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Harrogate’s Spring Flower Show is the North East’s only really big gardening event (apart from its Autumn show) – just a shame it’s not closer to us.

This is a great challenge for friends or even your child’s class – who can grow the biggest sunflower head?

As organic gardening is becoming the norm, the range of environmentally friendly plant foods has become bigger.

New and reformulated composts are always a big draw at the Garden Press Event – they’re the basics of what we grow, especially if your garden is small and you grow in containers.

The Garden Press Event is heaven – you get to see the cutting-edge products the horticultural industry is showcasing for the season.

Now’s the time to sharpen your loppers, pruning saw and secateurs and prepare plants for the best show possible this season – and a lot of it is down to the correct pruning.

With a massive skills gap in horticulture, the search to find the next generation of gardeners is on as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) launches its School Gardeners of the Year 2019 competition.

A favourite in the flower garden, as a companion plant and increasingly as an edible one … 2019 has been designated the Year of the Nasturtium.

I’m no lover of hot chillies but my stepson Ali must have no tastebuds left. He is obsessed and his fiery culinary creations have been known to make his friends cry and ruin their digestive tracts.

Do you have any photos of your family’s wartime vegetable gardens or allotments?

Do you have any photos of your family’s wartime vegetable gardens or allotments?

It’s sure to get the thumbs up from Bugs Bunny … 2019 has been designated the Year of the Carrot, but there’s more to this vegetable than its orange colour.

If the weather’s getting you down, remember gardening’s always about looking ahead – in this case, to new season vegetable crops.

I like nothing better than trawling through the new seed catalogues picking out what to grow next year – but the choice can be overwhelming.

More than six million poinsettias are sold every year in the UK, most to die a slow, horrible death, due to unscrupulous retailers.

Here’s the last instalment of gardening gifts for Christmas – presents for indoor gardeners.

It may be cold outside but Christmas gifts are an ideal way to get children into gardening – and you don’t have to spend a fortune either.

This is the second in my series of the best gifts to buy for your gardening loved ones - This week, I focus on main presents, from £10 to £50.