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Some people get a bit snobby when it comes to flowers. Perennials usually come high in the pecking order for the 'must have' plants of the moment, but when did you last hear anyone singing the praises of hardy annuals?Annuals are the unsung heroes

more (that's a topic for another day).So, what are the alternatives? There are quite a few annual climbers to choose from actually. Morning glory (ipomoea) is popular, but their flowers are all too short-lived. The purple bell vine (rhodochiton) is nice

Will our love affair with Verbena bonariensis ever wane? This fabulous flower looks as good growing individually among low border plants as it does planted en masse. The open, airy quality of the stems only adds to the appeal. Wildlife loves V

Why do people turn their noses up at edible flowers? What could be more delicious than beautiful chive heads tossed into a salad? They add quite an intense burst of onion flavour when eaten - probably more powerful than chopped chive leaves

My annual pilgrimage to Gardeners' World Live has arrived, and what a week it will be. Although I'll be up at the NEC early to help put the finishing touches to our plans, the show officially opens its doors to gardeners at 9.00am on Wednesday 10th

keeping pests under control without me needing to do a thing ... apart from enjoying these charming little flowers.When flowering is over I let this hardy annual die down naturally, releasing seed back onto the soil where it will germinate to form plants

Ask any seed company to name their Top 10 bestselling flowers and you'll regularly find sweet peas in first place.Sweet peas are the gardeners’ favourite for climbing colour and delicious fragrance, bringing a touch of cottage garden nostalgia

they put up a fight. That's why they're so successful.Bittercress continues to frustrate me, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Barely has a seedling had time to get established than it's flowering, then forming seed pods. And those pods have a trick up

... round shrubs, roses and flowers, along the base of the hedge, around fruit trees and bushes, and over the veg plot. Beans get a good, deep mulch of compost to help conserve soil moisture, too, but it's not just water retention that mulching is good for