Visit this
Your starter for 10: cactus, ball, decorative and fimbriated are all types of what? Dahlias, of course: the undisputed kings of the September garden. Anglesey Abbey near Cambridge is celebrating the dahlia with a three-week festival, and giving fans a chance to tour its dahlia garden, a huge, curving border that allows a great view of more than 70 varieties. On until 1 October.
Plant this
Salvia ‘Amistad’ is the best perennial sage there is, producing large, rich, purple flowers from early summer right through to autumn and, at 1.2m tall, making a stately presence in the border. It’s unfussy about soil, provided there’s good drainage; just make sure it’s situated in a sunny, sheltered spot.
Try this
Turn kitchen waste into a free indoor plant by sprouting an avocado. The usual method – suspending a stone over a glass of water with toothpicks – is hit and miss. Instead, clean the stone, wrap it in moist kitchen paper and seal in a clear plastic bag. Put it somewhere dark and check every two days. Once the stone sprouts (this may take weeks), pot it into houseplant compost, and move somewhere bright and warm.
