Win: Gardening bumper box of books

Plan ahead and wait for the end of season sales to buy plants for the next year. When you get them home repot them and nurture them until the appropriate time to put them in the garden.

Take cuttings of everything! You'll be surprised how many 'take' and then you have plenty of plants - if lots of them take and you're inundated, they'll make lovely presents for the family

Don't ever offer to grow plants or look after plants for your children. They will be full of enthusiasm until the time comes to take them - and then you will be stuck with them forever.

Try and buy plants that are locally grown. That way, you know they'll survive in your particular gardening conditions.

Also, try National Trust or National Trust for Scotland properties for plants. Many are grown on site and they're very reasonably priced.

Have a good look at your garden at the end of each season and make a note of where the gaps are. That way you know where to put bulbs or plants to ensure a better balanced display next year. Well..this is what
I always intend to do...

We have moved to a new area and I am looking around at neighbours gardens to see what grows well in the soil and climate here.

If you move house to a new home with an established garden don't make major changes for a year. Best to wait and see what's there already. Often there are good surprises.

Encourage your grandchildren (or neighbours' children) to enjoy gardening by having a race to see whose sunflower grows tallest or whose tomato plants has the first red one or has the most tomatoes etc etc. I find gardening to be relaxing and therapeutic but I know I won't always be able to do certain things. Hopefully my DGS will be interested enough by then to help me

If you can, deadhead every day for continuous flowering. Some plants benefit from the 'Chelsea Chop' too. This is carried out in May, around the time of the Flower Show. To do this cut or pinch back plants by half. Those which respond well include Sedum, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Helenium, Phlox and Golden Rod.

Little and often. Little so that you don't end up with aches and pains and can't face the garden for two more weeks and often to keep on top of it.

Take photos of areas you want to change so in autumn/spring you know what was where and what to remove/replace.