A leaning cornflower may need support, but first look at how it was grown. Closely packed plants compete for light, and a pot that looked attractively full when young can become difficult to manage later.…
A stretched sedum does not become compact again simply because the pot has been moved. The useful question is whether the growth produced after the change is closer and sturdier. Check the plant's actual light…
A gardenia carrying buds is a tempting plant to fuss over. More feeding, a larger pot and a move to a better view may all seem helpful, but doing them together makes any resulting problem…
A single peony and a densely double one can share almost the same colour but look very different in a planting. Look at the entire open flower rather than judging from a tightly cropped photograph.…
A decorative outer pot can hide a drainage problem. After rain, water may collect around the nursery container even though the inner pot has perfectly good holes. Lift the inner pot and check the bottom…
A leafy lantana is not necessarily short of food. Before changing fertiliser, look at the light reaching the plant and the growth you are asking it to support. A shrub tucked behind other plants may…
Two trays of marigolds can look almost identical while they are small and still make very different plants in a border. Read the expected mature height and spread before choosing by flower colour. A compact…
A pot full of marigold seedlings can look successful at first, then become awkward to separate. Decide whether you want a few plants to stay in the container or whether you are raising individuals for…
When the last bell-shaped flowers fade, the plant often looks untidy before anything is actually wrong. Separate the old flower stalks from the healthy leafy stems before reaching for the scissors. Follow a faded stalk…
Leaf loss is a symptom, not a fertiliser recommendation. With potted Aglaia, begin by checking whether the plant's environment changed recently: a move indoors, a darker corner, colder nights or a different watering routine. Remove…
A peony that makes little visible progress after planting does not automatically need lifting, feeding or moving. First establish what was planted, when it went in and whether the root area is drying out or…
A close-up photograph tells you very little about the shrub you are buying. Flower colour is useful, but a plant with the right flowers can still be the wrong size or shape for a small…