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), climbers that need support (like roses) and shrubs that can be persuaded to do what you tell them to do (like ceanothus).I decided on the pyracantha (a variety called 'Mojave') and chose to grow it into quite disciplined espaliers. Ten years later

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

moved on enough that we do not feel obliged to ritually sacrifice the King and Queen of the May at the end of each growing season.

) was of a Chinese juniper 1.5m tall and 3.5m wide growing in a small, overcrowded garden. Over a period of years it was dug up, pruned and replanted until it fitted into a pot. The whole process took about a quarter of a century and is far from over.The art

Nettles, like midges, are one of those things for which it is difficult to feel much affection. Never welcome, they grow everywhere and, to the gardener at least, seem to have little purpose beyond stinging our children. The sting comes from

particularly attractive feature - and I suddenly discovered the joys of growing things. It was a garden that was extremely unlikely to win any design awards but those nasturtiums were the beginning of a lifetime's love affair.The first botanical name that I

by the glasshouses at Edinburgh. I’m not much good at exotica so it was fabulous to be surrounded by lots of plants of which I’d never heard and which I’m unlikely to ever grow - unless I’m swept away by a desire to emigrate to the rainforest in my latter years. I

.Nectaroscordum grows from a bulb, and is part of the allium (or onion) family. In fact it used to be called Allium bulgaricum until the nomenclaturists stepped in a few years ago. While I'm always smitten by the spherical flowers of most alliums (for example the tennis

Absence will always make the heart grow fonder: especially in gardens. I have just got back after a few days at the Malvern Spring Show — which was, as always, great fun, pretty fabulous and completely exhausting — and it is amazing how much fuller

from a friend and scatter them around the garden - don't try and grow them in pots as they hate having their roots disturbed.