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'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

. The name sounds like it should belong to a haughty Spanish princess sashaying through the Mexican desert, like Victoria Montoya who married John Cannon in the 1960s television series, The High Chaparral.In fact, this is not a haughty plant at all

Carol Klein offers advice on getting the best results from moisture-loving plants cowslip and fritillary.springMore advice on growing primulasTreating primula leaf spotHow to rejuvenate primrosesBrowse primula varieties

, his speciality is perennial meadows. He studies plant groupings from around the world and then recreates them for use in urban parks and landscapes. One of the pictures he showed made a great impression on me: it was of a recreation of a Tibetan yak

Free and easyFavouring a more laid-back approach to gardening, I love plants that self-seed with abandon. Here are a few of my favourites...Find out how to collect allium seedsSelf-seeders are the opportunists of the plant world. They may

of bumblebee rely on chalk grassland, hay meadows and other disappearing habitats that our gardens cannot provide for them.The problem for bees is that their favourite food plants are often considered to be 'weeds'. They don't go for highly bred double

. In addition to trying again with a few delicate crocuses I've also planted an area with Fritillaria meleagris, the snake's head fritillary. I've always loved these bulbs, and have been lucky enough to find them growing naturally in meadows in some parts

, and therefore a must for every garden.Designing your wildlife gardenWhen planting a nectar border or any selection of flowers to attract insects, think first of what's best for them and second, of what you want to look at. The two are not remotely exclusive

is to blame, with wild areas of farmland sacrificed for bigger yields. Bumblebees now have fewer nesting opportunities and flowers to feed from.Grow a range of flowering plants all year - especially from March to November when bees are most active - to provide

I might move house this year. It’s very early days, but the possibility of having a bigger garden is sending my plant-collecting gene into overdrive. I currently grow plants in my small, shady courtyard garden. But after four years of this, I long