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Thank heavens for winter-flowering plants. These hardy specimens often have tiny, inconsequential blooms, but they more than make up for them with their powerful, sweet fragrance. I rarely notice the flowers of Sarcococca hookeriana, but I’m always

, in the churchyard at Fortinghall, Perthshire, is estimated to be around 2000 years old, making it one of the oldest trees in Europe.Yew makes a fine hedge, which is how I plan to use my plants. It grows well on old wood, so you can keep your hedge in shape

Why is it that we have no trouble expressing our dislikes, but when it comes to things we love, we're more reticent? Last year I conducted a poll in the office to see which plants were 'most hated' and blogged about the results. The response

June to September next year. It generates a lot of interest at Gardeners' World Live - there's always a delighted crowd assembled around the flowers in awe of its simple beauty.Last week I started a diary of plants in my garden. I'm making a note

the way they make baby plants is quite clever (and she learned a new word: viviparous); Daniel hates ceanothus; Lucy can't stand the flamingo tree (Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki'); David thinks forsythia is "grim"; Emma from Marketing dislikes the smell

and planting.I've already fished out my seed tin, and have various piles of seeds to sow in month order in the front room. I can’t wait for that steamy, greenhouse scent that will permeate the flat once seed sowing is fully underway. The front room

lifted, sorted and freecycled, I reminded myself of the end goal: a beautiful garden where my foxglove could flower, set seed and make baby foxgloves. I imagined a sea of digitalis in years to come, alive with the sound of unseen bumblebees delving deep

There are some plants which everyone agrees smell bad. The titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) and the dragon arum (Dracunculus vulgaris), for example, both smell like rotting corpses when in flower, to attract pollinating flies. Happily, not all

m tall, though. I'm still not sure how I'll stake an 8m tall plant.)I haven't done anything special with my sunflowers yet, I've only watered them. Now I'm upping my game: this weekend I'll be harvesting nettles to make a nitrogen-rich feed, which I

For two years, I have been trying to grow climbing plants to cover the walls of my garden. I've planted honeysuckle, passion flower, jasmine, numerous clematis and a revolting rose I found in the street. Some died, others developed mildew, while