So you’ve received some beautiful flowers for Valentine’s Day from your loved one, or maybe a secret admirer and you want to keep them looking at their very best for as long as possible. With these tips, you can make sure your Valentine’s bouquet lasts as long as possible.

Rock cress is one of the best-kept secrets of spring. A low-level, groundcover plant, it grows quietly in the garden, easily overlooked for most of the year. Then in early spring, it suddenly bursts into bloom and makes you sit up and take notice. Rock cress is the common name for several different plants, all of them species of either Arabis or Aubrieta.

For gardeners, it doesn’t get much better than eating food you’ve grown yourself – fresh tomatoes still warm from the summer sun, or peas straight from the pod onto your plate. And no matter how small your garden is, it’s still possible to have the fun of growing your own food. Here are our top tips on how to make your own vegetable garden.