Grow Your Own Magazine

A cut above

You can grow a whole new plant from a decent cutting of certain crops and with rosemary, bay, thyme and sage all ready for the snip this August, Wolf Garten's mini-shears could help your herb garden flourish. The short, sharp blades will help you cut cleanly through the stems (unlike scissors, which will often just squash them) and the handle is designed for a comfortable hold. To catch the herb's essential oils at their highest take your cutting in the morning, just after the dew has dried. Make a clean snip beneath the leaf joint and trim the lower leaves from the stem. Don't worry about taking your mucky tool into the kitchen (where they're just as useful for pot-grown plants) – the shears can be taken apart for a really good clean.

One set of Wolf Garten herb shears - complete with a 10 year guarantee - costs £9.99. For more information call 01495 306 600 or go to wolfgarten.co.uk.

Alternatively you could win one of 10 sets we've got to give away

For your chance to win, tick the box under the image, then fill the form below.

Best in show

On September 14, Harrogate opens its doors at the Great Yorkshire Showground. This autumn's show is set to include the largest bonsai exhibition in Europe and the British Fuchsia Society's 70th anniversary display. But if (like us) you're obsessed with growing edibles, there's plenty for you too. After last year's popular apple tasting sessions attracted more than 1,400 people, the Northern Fruit Group is planing to hold them again, with plenty of varieties available to try. But it won't only be fruit out on display. The National Vegetable Society championships will be hosted at Harrogate along with the popular 'heavy union' competition.

Adult entry costs £12 on the day but you can save £2 by booking before midday on September 2 by phoning 0870 758 3333 or going to flowershop.org.uk

Alternatively you can enter to win one of the 20 pairs of tickets we have to give away.

For your chance to win, tick the box under the image, then fill the form below.

The bee's knees

Why throw away your kitchen and garden scraps when most of them can be recycled around the plot? A beehive composter is an eco-friendly way to keep waste out of landfill. Teabags, raw veg peelings, grass cuttings and cardboard are only some of the ingredients that can be used to make great compost. Just add your leftovers to the box and depending on the method you use, you'll have a nutrient-rich mix in anything from six weeks to a year. Condition your soil by digging this in or use it as a wellrotted mulch to keep your plants moist through summer.

Some wood treatment uses harmful chemicals, but this composter is designed with green growers in mind; the sustainable rough-sawn timber is protected by the environmentally friendly Osmose AC500. It's simple to put together too – the layers stack on top of each other and a door at the bottom of the box allows easy access to the compost.

For your chance to win, tick the box under the image, then fill the form below.

A beehive composter costs £120 from Wiggly Wigglers. For more information call 01981 500 391 or go to wigglywigglers.co.uk.

Alternatively you could win one of the two we've got to give away