guelder Rose: 3-Season Native Shrub Guide
How to grow guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), the native UK shrub with white lacecap flowers, red berries for birds and rich autumn colour on damp soil.
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Scented Climbers for Walls, Arches and Pergolas
The best scented climbers for UK walls, arches and pergolas: jasmine, honeysuckle, roses and wisteria matched to aspect, with support and pruning tips.
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Best Plants for Dry Shade: 15 UK Winners
The best plants for dry shade in the UK: 15 tough plants for under trees and beside north walls, plus the simple ground prep that helps them settle in.
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How to Grow Wintersweet (Chimonanthus)
How to grow wintersweet in UK gardens: why a sunny wall matters, how long it takes to flower, the best varieties, planting and pruning in February.
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Pollution-Busting Hedges for Busy Roads
Pollution-busting plants and hedges for UK gardens beside busy roads: which leaves trap traffic soot best, how to plant a dense barrier and its limits.
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How to Grow Gloriosa, the Flame Lily
How to grow gloriosa, the flame lily, under glass in the UK. Planting the brittle tubers, support, feeding, toxicity and dry winter storage.
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How to Grow Berberis in the UK
How to grow berberis (barberry) in UK gardens for autumn colour, spring flowers, berries for birds and a spiny hedge. Evergreen and deciduous picks.
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Fast-Growing Shrubs for a Garden in a Hurry
Fast-growing shrubs for UK gardens: quick evergreen and flowering shrubs to fill a bare plot, hide an eyesore or add height, plus planting and pruning.
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How to Grow Laburnum in the UK
How to grow laburnum, the golden chain tree, in UK gardens: the best variety, planting, training an arch, late-summer pruning and staying safe.
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What to Do With Camellias After Flowering
What to do with camellias after flowering: deadhead, prune, feed and mulch, then water through summer so next year's buds form and don't drop.
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Best Plants for Winter Seedheads: 15 UK Picks
The best plants for winter seedheads in UK gardens: perennials and grasses that look great in frost, feed goldfinches, and when and how to cut them back.
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10 Best Small Native Trees for UK Gardens
Ten small native trees for UK gardens, from rowan and crab apple to hawthorn and hazel, with how to keep them small and when to plant.
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Slow-Growing Hedging Plants for UK Gardens
Slow-growing hedging plants that need just one trim a year. Yew, holly, box and their alternatives compared on growth, height, spacing and care.
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Fast-Growing Hedging Plants for UK Gardens
The best fast-growing hedging plants for UK gardens, from Leylandii and laurel to beech and Photinia, with spacing, trimming and planting tips.
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How to Grow and Overwinter Mandevilla
How to grow mandevilla on a UK patio: the best varieties, pots and support, summer watering and feeding, plus how to keep it alive indoors over winter.
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How to Grow Osmanthus, the Scented Evergreen
How to grow osmanthus in UK gardens: the best scented species for spring or autumn, where to plant, pruning, hedging and growing it in a large pot.
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Best Peony Varieties: 12 to Grow in the UK
Compare 12 of the best peony varieties for UK gardens: herbaceous, tree and Itoh types, with scent, colour, flowering time and which need staking.
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Box Hedge Alternatives: 8 UK Picks After Blight
Lost your box to blight or box tree caterpillar? Eight low evergreen hedges for UK gardens, what each one suits, and how to plant and clip them.
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Magnolias After Flowering: UK Care Plan
What to do with a magnolia after flowering in the UK: no deadheading, a spring mulch, summer watering for next year's buds and light pruning in July.
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Cherry Laurel Growth Rate: How Fast It Grows
How fast cherry laurel grows in the UK, how long it takes to make a 1.5-2m hedge, and simple planting, mulching and trimming tips to speed it up.
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Hardy Exotic Plants: Tropical Looks That Last
Hardy exotic plants that give a tropical look and survive UK winters: palms, bananas, tree ferns, bamboo and gingers, plus how to protect them each autumn.
