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Shade can be a nightmare if your heart is set on growing summer bedding, fruit and veg, or Mediterranean plants, which need direct sun to flourish. But there are plenty of beautiful plants which thrive in shady conditions.Many people imagine

, such as clover. Many pesticides just kill them.Our gardens are fast becoming refuges for bees - especially some species of bumblebee, which are happy to nest in wild corners, bird boxes and under sheds. Many also come into our gardens to feed. Sadly some species

their prejudices: I, too, dismissed all hanging baskets and garishly coloured window boxes as tasteless and vulgar.But a couple of years ago, brothers and sisters, I saw the light. No matter how much I disliked the colour combinations I could not deny the fact

on a frosty day is one of the greatest pleasures. The winter is when evergreens come into their own and the frost just makes yews look even better. Hedges seem to be draped with diamonds and the shiny leaves of box glisten. There is not a great deal

to be irresistible. Those open boxes of loose bulbs just aren't the same. They may be a bit cheaper, but pictorial packs provide something to focus on while waiting for the bulbs to bloom.Last spring I bought a wonderful new variety of lily called 'Strawberry & Cream

tray to keep moist. Within weeks beautiful well-rooted plants had developed, ready for planting directly outside without risk of disturbing the rootball.Following this success I've tried growing other crops in newspaper pots, including beans

to have done by now. A box of tulips is sitting under my desk (along with two pairs of shoes, the overspill from the waste paper basket and a pen top whose presence I have been missing for a while). They should have been planted at least a month ago (the

.'Quail'At 20cm high this May-flowering jonquil type is so small it needs to be planted where you can see it - in window boxes and pots. It's extremely fragrant so position it where you will be able to smell it.'Sweetness'More on growing daffodilsHow to force

flower heads of this compact grass, and its signature 'quaking' habit make it well worth growing. Place in full sun or light shade.Briza media 'Limouzi' (Quaking grass)This semi-evergreen, dwarf sedge is perfect for growing in window boxes. A sunny

varieties to choose from I'll need some of each. And I've never tried growing asparagus. Perhaps I should try growing some next year as the whole family love eating it.But it's not just seeds. The catalogues include fruit, potatoes and onion sets, and bulbs