Useful ideas. Good beginnings.
Make more of your garden
Gardening that fits your space.
New to gardening? Start with one pot. Our guides help you choose what to grow, check the compost and look after your plants.
In the garden this autumn
Choose a job for the weather and space you have. The October guide is a useful place to start.
October jobs, one at a time
Check drainage and shelter, clear slippery leaves and plan your next planting job.
Put fallen leaves to use
Find a leaf-mould method that fits your space, and see when it is ready to use.
Plant a pot of spring bulbs
Choose the bulbs before planning the layers. Check their planting dates and depths.
Start with one pot
You can begin with a patio corner or a sunny doorstep. Follow these four guides to make your first planting easier to look after.
1. Plan your first pot
Choose a position and one planting you can manage. Check the space, light and container before you buy.
2. Choose compost and check drainage
Read the bag for the plants you have chosen. Then check the drainage holes before filling the pot.
3. Grow herbs you will use
Pick a few herbs for your kitchen and give them the conditions they need. Keep mint in its own pot.
4. Prepare for colder weather
Find out which plants can stay outside. Check shelter and drainage, and move tender plants when needed.
Latest guides
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Keeping supermarket basil alive
Keep supermarket basil warm and bright. Check the roots and compost, divide a healthy crowded rootball into smaller rooted clumps, and let each pot drain…
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What to do with potted herbs in winter
Mint can die back outdoors and return in spring. Thyme and rosemary need free drainage and weather-appropriate protection; basil needs a warm, bright, frost-free place.
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Growing herbs in pots: choose a useful first group
Start with herbs you use in the kitchen. Give mint its own pot and keep its watering routine separate from sun-loving, freely draining thyme and…
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Winter pots: three plans for a small patio
Choose winter containers by their position: a bright flowering pot, a foliage pot for partial shade, or separate rosemary and thyme pots in a sunny,…
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Protecting pots and their plants through winter
Protect outdoor pots from cold, excess rain and wind separately. Insulate vulnerable containers without blocking drainage, and move tender plants to the frost-free conditions they…
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Pot drainage: check the holes before adding gravel
Check holes, cover pots and compost before adding gravel, then understand the limits of the 2025 drainage-layer experiment.
Small steps. Something growing.
Good things. Grown by you.
A windowsill, a few pots or a patch of earth. Start with the space you have and build your confidence one small job at a time.