# HandyGarden

> Practical ideas for small British gardens


## Posts

- [How to choose secateurs for a small garden](https://handygarden.co.uk/choose-secateurs-small-garden/): Start with the stems you will cut, then check hand fit, cutting limits and replacement parts before buying.
- [Watering can or hose: choosing kit for patio pots](https://handygarden.co.uk/watering-can-or-hose-for-pots/): Choose watering equipment around the trip from tap to pot, the weight you can manage and the control your plants need.
- [Choosing pots for a small garden: size, material and cost](https://handygarden.co.uk/choosing-pots-small-garden/): Compare usable root space, weight, drainage and winter care before paying for a new pot or planter.
- [How to plant spring bulbs in pots](https://handygarden.co.uk/spring-bulbs-in-pots/): Plant spring bulbs in a pot with open drainage holes, using the depth for the chosen species. Start with one type, or use a large pot for carefully planned layers.
- [November garden jobs for a small UK garden](https://handygarden.co.uk/november-garden-jobs/): In November, plant tulip pots when conditions allow, finish suitable winter planting and recheck shelter and drainage. Leave frozen or waterlogged ground alone.
- [October garden jobs for a small UK garden](https://handygarden.co.uk/october-garden-jobs/): In October, clear wet leaves, check pot drainage and arrange shelter before frost. Plant sound spring bulbs still waiting, and plan tulip pots for November.
- [Keeping supermarket basil alive](https://handygarden.co.uk/keep-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 after watering.
- [What to do with potted herbs in winter](https://handygarden.co.uk/herbs-in-pots-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.
- [Growing herbs in pots: choose a useful first group](https://handygarden.co.uk/grow-herbs-in-pots/): 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 rosemary.
- [Winter pots: three plans for a small patio](https://handygarden.co.uk/winter-pots/): 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, sheltered spot.
- [Protecting pots and their plants through winter](https://handygarden.co.uk/protect-pots-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 need.
- [Pot drainage: check the holes before adding gravel](https://handygarden.co.uk/pot-drainage/): Check holes, cover pots and compost before adding gravel, then understand the limits of the 2025 drainage-layer experiment.
- [Choosing peat-free compost for your pots](https://handygarden.co.uk/peat-free-compost-for-pots/): Choose the right peat-free mix, read a real manufacturer’s instructions and estimate litres before learning the mix’s water and feeding needs.
- [Starting a container garden: a small, workable plan](https://handygarden.co.uk/container-gardening-beginners/): Start with one well-placed container, then use a complete thyme-pot example to choose the plant, size, mix and first-week checks.
- [Compost problems: what to check and how to fix them](https://handygarden.co.uk/compost-problems/): Use smell, moisture and the older contents to choose one compost correction, then check the same layer for a useful change.
- [What can you put in a compost bin?](https://handygarden.co.uk/what-can-go-in-compost/): Check ordinary-bin ingredients, then use the tea-bag, packaging, weed and treated-lawn exceptions before tipping in uncertain waste.
- [Composting in a small garden](https://handygarden.co.uk/composting-small-garden/): Compare small-garden composting systems, make an ordinary bin workable and plan where fresh scraps will go while a batch matures.
- [How to make leaf mould in bags](https://handygarden.co.uk/make-leaf-mould/): Make leaf mould in pierced bags, check moisture and recognise when the material is ready for mulch or a homemade growing mix.

## Pages

- [Contact HandyGarden](https://handygarden.co.uk/contact/): Have a question about a guide, an idea for a future article or a correction to suggest? Send the HandyGarden editorial team a message.
- [How we prepare our guides](https://handygarden.co.uk/editorial-policy/): Our editorial rule is to check gardening instructions against relevant UK sources and state the conditions that can change the result.
- [About HandyGarden](https://handygarden.co.uk/about/): HandyGarden is for people gardening in small UK spaces: a patio, a doorstep or a garden with more paving than soil.
- [Gardening that fits your space](https://handygarden.co.uk/home/): Practical gardening for small UK spaces.
- [Privacy notice](https://handygarden.co.uk/privacy-policy/): Last updated: 8 October 2026.


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