The latest in gardening...

On offer in GM August issue

GM book offer...Deputy editor Julie Hollobone's new book Propagation Techniques is on special offer (page 78 August issue) until 30 Setpember 2008. Read more from Julie on how to take cuttings in the August issue or online for subscribers, with links to some useful equipment.

Craft show...The Sussex Guild will hold a craft show at Pashley Manor Gardens on 30-31 August.

Contaminated farmyard manure...The RHS has received numerous calls from members concerned that farmyard manure sourced from outside is contaminated with weedkiller, causing plants to be stunted and have abnormalities. There's more information from the RHS.

Q&A Val has a fuchsia named after her... You may have come across Val Bradley on the forum giving advice and answering your gardening questions. Val has had a fuchsia named after her – 'Valerie' – available to buy by mail order from Potash Nursery.

New fruit-picking product... The Berry Picker from Nether Wallop Trading harvests fruit 10 times as fast as ordinary hand-picking, claims the manufacturer.

Free blueberry recipe booklet and growing guide.... When you buy a pair of plants in 4-litre pots from Trehane Nursery, with discounts on plants.

Dr Who? Hessayon reveals himself...The world's bestselling garden writer emerged from the shadows recently to celebrate 50 million sales of his Expert guides, making a rare public appearance at the Royal Festival Hall in late May, reports Matthew Appleby.

Hedgehog roadkill points to declining numbers...The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) reports hedgehog roadkill numbers have fallen by around 7.5 per cent in England since 2001, indicating an ongoing decline in their population.

Do you have Britain's best lawn? Enter by 25 July

Britain's best lawn...If you think it's yours, enter Britain's Best Lawn competition by 25 July for a chance to win £2,000 worth of Snapper lawnmower equipment and a day's advice from lawn expert Martin Fish. Call Gemma Sharpe on 01332 372196 or email briggsandstratton@paskett.co.uk for an entry form.

Gardena takes a new angle...Website editor Sarah B tests the new Gardena angled hose connector available online from Screwfix.com. 'Its key benefit is the swivel action of the lower part, which moves the hose from side to side as you move. This prevents the hose from kinking and twisting at the tap,' she said.

Fruit to rent...For a £30 annual fee you can rent a cherry tree in an orchard belonging to East Sussex farmer Michael Dallaway, have it looked after professionally all year and visit to pick the fruit and picnic at harvest time. Last year, 300 pioneer renters each took home an average of 15kg (33lb) of cherries.

Heritage veg seed sales soar...Traditional seed suppliers Robinson's reports taking many more calls and orders from people interested in heritage varieties, particularly those recognised as having a superior taste. Varieties such as 'Faulds' parsley and 'Red Flowered' broad bean are guaranteed to impress with their looks, as well as their performance in the kitchen, says the company.

Raised beds....A new range of raised-bed kits, made from pressure-treated timber sourced from managed forests, is available from Marshalls Seeds.

Taking part in a gardening show?...Enter your local show, help with the judging or even organise a new event with the help of the updated Horticultural Show Handbook, including a new section – How to Stage a Flower Show.

Dig for Victory allotment...This project in London's St James's Park, run by the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, promotes sustainability and recycling using a World War II theme. The Dig for Victory allotment is open to the public until 30 September 2008.

Love Food, Hate Waste campaign...New research from the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has revealed that we throw away a third of the food we buy. For advice on using up ingredients, spicing up leftovers, rescuing wilting food and coping with gluts if you grow your own, visit Love Food, Hate Waste.

Kent's Yalding Organic Gardens...Reopens to the public after closure this year due to lack of funds. Maidstone-based company Maro Foods has stepped in to run operations after being granted a 15-year lease to the site.

Alan's tooled up...Alan Titchmarsh has joined forces with Bulldog Tools to produce two new garden tool ranges: Traditional Forged Garden and English Style Stainless. Both comprise spades, forks, rakes, hoes, lawn edgers, trowels and cutting tools to cover common garden tasks, and are available to buy from Bulldog Tools.

