Trying to help a friend in need of garden tips at the moment and can only call on personal experience of trial and error. So far I've come up with
Best Tips
- Plant in big groups rather than singles for better impact
- See what grows well in neighbours' gardens and chances are it'll grow well in yours
- Take note of how tall and wide your plant will end up and give it room
Worst Mistakes
- Don't plant a new shrub in summer unless you want to spend the next few months running back and forward with a watering can as you watch it slowly die.
- Don't get suckered by alluring plant catalogues and try planting something that likes 'damp shade' in 'full sun' or something that likes 'humus rich, acid soil' in 'dry, crumbly chalk'. It will die.
- Never think.. 'the slugs couldn't possibly eat that'... but keep your slug pellets dry.
Any more?