The Gardener's Year

Alan uncovers the secrets of a pretty winter garden, and without giving them all away they include evergreens, snowdrops and structure.

Alan takes us through just what is needed to keep a garden under control when the days start warming up in early spring, and the plants start having growth spurts. Featuring daffodils, pruning, planting a spring garden and the first grass cut.

It's late spring and there's tulips in full flush, evergreens moving house and the average plant growing two inches a week so long as they have the right food at the right time.

Early summer is dawning on the garden here, and it's all about the p's. Perfect growing conditions in the garden bring garden plants to their peak, there's a look at lovely patio pots, peonies and what to do about garden pests.

High summer is the horticultural equivalent of a firework display according to Alan, and payback time for all the hard work done in spring. The trick is to make that extravaganza last to autumn so he reveals the right combination of plants and techniques to do just that.

It's autumn now, so Alan takes a look at some of the top trees for autumn colour and how to get your garden flowering well into October. Alan also explains how our changing climate means dahlias, cannas, grasses and autumn bulbs are all lasting longer, as long as they're suitable prepared for the winter frost.