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(Patron Saint of Gardeners) never impulse shopped in nurseries. I had not seen the plant before, all I knew was that it was quite large and had been planted in the middle of my carefully planned flower bed. Hmmmm...some designers would have thrown a bit

scheme has been running for 80 years and provides the opportunity for nosey (ie all) gardeners to poke around private gardens large and small.A garden that I designed, opens for the first time this year and, as a result, I've been scuttling around

to the rest of the garden. It is very easy to grow and there is another one planted just outside my office, so if I open the window and inhale … aaaaaahhh!I have sneaked a couple of other varieties. One is Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile', which is about 1.6m high

It's RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week: the biggest and most famous show in the world (although Gardeners' World Live at the NEC from 16-20 June 2010 runs pretty close of course!).The tickets sold out very early but for those of you lucky enough

in the world) then this is my lightning guide to 10 highlights of the show.1. The Conceptual Gardens. Unique to Hampton Court, these are gardens, usually designed by young designers, that explore ideas not usually found in conventional gardens. There is one

the crowds arrive and the following are my highlights:The winner of a gold medal and best Small Garden in Show is  a designer called Paul Titcomb (who lives near me in Northamptonshire). Paul's garden is a neatly designed Urban Retreat that he has largely

. In Central Park, the Conservatory Garden seemed a very popular venue for wedding photography. There were at least three wedding parties when we were there; one guest, I noticed, broke away and ate two large hot dogs in quick succession before rejoining his

about gardens and dream of seasons as yet unborn. There's a vast choice of stuff out there to keep us amused, from newspaper garden supplements and magazines to books both large and small. I have shelves full of them; some old and some new. How

Many years ago when I was a landscaper in London, I had a regular client who had a tiny garden in Wandsworth. It was literally one flower bed, a small shed and a wall topped by a chain link fence.The reason we had to keep returning was because

jam) and watched the ladybirds stumbling around like the bride's uncle at a wedding reception. I also wandered off to the vegetable garden and sneered at the caterpillars on the kale leaves.And now, as I sit here in my office there is a large and noisy