Good plant #87 - Coreopsis Tinctoria 'Golden Crown'

This is a great hardy annual plant for a meadow or late flowering border. It flowers late in the summer and will go on to first frost.

It'll grow in almost any soil. It prefers a sunny position and is fairly drought tolerant.

It will self seed or you can collect the seeds.

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Good plant #86 - Chamaecyparis Thyoides 'Top Point'

This is a perfectly formed dwarf evergreen conifer. It is slow growing and makes a nice compact cone of its own accord. It only grows to about four to five feet. Its leaves turn a sort of purple in the winter months. The new growth in spring and early summer is bright green and contrasts the older foliage. It is an ideal conifer for a pot - it just needs a good soak in very long dry or windy spells, even in winter.

Carefully chosen dwarf and small-sized conifers add structure to a garden throughout the year. Conical shaped ones are not as prone to snow damage because of their shape.

It prefers moist well-drained soil but will tolerate spells of drought. It prefers a sunny-ish position but will tolerate all but the shadiest aspect.

Cuttings can be taken in late summer.

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Make a small stone effect planter

You will need an old container (e.g. tupperware), cement, sieved peat-based multi-purpose compost,builders sand, pva glue, water and PPE (waterproof gloves, mask and eye protection).

• Put your PPE on (seriously the cement dust and mixture can cause harm)
• Drill 1/2 inch drainage hole(s) in bottom of the container
• Paint the PVA on the container and let it dry
• Mix the DRY cement, sieved peat-based multi-purpose compost and builders sand in a bucket in equal proportions
• Add water until you get a stiff dough texture to make a 'mud pie'
• Apply the mud pie about 1/2 inch thickness to the container using your hands to squeeze it on - don't cover the drainage hole(s)
• Cure undercover/ indoors for four days to a week (in cool conditions ideally)

If the weather is very warm and dry, you can use a fine spray of water every day or so during the curing process.

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Good plant #85 - Erigeron 'Sea Breeze'

This was the first plant I scrounged. I took a cutting from a garden in Anglesey North Wales where it grows for fun right on the sea shore. The flowers last for ages and it will tumble a spread beautifully. Lovely bluey green foliage too.

It will look great in a pot on a patio or as part of an alpine scheme. In the photo, it is growing with a variegated Molinia Caerulea herbaceous perennial grass - a striking combination.

It loves an sunny well-drained soil. It thrives in poor and fertile soils. The leaves can get frost damaged. Just remove the everything except for the new growth at the base of the plant in early spring.

It will self seed all over the place if you let it. You can divide it once new shoots start to appear in early spring.

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Good plant #84 - Cortaderia Selloana 'Pumila'

This is an evergreen(ish) compact pampas grass. It produces masses of seed heads on tall stems which will last right through the winter.

I cut this hard back (dead leaves, old seed heads and stems and green leaves) in early spring. This makes the plant look tidier. Some people just remove the dead leaves and old seed head stems - it's your choice.

It thrives in a sunny spot and well-drained soil.

I feed it with a soluble general purpose fertilizer in late spring.

You can propagate it by division. This involves carefully hacking through the tussock with a sharp small-teeth saw/ large kitchen knife. I do this immediately after cutting hard back in early spring .

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Good plant #83 - Oxalis Crassipes 'Rosea'

There are many people who would consider this plant as a hideous weed that should not be cultivated. I disagree. This beautiful mound forming herbaceous perennial has clover-like leaves and produces a mass of pink flowers. Both the leaves and flowers close at night.

It will grow almost anywhere. It prefers some moisture but will grow on the driest of the dry soils e.g at the foot of hedges. It prefers a shadyish site but will tolerate full sun. This plant is as tough as they come.

It will self seed unless you remove the faded flowers. You can divide it up whenever you feel like it but it's best dividing in spring when you see the new shoots. If you cut it hard back after the first flush of flowers you will get a fresh mound of leaves and more flowers again in autumn sometimes.

