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with such jewels of summer.These unseasonal blooms were likely grown in far flung places such as Africa or South America and flown over to the UK. Those with fewer 'flower miles' will have been raised in giant heated greenhouses closer to home. Cut flowers are big

times their own depth - to get them flowering again. It's also important to remove faded blooms to avoid the plants wasting energy on seed production, then wait at least six weeks before cutting back the foliage, as the leaves convert the sun's energy

rainforest, are for sale in our supermarkets.Of course, many of them end up in good homes. But as they're so often given as gifts in place of cut flowers, do they too end up on the compost heap after they've bloomed?A friend of mine was once a florist, and I

There are so few plants that do well in my small, shady garden, but those that do thrive deserve a medal. This week, honesty is taking centre stage, with its tall spires of brilliant white flowers, towering above more subtle spring blooms.I love

in for stripes. It’s not nearly as pretty as Lionel’s tapestry of flowers, but it’s full of insects. Whenever I walk over it, I see clouds of flies, daddy long-legs and, occasionaly, the odd frog.My local council seems to have cut back on lawn mowing duties

root cuttings from my mum's garden. Some didn't flower, so I'm hoping they will this year. I'm also looking forward to single plants growing into clumps, as they become established and make my garden their own.And what went wrong? I grew far too many

planting, simply chop down and dig in your green manure, leaving it to break down into the soil. As the plants decompose, they return nutrients to the earth, providing it with the perfect food for your crops. For best results, you should cut down the crop

as not to increase petrol consumption, and the less mud the better I suppose, if you love your car.Seriously though, there are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint, and driving around with a load of flowers on your roof probably wouldn't cut it. Planting trees

. 'Chelsea shoulder' is a common ailment suffered by journalists who don't stick to those rules (one that I've suffered from each year, and not just at Chelsea). But I'm still getting my hair cut. I'm calling it the 'Chelsea chop'.I'll be blogging from

the ground. (I love dandelion leaves. There're so crunchy and refreshing after a winter of meagre salads. The trick is to pick them before they flower, after which they can taste bitter.) Then the nettles and wild garlic appear (which together make a