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I can't say it's a surprise - I've been expecting the annual appearance of a whopping great marrow on one of my courgette plants. It happens every year, without fail. I try to be so thorough when I'm picking, delving under the leaves, harvesting

but Jekka. She is our equivalent of Pele or Bono.I went to visit her farm the other day, where we had a fine afternoon investigating all sorts of herbs from the mundane (but essential) to the super-exotic Chilean guavas (Ugni molinae), the fruits of which

interpretation scheme. There are a large variety of native and exotic trees, most of which I recognize, but there are a couple of oddities I'm going to have to do some research on.One of the most surprising finds is a large sprig of mistletoe growing on a broad

slowly, keeping your basket well fed.More ideas and advice for growing exoticsFollow Sarah Raven's video advice on caring for orchids.Learn how to check banana plants for frost damage with Sarah Raven's advice.Discover how to grow a peanut plant

this method for sowing seeds saved from your own dahlia plants at the end of the previous season.10cm pot or seed trayMulti-purpose compost Dahlia seedsPlant label and pencilClear polythene bag and rubber band (for pot) or propagator lid (for seed tray

The first really hard frost hit this morning. The garden was so white it almost looked as if it was covered with snow. It was gorgeous to look at but pretty miserable for some of the less hardy plants. But when I went into the greenhouse to grab

-flowered varieties, which are available in a wonderful range of colours. Cyclamen seed10cm potSeeds & cuttings compostVermiculite Sheet of glassBlack polytheneJuly - August15 minutesJanuary - MarchBefore sowing, soak the cyclamen seeds in warm water for at least 12

and shrubs. If you're new to gardening, limit yourself to growing one or two types of annuals. Sow about 20 seeds to see how you get on. You can always sow more a week or two later.SeedsSeed compost Seed trays or potsPlant labelsPencil or waterproof pen

and homeliness of a 'proper' garden, but that's the point, really. It's wonderful to see a fabulous tree or shrub and know that somewhere very close will be a neatly engraved label giving more information than you will ever need. Not just the plant name but also

Last year I had a great crop of chillies. I was so pleased with them that I couldn't bear to throw the plants on the compost heap when they'd finished fruiting. So I saved my favourite two to overwinter indoors as an experiment in chilli endurance