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Good plant #82 - Geranium 'Blue Blood'

This is one of the best perennial geraniums you can get. It flowers profusely, almost all at once. Like a lot of geraniums if you cut it right back after the first flush of flowers, it may flower again towards the end of summer/ early autumn. Give it a feed of soluble general purpose fertilizer and this helps it along.

This plant will tolerate all but the boggiest of soils and prefers sun. However it will also perform in part shady sites.

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Good plant #81 - Briza Maxima

Most people are trying get annual grass out of their borders. This is one that's worth having in it. It has such a beautiful seed head and compliments flowers perfectly. I grew this through a Jasione Laevis 'Blue Light' one year and together they looked stunning in flower and as they both faded.

This plant likes a well-drained soil and a sunny site but will cope with some shade.

Collect and store the seed heads to sow the following year. It will self seed too.

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Good plant #80 - Rhododendron 'Baden Baden'

Rhododendrons usually take up a lot of space. They have their place mainly in bigish gardens where they can grow to their full potential. This dwarf variety is very compact and very floriferous in early spring. It even tries to flower again sometimes in autumn.

This plant does best in a shadyish spot but will perform almost anywhere provided it has acidic soil. To guarantee the soil is acidic use ericaceous compost in the planting hole and feed in the autumn and early spring with ericaceous general purpose fertilizer.

Cuttings can be taken two to three months after flowering.

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Where to buy plants

I have found that plant sellers tend to get their new 'fresher' stock ready for punters on Saturday late on Friday. In order to ensure you get the best specimens, go last thing on Friday night or very early Saturday morning.

DIY stores

The main advantage of DIY stores is the cheap price. The main disadvantage is they have a very limited choice.

Garden Centres

The main advantage of garden centres is they often have a broader choice. The main disadvantage is they are more expensive usually.

Plant Nurseries

The main advantage of nurseries is the cheap price and quality of specimens. The main disadvantage is they often have a limited choice.

Buying online

The main advantage is that the choice is virtually limitless. The main disadvantage is you don’t get to see what you’re buying.

Scrounging

You can scrounge cuttings and seedlings from friends and family and if you’re cheeky, you can take cuttings from plants from anywhere ;^)

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Good plant #79 - Hemerocallis 'Stella De Oro'

Another of my favourite dwarf daylilies. If you keep dead-heading, this variety flowers profusely from the end of May right through summer. As it's a dwarf, it's best for the front of the border, especially lining a path.

It prefers a sunny site and fertile soil but will tolerate a little shade. These plants benefit from being propagated by division every three years or so.

I feed them in spring and summer with a multi-purpose liquid feed on the soil around the roots . I also keep the roots moist at all times with regular watering and a mulch to encourage more flowering.

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Understanding and improving your soil

According to the National Soil Resources Institute, the soil in South Manchester falls into four broad categories:

1. Loamy and clayey floodplain soils with naturally high groundwater (Blue)
2. Naturally wet very acid sandy and loamy soils (Red)
3. Slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soil (Green)
4. Freely draining floodplain soils (Pink)

All of these soils are loamy which means they have a mix of different sized particles of clay (tiny), silt (bigger) and sand (biggest). A good loam (less than 25% clay) has a good balance of all three particles which encourages good drainage, water retention and fertility.

In my view the main gardening soil issues locally are caused by too much clay. This is best remedied (usually) by regularly adding compost or well-rotted manure to the surface of the soil for established planted areas. For new borders, digging them over and incorporating well-rotted manure or compost is best - ideally done in autumn so frost action can break down large chunks of soil.

Plants look their best when they are in soil that is the same/ similar as their natural habitat. To make each plant perform at its best, you can can add all sorts of additives to the planting hole's or pot's soil mix to try and match a plant's ideal soil. Additives that I mainly use are:

• Horticultural grade sand or grit to improve drainage
• General purpose compost to increase fertility, water retention and drainage
• Slow release general purpose fertilizer to increase fertility
• Water retaining crystals to increase water retention
• Mushroom compost or lime to lower the pH for alkaline soil-loving plants
• Ericaceous compost to increase the pH for acid soil-loving plants

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Good plant #78 - Trachycarpus Fortunei

I expect the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11 killed or severely damaged almost every palm left outside in the elements. However, this palm seems to have survived better than most. If you're determined to have a palm and leave it outside, this is the one.

