No doubt you’ve heard the term ‘mycorrhizal fungi’, but do you know why you need it in your garden? Especially during autumn, winter and early spring when you might be considering doing some bare root planting.

Fill it with flowers!

There’s no shortage of blooms at this time of year, and with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show looming (commencing 21 May), focus is firmly on flowers in the garden during this wonderful season. But there are many people who look wistfully from the side-lines, wondering why their own gardens aren’t showing such splendour. So let’s take a look at the best flowering shrubs and perennials for a marvellous May. If you set yourself a target to plant one specimen each month, choosing something that flowers in that particular month, your garden would gradually fill with flowering interest throughout the year.

Groundcover needn't be boring

Heuchera are the eye-candy of the low-level planting storey and these stunners have enjoyed a gradual rise in the popularity stakes over the last few years. There are now very few gardens that haven’t managed to find room for this colourful foliage plant. It’s not difficult to see why, because Heucheras are capable of providing year-round colour and low-level interest. (Meaning a spectacle close to the ground rather than only mildly exciting.)

In autumn, many things in the garden can be tidied away, cut back and neatened. Or can they - does thismean it's all over for the year? Do we need to see bare soil and pruned back stems?

A few decades ago, this was the aspiration but now it's just not the thing to do. Garden minibeasts and birds love to scratch around and feast upon the stems and seeds that autumn brings. There's so much happening outdoors in October and beyond. It would be a shame to miss it. There is sometimes even an Indian summer which can be one of the best times of year.  We Brits are often prepared to let the glory of autumn slip away without even a glance.

Of all the scented, colourful and varied aromatic plants that you might choose to place in a sunny garden, Lavender is just about tops for popularity. It's small enough to squeeze into a courtyard, a balcony and even a window box. It will give you far more value than just about any other plant because it can be enjoyed in at least six different ways...

'My garden has no colour or flowers during mid to late summer'. Is this you? If so, you might want to plug your summer flowering gap. It's easier than you might think. Here's 12 suggestions to help you fill the garden with colour:

March often comes bowling in 'like a lion' and temperatures can be well down into minus figures. However, as soon as storms have abated, there's not a moment to spare. Here are six garden tasks to attend to as soon as possible -  because we all know that the month can end 'like a lamb' and soaring temperatures will result in a fantastic growth spurt outdoors.

Should you keep up with fashion trends in the garden?

You might not associate plants and gardens as being subject to fashion, but they are indeed. For instance, you can date many gardens by looking at their planting style or choice of hard landscaping materials. Here's a run down of what has been around before, and how you can start to update your outside space.

Bright and beautiful Heucheras set shady spaces alight in all seasons

7 Rainbow plants for a glowing late summer garden