Alan Titchmarsh's Gardening Tips

It's almost time for planting daffodils and narcissi, so Alan suggests you choose now what you fancy seeing in the spring.

It's a seasonal tradition that should not be ignored, says Alan, even if you won't reap the benefits till next summer.

Keep them cool and bright and don’t overwater them, says Alan, and they'll make a wonderful Christmas present.

Alan has some seasonal tips on how to find the perfect Christmas tree and how to care for it.

They're everywhere this time of year, and Alan has some tips that will mean your poinsettia will last into the new year.

Bring some colour into your living room during the winter, says Alan. All you need to get is some charm chrysanthemums.

If you're tempted to leave fallen leaves on your lawn, think again. Your lawn won't thank you for it. And gathering them up can make for some great compost next year.

Alan's setting about planting his favourite bulb so that come next April, there'll be a gorgeous little show in the garden.

It may only be autumn but now's the best time to plan a splash of colour for your spring garden, says Alan Titchmarsh.

The season of mist and mellow fruitfulness is upon us. Time to check if your apples and pears are ripe, says Alan, and even if they're not, pick and store them.

While everything around us is turning orange and brown, how about injecting some vibrant pink - and a musky scent - into your garden? Alan suggests you plant some breathtaking Nerine bowdenii.

Now's a good time to get yourself an enormous ball of chrysanthemums to bring a long-lasting burst of colour to your garden, says Alan Titchmarsh.

Alan has a creative idea to ensure a profusion of tulips, daffodils, crocuses and other plants throughout next spring.

Alan Titchmarsh says it's a great time of the year to get out the shears or electric hedge clippers and give your yew, holly or box hedges a tidy up.

It's that time of the year to get your tulips, crocuses and daffodils planted, says Alan Titchmarsh.

Believe it or not, now is the best time to get your daffodil bulbs planted for the best results come next spring. Alan tells you what to do.

Alan has some tips on the best ways to look after your garden if you are off on your holidays.

Give your tomato plants "even moisture and weekly feeding and then you can enjoy that succulent homegrown crop," says Alan.

Not letting it dry out and giving it liquid tomato feed means that life isn’t over for your hanging basket yet, if you treat it properly - says Alan.

One plant that comes into its own at this time of the year, says Alan, is the hydrangea. They will stay looking good right through the summer, especially by the seaside.

Containers are totally dependent on you for their sustenance at this time of the year, says Alan. Check them every day, sometimes twice and give them some dilute tomato fertiliser "and you'll have blooms almost coming out of your ears."

Alan has a tip about what not to do with your grass in this hot weather.

Alan believes that to keep your garden looking good, you need to get out your secateurs and give your beds and borders a snip. "Your garden will look a lot better in the end and you will feel more relaxed," Alan says.

Alan advises more than one trip to the garden centre - just in case you might miss some real bargains.

It's ever so exciting to grow your own food, says Alan Titchmarsh. "There is nothing like the thrill of sowing a few seeds and then eating what you’ve grown yourself!"

One little plant that loves the sun is the osteospermum - the African or Cape Daisy. "It will delight you all the way through the year with its daisy flowers," says Alan. "Really bright and cheery...It really won’t let you down; plant them now!"

Now is the perfect time to feed your lawn, says Alan. "It's doing a lot of growing at the moment and it could do with a bit of sustenance." Lawn feed is a very good idea and to keep it looking "good and velvety," says Alan, "mow your lawn once a week, it will encourage the grasses to sprout out lower down and become thicker and denser and more like a lawn than a field of grass."

Slugs and snails create a predicament for any gardener, especially if you - like Alan - don't like using chemicals. But he's got a helpful tip involving sticky, copper tape.

The garden centres and nurseries are full of bedding plants, says Alan Titchmarsh, and they'll give you instant summer colour. "When we get that lovely warm showery day, plant them out in the garden…and with any luck right the way through the summer you'll have a wonderful show of flowers."

"Make this the year that you grow something to eat," says Alan Titchmarsh, and he's got the perfect suggestion to make it easy for you to propagate radishes, spring onions, french beans, even little lettuces. "You can pick stuff just by opening the back door and bending down," says Alan.

"A bit of speedy staking now," says Alan Titchmarsh, "will set you up well for the summer."

If you've got chalky or limestone soil in your garden, Alan has a tip for planting rhododendrons and camellias that won't go yellow.

"Be kind to your daffy now," says Alan Titchmarsh, "and you'll get good flowers next year."

If you're tempted to plant a magnolia, make sure that it has room to grow - says Alan.

Alan Titchmarsh says it's that time of the year to plant bare root items to fill all the gaps in your garden – with border plants, perennials, shrubs, roses and trees.

This week Alan Titchmarsh is recommending planting some tulips in a tub on your doorstep. "There's nothing better at this time of year," he says.

Alan Titchmarsh has a recommendation for an unusual bloom, something pretty for a pot on your patio or window sill.

Classic FM's resident gardener says giving your garden some compost now will stand you in good stead for the rest of the year. And your plants, says Alan, will thank you for it.