Grow plants without soil...Developed in the USA for people living in apartments, the Aerogarden – billed as 'the world's first kitchen garden appliance' - has gone on sale in the UK.The Aerogarden starter kit costs £119.95 plus delivery from . Refills of plants and light bulbs are also available.

Coping with drought African-style at the Royal Show...Climate change is a global concern, and the main garden feature at the Royal Show (3-6 July) this year is based around Christian Aid's adaptation projects in Burkina Faso. It will focus on simple techniques that UK gardeners can copy to help conserve water and improve soil. Buy show tickets online from Christian Aid (link above) and 10% will be donated to the charity.

Best-buy lawnmowers...Independent consumer champion Which? Gardening has rated the Husqvarna Novocut hand mower as the best buy for medium-sized lawns. The Brill Razorcut Premium scored the highest for small lawns.

Super-strong soft tie...The award-winning Haxnicks Soft-Tie is pretty strong stuff as Gardens Monthly contributor Paul Wagland discovered when he tested it. Paul used the flexible plant tie to support a large mimosa growing against a house wall. In the storms this spring the mimosa was blown down, not because the Soft-Tie snapped, but because both metal hooks (each fixed by four large screws) were pulled off the wall – leaving the Soft-Tie completely intact! Buy on 'Maxi Reels' and save 20%. Available in two thicknesses and colours; £19.99 a reel from garden centres nationwide.

Take two super strawberries....'Daisy' and 'Darlisette' both have strong resistance to pests and diseases and are available from Ken Muir. 'Daisy' is a late-summer cropper particularly good at standing up to powdery mildew and botrytis. 'Darlisette' is an early variety, thought to be one of the best for taste and performance with improved general disease resistance compared to other earlies.

New veg to try...Plants Of Distinction has released its latest catalogue, which features several new vegetables including golden beetroot 'Touchstone Gold'; turnip 'Scarlet Queen'; and 'Sicilian rocket salad mixed'.

Goji berries not so super after all...The import of goji plants, the berries of which are regarded as a 'superfood', is to be stopped after concerns that the plants may carry pests and diseases which could threaten UK-grown crops, reports DEFRA.

Dig your Dinner campaign...Organic food brand and champion of biodiversity Seeds of Change has joined forces with Garden Organic to encourage Brits to grow their own produce. Take part and you'll be supporting the Heritage Seed Library's conservation of Britain's threatened vegetable varieties.

Diarmuid Gavin joined in the campaign

Environmental news...The theme of this year's Compost Awareness Week (4-10 May) was 'green up the environment', with events and offers taking place at garden centres and retailers across the country.

Supported by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Composting Association, the aim of the week was to highlight the environmental benefits of compost and encourage gardeners to buy peat-free compost, plant a tree, use products made from recycled materials and compost kitchen and garden waste, cutting down on rubbish.

Maggie Newton, head of WRAP's Know Your Compost Campaign, told Gardens Monthly: 'Many people aren't aware that peat-free composts contain recycled materials such as grass clippings, hedge trimmings and prunings, which would otherwise be sent to landfill. Buying peat-free compost that contains recycled materials therefore closes the recycling loop by providing a market for those valuable materials.'

Grow sunflowers...Suttons has donated 5,000 packs of Giant Yellow sunflowers seeds for this year's Big Sponsored Sunflower Grow competition set up by the charity Feed the Children. Schools, youth groups, gardening clubs and societies are invited to take part and help raise funds.

Cutting edge tool...GM's Julie Hollobone tested the Bosch , Xeo Cordless Universal Cutter, designed to cut through a range of materials up to 6mm (¼in) thick quickly and easily: 'Its easy use relies on the tool being charged up when needed and for occasional use a knife may be just as effective,' said Julie. 'Handy if you have to do a lot of cutting work.' The price is around £34.99.

Marks & Spencer goes gardening...M&S has launched gardening tools and accessories in a range comprising more than 30 'garden essentials'. The tools are available in 14 selected M&S stores. View and buy them online from Marks & Spencer.