Plant Care Guides

Why Winter Pruning Sets You Up for a Better Spring Garden

| 06 Feb, 2026

Winter is the ideal time to prune many plants. With leaves gone and growth slowed, it’s easier to shape trees and shrubs, remove damage, and encourage stronger spring growth. Here’s what to prune now — and what to leave until later.

Growing Tips Seasonal Gardening Winter Plant Care Guides Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg Problems & Solutions

The Ultimate Guide to Primulas & Candelabra Primulas (2026)

| 05 Feb, 2026

Candelabra Primulas bring dazzling colour to damp and shaded areas of the garden, thriving where many plants struggle. Explore how to grow them, the best varieties, and shop Dartana Plants’ own Primula bulleyana, chungensis, and mixed candelabra selections....

Growing Tips Plant Info Seasonal Gardening Winter Spring Plant Care Guides Primulas Plan & Plant For A Stunning Garden Designing Your Garden Layout Plug Plant How-Tos Beginner Essentials

5 Early February Garden Jobs That Transform Your Spring Garden

| 05 Feb, 2026

Early February is one of the quietest — yet most influential — months in the gardening year. A little pruning, mulching, dividing, and clearing now sets up your borders for a healthier, more vibrant spring. These five simple tasks will give you maximum...

Growing Tips Seasonal Gardening Spring Plant Care Guides Wildlife & Pollinators Problems & Solutions

February Heat‑Lovers: How to Sow & Grow Tomatoes, Peppers & Aubergines Indoors (UK)

| 30 Jan, 2026

Sow mid–late February in a heated propagator; keep media warm and bright; prick out at first true leaves; pot on promptly; harden well before moving to the greenhouse.

Seasonal Gardening Plant Care Guides Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg Planting Calendars Greenhouse & Indoor Growing Beginner Essentials

Musa Basjoo Plug Plants: How to Grow the Hardy Banana for a Lush Tropical Garden

| 30 Jan, 2026

Musa basjoo plug plants are the easiest and fastest way to grow the famous hardy banana in UK gardens. These vigorous Musa basjoo plant plugs establish quickly, producing bold, tropical foliage that transforms borders, patios and exotic planting schemes....

Growing Tips Plant Info Seasonal Gardening Summer Autumn Plant Care Guides Musa Plan & Plant For A Stunning Garden Designing Your Garden Layout Beginner Essentials

Musa Basjoo: The Ultimate Hardy Banana for UK Gardens

| 28 Jan, 2026

Musa basjoo is the UK’s hardiest banana and creates instant tropical impact with huge leaves and rapid growth. Plant in rich soil, feed well, water regularly, and protect the trunk in winter. Ideal for exotic gardens and architectural design.

Growing Tips Plant Info Seasonal Gardening Summer Autumn Plant Care Guides Musa Plan & Plant For A Stunning Garden Designing Your Garden Layout Plug Plant How-Tos Small-Space & Container Gardening Beginner Essentials Soil & Site Conditions Problems & Solutions

Ferns for Effortless Shade: Why Plug Plants Win for UK Gardens

| 26 Jan, 2026

Ferns are shade superstars that thrive where many plants sulk. Plug plants give you strong young ferns at great value, establish quickly in cool, moist soils, and are easy to scale for borders or container schemes. Explore our UK‑grown fern plugs, free...

Growing Tips Plant Info Plant Care Guides Ferns Plan & Plant For A Stunning Garden Designing Your Garden Layout Plug Plant How-Tos Small-Space & Container Gardening Beginner Essentials Problems & Solutions

Apple Tree Pruning Guide — Tools, Cuts & Sterilising Methods (Complete UK Guide)

| 26 Jan, 2026

Prune apple trees in winter using the correct tool for each branch size, from secateurs to saws. Always sterilise blades using flame, bleach, wipes or isopropyl alcohol. Remove dead, crossing and inward branches, then shape to an open goblet. Clean, sharp...

Growing Tips Seasonal Gardening Winter Plant Care Guides Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg Design a Productive Garden Soil & Site Conditions Problems & Solutions

🌼 The Ultimate Guide to Growing Primulas: Varieties, Colours & How to Choose the Perfect Ones for Your Garden

| 25 Jan, 2026

A beginner-friendly guide to understanding Primula types, how to choose the best ones for your garden, growing and care tips, and easy recommendations for UK gardeners using affordable Dartana plug plants.

Plant Info Seasonal Gardening Spring Plant Care Guides Primulas Plug Plant How-Tos Small-Space & Container Gardening Beginner Essentials

Plug Plants (Plant Plugs) – The Complete Guide for UK Gardeners

| 25 Jan, 2026

Plug plants—also called plant plugs—are young, well‑rooted starters that establish quickly and save money. Choose the right plug size, harden off, plant at correct spacing, water in, and feed lightly. Great for baskets, borders, pollinators and perennials...

Growing Tips Plant Care Guides Plan & Plant For A Stunning Garden Plug Plant How-Tos Wildlife & Pollinators Small-Space & Container Gardening Beginner Essentials

Exotic Plants in UK Gardens

| 21 Jan, 2026

Exotic plants can transform UK gardens with bold shapes, vibrant colours, and a sense of the tropics. With the right microclimate, soil preparation, and winter protection, many exotic species thrive beautifully in the UK

Growing Tips Plant Info Seasonal Gardening Summer Plant Care Guides Musa Colocasia Persicaria Plan & Plant For A Stunning Garden Designing Your Garden Layout

When to Prune Your Fruit Trees: Apples, Pears, Plums & Cherries – The Complete Guide

| 20 Jan, 2026

The best time to prune apples and pears is late winter to early spring before buds break. Plums and cherries must be pruned in summer to avoid silver leaf disease. Remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, open the centre for airflow and avoid autumn...

Growing Tips Seasonal Gardening Winter Spring Plant Care Guides Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg Problems & Solutions

🌱 What to Sow in February – The Essential Guide for Early-Season Gardeners

| 19 Jan, 2026

February is the perfect time to start sowing early crops and hardy flowers. From sweet peas and chillies to broad beans and early herbs, this guide covers the best seeds to sow now for a strong start to spring.

Growing Tips Plant Info Seasonal Gardening Winter Plant Care Guides Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg Design a Productive Garden Small-Space & Container Gardening Beginner Essentials

🍁 Coleus ‘Skeletal’ – A Bold, Dramatic Foliage Plant for Your Garden

| 16 Jan, 2026

Coleus ‘Skeletal’ is a bold foliage plant with dramatic, high‑contrast leaves that brighten borders and containers. This guide covers planting, positioning, watering, feeding, pruning and overwintering — helping you grow this eye‑catching annual or tender...

Growing Tips Plant Info Seasonal Gardening Summer Plant Care Guides Small-Space & Container Gardening