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How hard would it be to design green roofs for cars? Just imagine: you stop off to pick up some groceries, and on returning to your car, you find it's alive with the sight and sound of butterflies and bees tucking into the supply of nectar on its

Green manures are the perfect organic fertiliser. They improve soil structure, suppress weeds and return nutrients to the soil.You never see bare earth in the wild for a reason: autumn rains in particular can leach nutrients, damage soil structure

Since I bought my shed, I've been itching to put a green roof on it, but I’ve always been put off by how difficult the task looks. Luckily, a friend asked if she could do the job for me, for a book she's writing. So last weekend, she turned up

Last spring I found a foxglove seedling in a pot, which had presumably self-seeded from a neighbour's garden. Excited, I potted it on and nurtured it in anticipation of seeing it flower this year. (Foxgloves are biennial, so flower in their second

wildfire garden".Now, 26 years later, the gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show are awash not just with wildflowers, but with green roofs, ponds, streams and insect habitats. Indeed, these are such great gardens for wildlife, that on Sunday morning a

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

.Although grown in the UK as annuals, chillies are perennial plants, so technically they can last for several years. The climate of their native South and Central America helps though. I once stayed in a hostel in Fiji that had lush, green chilli bushes growing

, including gold- and light-centred alpines, green-edged fancies and a few selfs. We're not fussy about choosing particular named varieties, but we tend to steer clear of doubles. Auriculas, part of the primula family, make great hobby plants. There are so

per cent. Numbers of red squirrels continue to fall, and the hedgehog is declining at the same rate as the tiger. Overall, 60 per cent of the species assessed are in trouble.The report coincides with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which celebrates its

and the Green & Black's Rainforest Garden. Biodiversity is a key theme this year, in recognition of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity.After three visits to Chelsea I think I've worked out how to get by unscathed: visit the show gardens