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On Saturday I returned home after five days at the Chelsea Flower Show. As often happens when I return after being away at this time of year, everything has tripled in size, including the weeds. The winner is a rodgersia, which is now obstructing the footpath.We have a bit of wil...

of goodness). My favourite plant at this time of year is a magnificent Parthenocissus that covers an old building nearby.I like to go there every few days to watch the leaves change from deep green to pink and yellow and deep dark red. It is a truly

of oak in England is probably the Bowthorpe Oak in Lincolnshire, which is 1000 years old. There is a specimen in Stelmuze, Lithuania that is supposedly 1500 years old. (The village also has a building especially designed for imprisoning serfs.)5. Oak

of the Royal Hospital preparing the most spectacular show on earth.Here are some snippets from my Chelsea diary:Tuesday 17 May: I went and loitered around during build up - where we found time to make our latest Three Men Went to Mow video. During build up

to pruning. Some of you might remember the Fortnum and Mason garden designed by Robert Myers at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2007. The building at the back of the garden was covered with trained liquidambars and very effective it was.There are many reasons you

.The Draughtsman's Contract (1983). Beautiful Peter Greenaway film about love and lust amongst formal gardens and sweeping landscapes. Filmed at Groombridge Place in Kent, which was also used in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice.Green Card (1990) starring Gerard

You might remember my blog a few months back, in which I described the appearance of a mole in my garden. The garden is situated in an old farmyard, surrounded on all four sides by buildings. The offending mole is now racing all over the place

of being inside so I occasionally have to water it in order to stop it drying out. Of course, you can build a compost bin in a much smaller area. We took advantage of the recent rainy days to turn the compost heap so it looks unbelievably beautiful

When I was a contractor fossicking around London laying slabs, building walls and digging holes we usually had a radio. Most of the time this played Radio 4 as it is the perfect way to distract the mind from occasionally very tedious and rather

the garden. Eager to ensure that there were no smoldering buildings, or even a child enjoying a crafty cigar, I went to investigate. It was pollen, great billowing clouds of the stuff blowing off a large yew. This tree was also taking advantage of the last