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producing a single flower per stem once a year, moth orchids produce several stems, each boasting a dozen or more exotic flowers. Yes, I know you'll find these phalaenopsis orchids everywhere now, but they offer so much more value than a bunch of cut flowers

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

Although flowers usually steal the headlines, think how bleak a garden would look without foliage. Leaves are a vital part of every garden. Consider the contrast between the lushness of summer and the bleakness of winter, when tender plants have

Why is it that you rarely see zinnias in summer bedding displays? Do they give the impression of being an old-fashioned flower? Well, I think they're in for a revival, and with some stunning new varieties coming onto the market I'm recommending them

, rather than rushing in with secateurs snipping everywhere. Every cut serves a purpose, so consider carefully. Pruning provides an opportunity to maintain the health, vigour and flowering performance of our roses.Any old stems showing signs of dieback can

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

this may often be a weed, you never know what might pop up.And this is where self-seeders - flowers you love, and deliberately let go to seed - come into their own. By resisting the temptation to snip off every faded flower in sight you give some flowers a

into a slightly larger pot (about 1-2cm wider all round) surrounds the whole rootball with a layer of fresh compost for roots to grow out into. I just hope the extra compost doesn't prompt a return of those unproductive youthful habits, and I can look

the long wispy side shoots back to about 20cm during summer (July is perfect), and then cutting these stems back further to about 5cm during winter. Pruning twice a year in this way not only controls the mass of new growth that develops each year, but also

flowers, thickets and wilderness?), but it's amazing how important the little things are. I see it time and time again, like the value of topping up the bird bath throughout the year, leaving apple windfalls for the blackbirds, or leaving the coriander