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unexpected like the tawny leaves of beech with ruffles of ice, or the stems of roses which suddenly grow three times as many thorns.There are all sorts of winter treasures to find out there in the frost - not just in your gardens but in parks, hedgerows

Jekka McVicar's 10 companion plantsJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for growing as companion plants.Companion planting

don't waste this valuable resource.Watering can or hosepipeWatering can rose or fine spray nozzleWater-retaining granulesMicro-drip irrigation system and timerWater buttlate-March - early September20 minutesAlways water your plants in the cool

after flowering to promote new growth, which you can use over winter.May-OctoberMay-October30 minutesBay, Laurus nobilis x1Flat-leaf parsley, Petroselinum crispum x1French tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus x1Greek sage, Salvia officinalis 'Greek' x2Lemon

't be a problem. Fantastic if you could grow roses so far north. Still, beautiful as the scenery was, I'd not swap it for our variable and often excessively wet climate, with all its rewards of tasty, tender veg we've been enjoying since our return!

will suffer if the compost dries out in hot weather.May-OctoberMay-October30 minutesCelery leaf, Apium graveolens x2Chives, Allium schoenoprasum x3Mint, Mentha spicata x1Purple shiso, Oerilla frutescens var. purpurascens x3Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis x1

-flowering clematis. Given their willingness to grow in sun or shade and to scramble up any kind of support, there's no garden that can't accommodate at least one or two.Clematis produce their display on the current season's growth. That's why it's common to see

cuttingsTaking summer cuttingsTaking rose cuttings

-June - mid-August 1 hour (depending on size of plant)April - May Use secateurs to cut back all the long shoots that have been produced during the late spring and early summer. Make the cut just beyond the second or third bud from the base.AdamMake sure

as the pustules erupted from nearly every leaf.The pears too had rust - a sight I've only ever seen a handful of times (and that includes working as plant pathologist at RHS Wisley for 11 years, examining thousands of decrepit plants each year). Presumably it