Manage this It’s time to start hardening off tender veg like tomatoes, chillies and courgettes. Start slowly, opening the windows during the warmest part of the day; then start putting plants outside in a sheltered spot, until they are ready to go outside full time – usually in late May or early June. Keep cloches on hand should a late frost threaten.
Sort this Aphids, whitefly and fungus gnats can ruin a gorgeous indoor plant. Instead of insecticides, try Neudorff’s plant flycatchers (or £4.99 for a pack of 10 from garden centres). Put one of these sticky yellow cards in the pot next to an infested plant and it will trap pests with ease.
Plant this A flower that looks like chocolate and smells like chocolate? Why not? Cosmos atrosanguineus ‘Eclipse’ will bloom from July to October, year after year, if you give it full sun. But it needs somewhere frost free, so either lift and store the tubers over winter, or grow in a container. Height and spread 45cm x 30cm. Buy four plug plants for £9.99 or eight for £17.99; p&p £4.95 per order. To order, call 0330 333 6790, quoting ref GU529, or shop online at shop.theguardian.com. Dispatched within 4-6 weeks.
