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Doesn't this winter seem longer than usual? Conditions are unpleasantly cold and it's so wet that I can hardly stand upright on any sloping surface in the garden. The sky is grey, my toes are turning rigid in my boots and the rain is hammering down

, leeks and chives are a staple in my garden!

of year, I can pretty well guarantee that every time I come across a gaggle of gardeners I’ll be asked if these silvery markings are symptoms of mildew, and whether the plants should be sprayed.I rather like the streaky appearance, but it does seem

's crop saw us right through until we were able to harvest the first of this year's bulbs.At present the crop is suspended through the slats of a very decrepit pub-style table in the garden, drying off nicely. The longest lasting bulbs from last year

in the garden, although they could have been cut for indoor display.Another variety to consider is Zinnia marylandica 'Zahara Starlight Rose' (pictured left), a beautiful bicolour variety that has resistance to leaf spot and mildew disease, that can sometimes

be said, bad films).ii) Being The Fiddler on the Roof.iii) Providing the inspiration for a hit  by 70s disco band, Boney M, set in Tsarist Russia.So, to bring things back to gardening, who do you think of when herbs are mentioned? It can be nobody else

For the last few years I've noticed large numbers of harlequin ladybirds (pictured, left) visiting my garden in summer, and then hibernating inside my window frames over winter.The window frames also provide winter shelter for lacewings and many

The temperature in my greenhouse is fluctuating wildly. It rockets during the day, when the weather is sunny, then plunges at night. The contrast is far more marked than at this time last year.This year I delayed sowing many crops, and I almost wish I had waited a little longer. ...

I had hoped that the ultra-harsh winter weather would decimate overwintering populations of pests. This would go at least some way towards making up for all the bay trees and mimosas that gardeners lost during the cold spell.The outcome

A disappointingly cold summer is often followed by predictions of a late heatwave. The predictions don’t usually come true. But this year, to my surprise, we’ve actually had an Indian summer.Suddenly I’m glad that there’s still a dense layer of algae on the greenhouse glazing – i...