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this frustration got me thinking about bedding.I admit to not being a huge fan of annual bedding plants, but I can see their attraction. For the gardener, they provide instant results - quick-fix solutions to gaps in borders, a tired corner, a dreary patio

of hyacinths; Adam is firmly sat on the fence and only dislikes "weeds", while Anne hates coleus, particularly in bedding displays. Are any bedding displays really nice, though? Do people actually like begonias, marigolds and impatiens or is it only municipal

featured raised beds planted with nectar plants and companion planting schemes. 'An audience with Mathew Wilson' warmed up the crowd before Jekka McVicar presented a lecture on growing and eating native plants. I wish I could have stayed for the rest

.In the meantime, hungry birds will make short work of seedheads and do a much better job of finding slug and snail eggs than I ever could. The frogs will bed down in their hibernaculum and among leaf piles, and the mouse, worms, slugs and beetles will stay warm

flower beds, traffic islands and even motorway service stations. Some came to Hackney and planted up concrete troughs around the corner from where I live.In spring, the tulips will provide a dash of unexpected colour, as a cheerful surprise to passers

that work well in a formal planting scheme. The bed of French lavender at the front of the garden was abuzz with honeybees, while the early bumblebee, Bombus pratorum, gorged on cirsium at the rear. Other plants worthy of note included Centaurea montana

elsewhere. Growing nectar-rich plants is a good way to entice them in, but they won't nest in your flower beds. Butterflies lay eggs in long grass, nettles and thistles (depending on the species), while bumblebees prefer undisturbed messy areas

raised bed, as you need to consider drainage issues and the additional weight put on the shed. But it can be done without buying expensive kits. And, while the plants won't put on much growth before spring, I think the roof looks great. The shed has

the space better. A series of troughs hung from trellises, for example, might work well, or I could just build beds into them. They'd be made of stone, of course, and top-dressed with guinea pig manure for the ultimate homage to the Incas.

annuals is one largely invented by Bunny Guinness and friends”. (Bunny can be heard talking about guerrilla gardening in the Radio 4 programme mentioned earlier.) Richard may have proved that not all guerrilla gardeners plant wildlife-poor bedding annuals