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was incredible, with 95 comments to date.But, as I tentatively start sowing seeds for my new garden, it strikes me that it would be nice to balance all that hatred with something that inspires us for the coming growing season. It's nearly Valentine's Day, after

three good examples and then shut up (I'm sure you have other things to do with your time.)I grow Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Windspiel' as a hedge - most of the year it is quiet and well behaved but about now it begins to flirt outrageously

and hoverflies are still on the wing, foraging for food. Nectar provides insects with energy to fly and builds them up for winter hibernation. By growing just one source of nectar-rich food, you can improve these insects' chances of surviving the cold months

've visited. It has sculpted meadows, native wildflowers (including Verbena bonariensis) and a plethora of fruit and nut trees, dominating the landscape. Except for the beautifully kept English rose garden and vegetable patch, the garden is almost entirely

-3m during the summer.I still love patio favourites like petunia, verbena, pelargonium and fuchsia, but am always on the lookout for something new. New Guinea impatiens have become a favourite for shade, and I always choose a selection of foliage

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

frost-free, but often that's still only just above zero. My little rudbeckias and antirrhinums – both from the Seed Club 'Blooms for Bees' pack – have been so unhappy they simply stopped growing. Worse, the tomato seedlings turned an ominous shade