Salvia 'Love and Wishes' is an ideal choice for a container planting, with its aromatic foliage and masses of dramatic purple/pink flowers and bushy growth habit. In the open garden, it looks stunning planted amongst silver foliaged plants. A Daphne with a difference is Daphne 'Spring Pink', which takes full sun and doesn't mind alkaline or acidic soils.
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The bright pink flowers still have the unique fragrance daphnes are loved for. Perfect plant for a pot.
Compact shrub
A colourful dwarf, compact shrub is grevillea 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' with small red and yellow flowers that provide interest in the garden from spring through to autumn. It can be planted in a container, in a large grouping or looks quite at home in a rockery. The nectar rich flowers are great bee, butterfly and bird attractors. Once established, this 'royal aristocrat' will tolerate frost, wind and reasonably dry conditions.
Sunny spot
The ideal position for a clematis is one where the foliage is in the sun while the roots are moist and cool in humus-rich, well-draining soil, so the root system does not dry out and become dehydrated. Keep the plant well watered in the hot, dry months.
Popular green
Mizuna is an easy to grow Japanese mustard herb with peppery flavoured leaves. This now very popular cut-and-come-again salad green is used in salads and to spice up egg dishes. The decorative fringed leaves make a great garnish.
Pollen transfer
Pumpkins, cucumbers and squashes produce separate male and female flowers, and before fruit can set, pollen must be transferred from the male to the female flowers.
When there are plenty of bees, pollination takes place naturally but when they are scarce, hand pollination is sometimes needed.
To do this, pick off a male flower, one where pollen is obviously visible, and transfer the pollen to the stigma of the female flower.
A small paintbrush is useful for this procedure.
The female flowers are identified by the miniature fruit immediately behind the petals.
Relax and enjoy
Gardening is not an exact science in that every job needs to be done on a particular day or in a certain month.
Sure, there are a few tasks which must be done at precise times as in spraying fruit trees at bud swell for curly leaf or timing rose pruning to achieve perfect blooms for a special occasion or exhibitions but generally speaking, you can allow some leeway when it comes to tending your plants.
Above all, enjoy your garden - relax, don't be a slave to it.