AliP

Do you consider gardening to be like art?

I would definitely say it is an art.  And like in art everyone has a preferred artist or style the same goes for gardens.  The great thing with gardens is its 3D and forever changing plus you get to lose yourself in it literally! I could go on and on but I won't bore you. www.alisonpike.com/blog/

Garden tools for pruning and cutting

Hi Tamara,

Check out this website http://www.niwaki.com/ it may have been the Tobisho secateurs that you mentioned.  The Japanese really know how to make amazing gardening tools!  I've got some of the Okatsune snips for taking cutting and they are great.  www.alisonpike.com/blog/

camelia

What happens to the buds, do they all just drop? and what do they look like when they drop ie. are they brown?  Does the plant otherwise look in good health?  Sorry, I know lots of questions but I should be able to help more with abit more info.
www.alisonpike.com/blog/

sweet pea seedlings

It's good to have the heat of indoors to get the seeds to germinate but as soon as they have you want to put them into a frost free greenhouse or somewhere similarly cool and light this will then slow the growth right down so they don't become leggy. Yes you are right to pinch out the growing tips once 2 sets of leaves are showing, this will then encourage branching. Link below is to article I've done on my blog about sweet pea seeds.
<span id="sample-permalink">www.alisonpike.com/blog/?p=231

monty don

Mrs Spratt sums it up perfectly..."we all enjoy different styles" I wasn't so keen on the program style when is was Toby and enjoy GW more now. So surely there is opportunity for more programmes. Loved Sarah Raven's Bees, Butterflies and Blooms.
www.alisonpike.com/blog/

Saving water

Yes, as long as it doesn't have any strong detergents in it then just let it cool and use it on your garden.  You could start using a biodegradable washing up liquid like Ecover if you want to make sure you're not putting any nasty's on the garden. I've recently posted a blog on the saving water if you want to check it out as it's something all us gardeners are interested in.
www.alisonpike.com/blog/?p=414

Restricting roots on a raspberry bush

Could you use the geotextile weed matting that some people put on borders before putting bark mulch on to stop weeds coming through.  I guess you could fold it in two to double the thickness? It's permeable so will allow moisture back and forth but should keep out the runners.
www.alisonpike.com/blog/

Heuchera's

Thanks for the advice! I suspect I may well become obsessed ingrid they just have amazing foliage variety and are handy little plants. Pokadotdaisy I have already had problems with vine weevil when they've been in pots but not in the open ground as yet... fingers crossed! I can see a two pronged attack of propagation and replanting deeper!  David, mine grow in abit of shade and I try not to let them dry out and that seems to do them ok, to be honest I sound a little like the friends you mention that pretty much neglect them.

Heuchera's

I wondered if anyone has some good tips for getting the best from their Heuchera's.  Mine always look a little bedraggled and tend to grow up leaving a bare stem underneath and become very vulnerable to snapping off. Any advice would be gratefully received because I do love these plants and the range of foliage colours you can get. Just don't feel i'm doing them justice at the moment.
www.alisonpike.com/blog/

Looking for evergreen climber

Clematis cirrhosa 'Freckles' - this has quite delicate ferny foliage that looks good all year round and has great little bell shaped flowers during winter.
Like others have mentioned Trachelospermum jasminoides as long as the position is fairly sheltered, this would also be great if it somewhere you are going to smell the amazing fragrance when its in flower.  Or go crazy and have both intertwined then you've got flowers in summer and in winter!
Another one is Akebia quinata but this can be abit of a thug once its established and its only really semi evergreen. Good luck.
www.alisonpike.com/blog/

Mysterious unknown plants

Tulipa 'Spring Green'

Heuchera's

Coral Spot

Snowdrops and bees

Snowdrops