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How to Grow Sarcococca (Christmas Box)
How to grow sarcococca, the winter-scented Christmas box, in UK gardens. Which type to choose, where to plant it in shade, pruning and easy care.
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How to Grow Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca)
How to grow blue fescue (Festuca glauca) for year-round blue in gravel, pots and edging: best varieties, gritty planting and stopping brown centres.
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Deschampsia: Native Grass for Damp Clay
How to grow deschampsia (tufted hair grass) in UK gardens: the best varieties for damp clay and light shade, planting, spring tidy-up and dividing.
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Euonymus: The Shrub That Keeps Going All Winter
How to grow euonymus in UK gardens: evergreen ground cover, wall climbers, coastal hedges and native spindle, with planting, pruning and scale care.
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Cistus: The Rock Rose That Loves Heat
Grow cistus, the sun-loving rock rose, with this easy guide to the best varieties, planting in poor soil, light pruning and winter care.
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How to Grow Escallonia in the UK
A friendly guide to escallonia, the tough flowering hedge that loves the seaside. Best varieties, planting, pruning after flowering and easy care.
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Hakonechloa: The Golden Grass for Shade
How to grow hakonechloa (Hakone grass) in UK shade: the best golden varieties, planting, pots, autumn colour, dividing and good shade partners.
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Pennisetum: Grow Fountain Grass in the UK
How to grow pennisetum fountain grass in the UK: hardy and tender kinds, the best varieties, planting, cutting back, winter care and growing in pots.
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Deutzia: The Forgotten Flowering Shrub
How to grow deutzia in UK gardens: the best kinds, compact ones for small spaces, where to plant, pruning after flowering and easy cuttings.
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Mahonia: Winter Flowers When Nothing Blooms
Grow mahonia for scented yellow winter flowers in the shadiest corners. The best types, where to plant, pruning leggy plants and berries for birds.
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How to Grow Weigela in the UK
How to grow weigela, an easy flowering shrub for UK gardens: the best varieties, when to prune, free plants from cuttings and good planting partners.
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How to Grow Lavatera in the UK
How to grow lavatera (tree mallow) in the UK: the best varieties, a hard prune every March, where to plant it and how to take cuttings.
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How to Grow Nandina in the UK
How to grow nandina (heavenly bamboo) in the UK: the best varieties, where to plant it, pots, light pruning and how to get the best red winter colour.
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How to Grow Stipa Feather Grass UK
How to grow Stipa feather grass in a UK garden, from golden oats to Mexican feather grass, with easy tips on planting, cutting back and self-seeding.
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How to Grow Choisya in the UK
Grow choisya, the scented Mexican orange blossom, with this friendly guide to choosing a variety, planting, pruning and winter care.
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How to Grow Daphne in the UK
How to grow daphne in UK gardens: the best kinds for winter scent, where and how to plant, light pruning, pots, and keeping pets and children safe.
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Mock Orange (Philadelphus): Grow and Prune
Grow fragrant philadelphus (mock orange) in a UK garden. The best varieties, where to plant, when to prune after flowering and easy summer cuttings.
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How to Grow Pieris in the UK
How to grow pieris in the UK: acid soil or ericaceous compost, the best varieties like Forest Flame, growing in pots, feeding and when to prune.
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How to Grow Cornus (Dogwood) in the UK
Grow dogwood for glowing red, orange and yellow winter stems, or as a pretty flowering tree. Choosing, planting, pruning and cuttings.
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How to Grow Forsythia in the UK
A friendly guide to forsythia in UK gardens. Best varieties, easy planting, pruning straight after flowering, hedges, cuttings and early vase blooms.
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How to Grow Viburnum in the UK
How to grow viburnum in the UK: the best types for every season, planting, soil, when to prune, berries for birds and easy evergreen hedging.
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How to Grow Ceanothus in the UK
Grow ceanothus (California lilac) in the UK: picking a variety, a sunny spot with good drainage, planting, watering, pruning and winter care.
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How to Grow Miscanthus in the UK
How to grow miscanthus (silver grass) in UK gardens: the best varieties, planting, cutting back in late winter, dividing and lovely border partners.