To get the best out of this plant, put it in a sheltered and sunny-ish position and in well drained and fertile soil. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer in spring.

Many people grow this palm in a pot so it can be taken indoors when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius. Almost any plant of this size that is grown in a pot needs watering and feeding regularly.

You will almost certainly get some wind damage and frost damage making the leaves look brown on the edges. This is not necessarily a reflection of the health of the plant. During the growing season you can trim the leaf edges with sharp scissors and you can remove whole leaves and old flowering spikes as near to the trunk as possible with secateurs.

Don't try to propagate this unless you can maintain a very warm environment for a lengthy period for its seeds and seedlings.

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An easy and cheap hanging basket for all summer

The easiest hanging baskets to do are single variety ones. I often think hanging baskets with too many different plants look messy anyway. I do my hanging baskets in mid May.

You will need a cheap plastic 10-12 inch diameter hanging pot/ basket with only minimal drainage holes in it and no other holes, some compost, some multi-purpose fertilizer granules, some water retaining crystals and 3 to 4 of your favourite Surfinia plants. If you are unsure of which plant to buy, try Surfinia 'Purple Vein' or 'Hot Pink' (the one in the picture) and you will not be disappointed.

Put enough compost in a large bucket. Mix up a tablespoon of water retaining crystals with a pint of water, stir and once the water is absorbed by the crystals add the mix to the compost. Add a good shake of multi-purpose fertilizer granules to the compost. Use a trowel to evenly mix in the swollen crystals, compost and fertilizer together. Fill the hanging basket up to within 1/2 an inch of the top of the pot/ basket with the mixture. Plant your Surfinias. Hang it up.

Pinch out the growing tips every three to five inches as the plants grow. Water (lots so the the soil is completely saturated) every day in the morning and in the evening on warm days too. Feed it with a liquid multi-purpose feed every two to three weeks. Remove all partly faded flowers on a daily basis by pinching them off with your fingers.

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Good plant #77 - Alcea Rugosa

Most gardeners would like to have a hollyhock in the garden but most varieties are very prone to rust - a fungus which makes the leaves look horrendous. This hollyhock is supposedly rust resistant.

This tall herbaceous perennial plant must have a sunny site. It prefers well-drained and moderately fertile soil. If it is positioned in an exposed site, you will need to stake it.

This plant can be propagated from seed.

For best flowering year to year, remove faded blooms and cut back to six inches in the autumn.

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Good plant #76 - Erica Darleyensis 'Furzey'

A great late winter/ early spring flowering heather. Heathers are generally robust plants but will do best when treated well in their first year to get them established. If you give this heather its favoured acidic soil and keep it watered for the first year, it'll go on for years.

I recommend trimming this heather (like most other heathers) by removing the faded flower stems with sharp scissors. For this heather, late spring is the right time. A liquid multi-purpose feed (ideally an ericaceous one) on the soil round the roots immediately after trimming will invigorate it.

This plant will thrive in sunny, partly shady sites. Once established it will tolerate drought.

You can take cuttings in late summer.

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Good plant #75 - Juniperus Scopulorum 'Skyrocket'

Conifers go in and out fashion. I don't give monkey's about fashion!

This is a great looking and well-behaved evergreen columnar tree that does well up here in the northwest. Most people go for the more obvious tuscan Cypress (Cupressus Sempervirens 'Green Pencil') but it prefers warmer climates and more sheltered sites compared to this Juniper.

This plant likes a sunny position and well drained soil but tolerates drought well and can cope with an exposed site. If you prune lightly in early/ mid summer (on a cloudy day) you can really exaggerate the columnar shape. I use very sharp large scissors for pruning all conifers.

