Another way of ensuring that diseases rarely get a hold of your plants is to practice good hygiene.
Remove all dead and dying material from the beds and borders, and be alert for any signs of diseased material so that you can deal with the problem promptly.
If viruses attack, remove and burn the affected plants.
There are chemicals available for dealing for most pets and diseases, and if your garden suffers a serious outbreak then you may need to resort them.
Do not, however, spray widely as a precautionary measure, and spray only the parts of the plant that are affected.
It is very important to follow the instructions on the bottle, packet or spray.
At all costs avoid spraying the whole garden just in case.
Regulations with regard to horticultural chemicals are in a state of flux and many traditional ones have been banned.
Even some new ones leave the market only a few years after going on the shelves.
Similarly, some chemicals are banned is some countries and not in others.
So, if you need to treat a particular problem, consult your garden center and make certain that you obtain something that is appropriate for your problem.
Rabbits can cause a lot of damage to plants, as they have done in most containers.
Placing netting round the garden is the only solution.
Slugs and snails are two of the gardener's worst enemies.
A night time patrol with a torch will capture a lot of them at work.
Damage by the caterpillars of moths and butterflies can ruin flowers.
Picking them off by hand is the most effective treatment.