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results with shallots in the past and they pickle well if there are too many to eat.For greens I'm sticking to cabbages (red, savoy and winter types) plus a couple of beds of leeks, because I love them so much. I'll also sow a few herbs and salads like

The plants used in this hanging basket display are both colourful and fragrant. Heliotrope is one of the best scented plants for growing in a sunny spot, and works well in baskets. The lavender and nemesia are also richly fragrant, and all three

.AdamAll brassicas like rich, hearty soil, so manure the ground well the autumn before planting.Advice on growing brassicasGrowing broccoli, with Monty DonMonty gives advice on planting summer cabbagesDealing with cabbage white caterpillarsRemoving flea beatles

. The plants are for our own display, the theme of which is the myth and magic of herbs. Calendula is steeped in both. It was first used in Indian and Arabic cultures, before being discovered by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. In medieval England, marigolds

themselves.When Kevin Smith asked our theatre audiences at Gardeners' World Live whether they used edible flowers in their cooking, very few people responded. What a missed opportunity.The flowers of chives and many herbs are edible, including rocket

and climbing beans to flower and set seed. Several herbs readily do this too, like coriander and parsley. As the picture (top left) shows, flowering coriander attracts many beneficial insects, like hoverflies, which feed on its pollen.In fact coriander often

Nemesia plants produce a haze of flowers throughout the summer, and with the pale-gold felt leaves of the helichrysum, a soft cloud-like effect is created. Helichrysum grows happily in sun or part-shade and is ideal for brightening up a dull corner

such as runner beans over arches, on trellis or fences. Use tubs on balconies and paved areas for tomatoes, courgettes or peppers. Grow herbs in hanging baskets, and salad leaves and herbs in troughs. The biggest jobs when growing this way are watering and liquid

Raised beds are ideal for vegetable growing - maintenance is easier, as you don't need to dig, and the soil doesn't get walked on and compacted.A robust raised bed can be constructed from interlocking scaffolding boards, which look attractive

guide to creating a traditional hanging basketGrow strawberries in a hanging basketCreating a herb hanging basket display