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How to Grow Pyracantha in the UK
How to grow pyracantha (firethorn) in the UK: planting, training on a wall, when to prune for berries, hedging and the best scab-resistant varieties.
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How to Grow Bay Trees in the UK
How to grow bay trees in UK gardens: pots and compost, planting out, simple topiary shapes, keeping them safe in winter and sorting common problems.
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How to Grow Olive Trees in the UK
How to grow olive trees in UK gardens: hardy varieties, pots or the ground, the drainage they need, winter protection, pruning and the odd olive.
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How to Grow Willow in the UK
Grow willow in UK gardens: the best types, easy hardwood cuttings, coppicing for bright winter stems, living willow tunnels and keeping roots in check.
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How to Grow Witch Hazel in the UK
How to grow witch hazel in UK gardens: the best varieties like 'Jelena' and 'Pallida', the right soil, planting, light pruning and autumn colour.
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Best Yellow Flowers for UK Gardens
The best yellow flowers for UK gardens all year: daffodils, rudbeckia, coreopsis, sunflowers and witch hazel, plus picks for shade, pots and cutting.
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Hydrangeas in Pots: Planting and Care
How to grow hydrangeas in pots in the UK: the best compact varieties, pot size, compost, watering, feeding, pruning and keeping the roots safe in winter.
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How to Grow a Flowering Cherry in the UK
A friendly guide to flowering cherries for UK gardens. Pick the right size and shape, plant it well, prune only in summer and enjoy the blossom.
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How to Grow Lilac in the UK
How to grow lilac in a UK garden: the best varieties, where to plant, when to prune, growing in pots and fixing a lilac that won't flower.
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How to Grow Passionflower UK
Grow the blue passionflower in the UK on a sunny wall. Planting, training, spring pruning, winter care, pots and the truth about passion fruit.
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Best Purple, Pink & Blue Flowers UK
The best purple, pink and blue flowers for UK gardens, with flowering months, soil tips and easy planting combinations for colour from spring to autumn.
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Best Spring Flowers for UK Gardens
The best spring flowers for UK gardens, from March daffodils to May alliums: bulbs, shrubs, trees and perennials for colour right through spring.
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Best Plants for Acid Soil UK
The best plants for acid soil in UK gardens, from rhododendrons and camellias to blueberries and maples, plus how to test your soil and keep it acid.
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Best Plants for Clay Soil UK
The best plants for clay soil in UK gardens: tough trees, shrubs, perennials, climbers and bulbs, plus when to plant and how to stop roots drowning.
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Best Evergreen Trees for UK Gardens
The best evergreen trees for UK gardens of every size, from yew and holly to strawberry tree, plus how to plant them and the ones to avoid.
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Best Shrubs for Shade UK
Twelve reliable shrubs for shady UK gardens, from tough aucuba to hydrangeas and camellias, with how to plant them under trees and by north walls.
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Best Trees for Autumn Colour UK
Twelve of the best trees for autumn colour in UK gardens, from Japanese maples to sweetgum and field maple, with how to pick one for your soil.
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How to Grow and Prune Honeysuckle in the UK
How to grow honeysuckle in the UK: picking the right type, planting with cool roots, training it up an arch or fence and pruning at the right time.
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UK Native Plants for Gardens
The best UK native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, bulbs and grasses for your garden, which spots they suit, and where to buy them from UK-grown stock.
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Best Climbing Roses for UK Gardens
The best climbing roses for UK walls and fences, including picks for shade, scent and repeat flowers, plus simple planting, training and pruning tips.
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Early Spring Flowers for UK Gardens
Fourteen cheerful early spring flowers for UK gardens, from January snowdrops to April daffodils, with when and how to plant each one.
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Evergreen Climbers for Year-Round Cover
The best evergreen climbers for UK walls and fences, which suits each aspect, how to plant them well, and when to prune for flowers and cover.
