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's fast growing and shade tolerant, and provides food, nesting and hibernation opportunities for all sorts of creatures. To me, ivy is a perfect plant, but when I mention wanting to grow it to my partner, parents and friends, I'm met with stern disapproval.Ivy

from the local wild plants. We don't have hedgerows in Hackney, but we do have a canal, besides which grows the field rose, Rosa arvensis, common honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum, and ivy, Hedera helix. I gathered a few hips from the rose (leaving

It's easy to be sniffy about the ornamental cabbage. It is quite a strange concept; an odd, Frankensteinish amalgam of vegetable and bedding plant. However, my mind was changed - temporarily at least - during a recent trip to New York. I saw

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

for wildlifeLearn how to identify bumblebees in your gardenGrowing wildlife-friendly plantsPlants for bees

flowers for sustenance, and flowers need bees for pollination. But it's important the flowers you grow provide the food bees need.Most double flowers are of little use, because they're too elaborate. Some are bred without male and female parts, while

with seasonal fillers, a container can provide colour throughout the year.Containers also give you the opportunity to grow plants that wouldn't otherwise thrive in your garden. Those with chalky alkaline soils can grow acid-loving plants in ericaceous compost