These are ideal trees for large pots and lend themselves to topiary.

Cuttings are best taken in late summer.

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Good plant #74 - Arenaria Montana

This is one of the best carpeting plants you can get. Masses of white flowers in early summer. It'll cascade a little too, so it is a useful plant to soften hard edges.

It prefers a sunny-ish site but will tolerate some shade. It prefers free draining soil and will cope with fertile and less fertile soil. In fertile soil it spreads like the clappers.

In my experience, you can divide this plant at any time of the year, even when it's flowering. It's as hard as nails.

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Good plant #73 - Persicaria Microcephala 'Red Dragon'

This is a very vigorous mound-forming perennial grown for its dramatic colour changing foliage and brightly coloured stems. It does produce delicate white flowers in late summer but this plant is mainly used for creating contrasting foliage. It goes really well with bright green, silver and golden foliage plants.

It prefers a moist soil and will do very well in boggy conditions or by a pond. It will cope with sunny and partly shady sites.

This is well worth growing in a container, use lots of water retaining crystals and keep it moist.

You can divide this plant in autumn and spring. It's a tough brute but not invasive like its knotweed cousins.

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Good plant #72 - Fagus Sylvatica

This beech hedging plant is a favourite of many. It's not surprising as it is so well behaved. It only needs trimming once in late summer/ early autumn and is a quick grower.

Even though it is supposedly deciduous, it will hold its beautiful copper coloured leaves through until spring. The new fresh green leaves make the old copper ones fall off in spring.

It will grow anywhere except the shadiest and wettest sites. I've never propagated beech before but you can buy both seedlings and various height saplings very cheaply.

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Good plant #71 - Centranthus Ruber 'Snowcloud'

This is a white cultivated variety of the more common pink one. Its speciality is that it will grow in dry and impoverished soil (including at the foot of trees) provided it has a sunny site.

It will also romp away and attain a great height (3-4ft) to form part of stunning perennial border in moderately fertile soil.

This plant responds very well to pinching the growing tip out in mid spring. This helps it produce a bushier plant with more flowers. It also benefits from a cutting back by a third after the first flush of flowers as it will re-flower in late summer.

As a cultivated variety this plant might not come true from seed but you can propagate clones by basal cuttings in early spring or root cuttings in late autumn.

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Good plant #70 - Papaver Somniferum 'Purple Peony'

It's obvious why this variety is called 'purple peony' as the flower heads look like the flowers of a peony.

This plant self seeds prolifically and it will grow in almost any soil that gets some sun. I tend to move the seedlings when they are very small to create a swathe or two. I even pot a few up to fill gaps here and there. This plant resents root disturbance, so be extra careful to take the whole plant and all the roots. Even with the greatest care, the leaves will discolour initially but the plant will recover.

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Good plant #69 - Armeria Juniperifolia 'Bevan's Variety'

This is a very compact, evergreen and mat-forming plant. It flowers very profusely albeit for a very short period.

It must have well drained and light soil and a fairly sunny site. It is ideal for growing in pots, dry stone walls and other rocky environs. It is a very low maintenance plant.

As soon as flowering is finished, I use a sharp pair of scissors to remove the flowers. This is not necessary but tidies up the plant.

You can divide this plant in very early spring or after flowering.

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Good plant #68 - Anthemis Tinctoria 'E.C. Buxton'

This clump-forming perennial daisy is a reliable performer if treated well. Given time (2-3 years) this will produce a clump of nearly a yard/ metre plus. This plant is very hardy and will tolerate dry conditions too.

The key to keeping this plant in tip top condition is cutting the plant right back in the middle of autumn to two or three inches above the ground so a new crown of leaves can be produced before winter.

This plant prefers a very sunny site and well-drained moderately fertile soil. It can be propagated by dividing it in Spring - although it is worth waiting at least a couple of seasons before doing this.

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