As magnolias dislike being pruned, the risk is one of cutting out branches on which flower buds have been slowly developing since the previous spring

Avoid these common pitfalls when sowing seeds and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy it is

Digging when soil still very wet or waterlogged risks causing compaction and reduced fertility

From sowing tomato seed to putting top-dressing on containers and planting potatoes, these tasks will pay off

Explore ways to freshen up any hard landscaping, from scrubbing down paving to giving tired garden furniture a makeover

Generations Y and Z more likely to be enthralled by Stargazer’s zingy hues and almost surreal perfection

Lavender plants come on for a gentle annual trim immediately after flowering to keep them in shape

For award-winning garden designer Adam Hunt, the garden should be ‘a living dialogue between the natural and the cultivated world’

Is it worth investing in an electric propagator?

Waterlogged soil typically needs several weeks of predominantly dry weather to start to recover its equilibrium

There is good news for organically minded gardeners

It took Jimi Blake at Hunting Brook Gardens in Wicklow time to come around to the humble snowdrop, but he eventually saw the light

Certain breeds are great at keeping down populations of slugs and snails, but they do need to be kept out of vulnerable areas

Plants are so resilient to injury - cut their stems and branches back and they will usually regrow, just not in the very same way

It’s important to recognise the fine line between the gardening jobs that can and can’t be safely carried out at this time of year