So you've just moved to a new house and inherited a garden that looks tired.
The shrubs look leggy and thin, the flowers weak and the only successful vegetation seem to be weeds.
It's time to bring out the secret weapon - double digging.
Double digging is hard work, which is why so many gardening books and websites gloss over it, however, there is no better way to revive a tired border or indeed to start a new one than this transformative process.
How To Double Dig If you are planning to revive an existing border or bed, first decide which, if any, existing plants you want to save.
Dig these up with as big a root ball as possible, wrap up the rootball with a damp cloth or put in a plastic bag, water well and then place to one side.
Mark out and dig a trench 2 feet (60 cms) wide and 1 spit (depth of a spade) deep across one end of the plot, carrying the soil to a point just beyond the far end of the plot.
Now fork over the bottom of the trench to another spit deep, incorporating well rotted farm yard manure, garden compost and on heavy clay soil, some grit.
Mark out another 2 foot trench adjacent to the first and dig out the top spit of soil throwing it onto the lower spit in the first trench and repeat the process.
Eventually, after much effort, you will be left with forked over trench in the far end of the plot.
Fill this final trench with the soil you set aside at the start.
You now have a gloriously aerated, well drained, nutrient rich plot, ready for new plants or those you salvaged previously.