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Best Winter Flowering Plants for the UK
Ten cheerful winter flowering plants for UK gardens, from hellebores and snowdrops to scented sweet box, for shady borders, walls and pots.
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When to Plant Roses: Bare-Root vs Potted
When to plant roses in the UK: bare-root roses from November to March, potted roses almost any time, plus where and how to plant them step by step.
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Types of Hydrangeas: UK Varieties
Mophead, lacecap, panicle, climbing or oakleaf? Meet the main types of hydrangea, the best UK varieties, and how to pick the right one for your spot.
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Best Trees for Privacy in UK Gardens
The best evergreen and deciduous trees for privacy in UK gardens, with spacing, pleached screens, clipping times and the high hedge rules explained.
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Fast-Growing Climbers for Fences and Walls
The best fast-growing climbers to cover UK fences and walls, which suit sun or shade, what support they need, and the thugs to steer clear of.
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Types of Roses: A Friendly UK Guide
Hybrid tea, floribunda, climber, rambler, shrub, ground cover, patio or wild? Meet the main types of rose and find the right one for your UK garden.
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How to Grow Roses in the UK
How to grow roses in the UK, from choosing hybrid teas, climbers and English roses to planting, feeding, pruning and keeping black spot at bay.
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Native Trees for UK Gardens
How to choose a native tree for your UK garden by plot size and soil, from field maple and rowan to oak and alder, plus buying, planting and aftercare.
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Best Winter Flowering Shrubs for Scent
The best winter flowering shrubs for UK gardens: scented sweet box, witch hazel, wintersweet and daphne, plus mahonia and viburnum for shade and structure.
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How to Grow Hydrangeas in the UK
How to grow hydrangeas in UK gardens: the main types, where to plant, when to prune each one, how to get blue or pink flowers and growing in pots.
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Types of Flowers to Grow in the UK
The six types of flowers to grow in UK gardens, from annuals and biennials to perennials, bulbs, climbers and shrubs, and how to mix them for colour.
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How to Grow Jasmine in the UK
How to grow jasmine in UK gardens: common, winter, star and pink jasmine, where to plant each one, when to prune and how to take cuttings.
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How to Grow Buddleja in the UK
Grow buddleja, the butterfly bush, in almost any UK garden. Prune hard in March, deadhead to stop self-seeding and enjoy summer butterflies.
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How to Grow Clematis: Pruning Groups
Grow clematis with confidence: how to plant them deep, which pruning group yours is, when to cut back, and how to train them up a support.
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How to Grow Wisteria in the UK
How to grow wisteria in UK gardens: choosing Chinese or Japanese types, planting, strong supports and the easy twice-a-year prune for more flowers.
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How to Grow Sweet Peas from Seed
How to grow sweet peas from seed in the UK, with easy tips on autumn or spring sowing, pinching out, giving them something to climb and picking often.
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Best Trees for Small Gardens in the UK
The best trees for small UK gardens, from amelanchier and crab apple to Japanese maple and magnolia, with how to choose, plant and grow them in pots.
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How to Grow Camellias in the UK
Grow camellias in the UK: the acid soil they need, the best spot to save their buds, which type to pick, growing in pots and a month-by-month guide.
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Ornamental Grasses for UK Gardens
The best ornamental grasses for UK gardens, from tall Miscanthus to little blue fescue, with easy tips on planting, cutting back and dividing them.
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Best Evergreen Shrubs for UK Gardens
Ten easy evergreen shrubs for UK gardens, from scented winter Mahonia and Sarcococca to shade-proof Aucuba, with simple planting and pruning tips.
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Japanese Maple Care in the UK
How to grow a happy Japanese maple in a UK garden or pot: the best varieties, where to plant, soil, watering, pruning and stopping crispy brown leaves.
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Best Flowering Shrubs for UK Gardens
The best flowering shrubs for UK gardens, from forsythia to hydrangea and buddleja, with when to prune each one and how to plan a border.
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Best Climbing Plants for UK Gardens
The best climbing plants for UK walls, fences, arches and pergolas, matched to sun or shade, with easy planting and pruning tips.
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