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interested, which is surprising when food is in such short supply. I know the seeds are poisonous to humans, so birds must know this instinctively, and I'm told rabbits stay clear of them as well.Following flowers in early summer, the faded blooms give way

feed on pollen from the open flowers, and hopefully breed and lay eggs. Developing larvae then feed on aphids, acting as a form of natural pest control.When I experimented with the 'square foot vegetable plot' planting technique a couple of years ago, I

they put up a fight. That's why they're so successful.Bittercress continues to frustrate me, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Barely has a seedling had time to get established than it's flowering, then forming seed pods. And those pods have a trick up

ways. The oldest variety I grow, and the earliest to flower, is 'St Ewe', which I planted directly into my border soil. Now I wouldn't claim my clay soil is ideal for camellias, which enjoy a lime-free and water-retentive soil, but this one has

spread!Earlier today I watched as a dozen or more bees eagerly flitted here and there, visiting the clover flowers. Far from being a weedy embarrassment my lawn is actually a wildlife haven.Earlier in the day my daughter commented on the numerous

. If it sits proud it easily dries out and restricts access for roots.Old card toilet roll tubes are my favourite. They're the perfect size for sowing peas, beans, sweetcorn and many other large crops. Being that little bit deeper than small flower pots

strong, powerful, fragrance that fills the surrounding air. It's also nice having pure white flowers at this time of year to ring the changes from an abundance of yellow.Standing by my choisya and savouring its scent I'm struck by how much I'm enjoying it

!Ever fancied breeding your very own new colours of hellebore? Carol explained how, making it look remarkably easy. That's another thing I'll enjoy doing when mine come into flower soon.No gardening programme would be complete without, in Carol's words

-trained plum. It forms quite a thicket, with stems growing 3-4m long by the end of summer, so it does need a bit of space. Tiny white flowers will form on the stems that developed into fat green pods. Picked small I throw the whole pod into stir fries, but when

was loading cans of paint and three new plants into my boot! Each plant had produced numerous short, branched stems topped by a characteristic cluster of violet/purple flowers. They've made their home in a large terracotta pot, planted simply as a group