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Since Christmas the weather has been almost universally ghastly - rain, fog, leaden skies and general Januaryness. Over the last couple of days, however, I have noticed everything change; the skies are blue and the sun is shining. In the hedges buds

There are nine weeks to go to the Chelsea Flower Show and we are beginning to feel the pressure. We are in the final stages of potting up the herbs into their final containers. I have noticed that some of the plants are rushing into flower early

That warm Saturday (April 26th) brought out the first butterflies of the year: holly blue, small tortoiseshell and speckled wood. They're all common garden species, but I always get a thrill when I see any of them.The female holly blue

and work well as part of a mixed border - I have a lovely white iris called Iris sibirica 'Snow Queen' and a blue one called 'Emperor'.These are fine, but they pale into insignificance compared to the huge, complicated flowers of their bearded cousins. Each

It pays not to be too neat and tidy in the garden or you'll miss out on so many unexpected delights. Agapanthus look stunning in full flower through summer, but if I'd been too hasty with the secateurs and trimmed away the flower spikes as soon

In 15 years of exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show, I've never known such a late spring. Here on the farm the blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, is still flowering. Interestingly, because it flowers early in spring, a cold spell of weather at this time

days, stretches of perfect white sand, bobbing seals, heathery hills, shining blue lobsters and lichened rocks. But, even though to the casual observer it may have seemed that I was lolling around all week doing very little, I have been diligent in my

and the singed toffee-coloured flowers are so subtle that they seem to only whisper (but such seductive words that the heart melts).Phlox 'Blue Paradise': I think these are the very best of the family. A sort of washed denim colour that changes with the light

ovoid leaves with inquisitive tendrils that stick to the brickwork like flies' feet. Very late in the season it produces propeller-like buds from which emerge gorgeous flowers that change from limey green to deep purple-blue as they age

With 23 days to go until we build our display at the Chelsea Flower Show, the first buds of pot marigolds, Calendula officinalis, are showing. Their timing couldn't have been more perfect.The marigolds will be in full flower in time for the show