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the window at back gardens whizzing by at 70mph. It's also always interesting to see which plants flourish in the no-man's-land of railway embankments. At this time of year there's a dense covering, largely undisturbed by man (apart from the occasional

the beginning of the tree planting season and I want to state the case for one particular tree. A tree that, if you want your autumns to always be as sparkly as an Maharanee's tiara is indispensable. Ladies and Gentlemen (drum roll, please)...I give you

foolish as to think that spring is here - we are more than likely to get whacked by frost or snow before then - but at least it is showing willing.One of the best things about this time of year is scent. Flowers are pretty rare but there are a few plants

-leaved shoots. They pop up all over the place and grow faster than the grass, so it's obvious when the lawn needs mowing.The shoots are the runners of one of my favourite plants, Salix exigua, or the coyote willow. This is about the tallest plant I have

girding of loins and a flourishing of hoes.Casting an eye over my borders recently, I noticed that some of my plants were badly in need of splitting. In particular need of attention was a fine grass called Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster', which

Do you remember the first plant you ever grew in your own garden? Not the mustard and cress or sunflower that you nurtured in a little patch of your parents' gardens but the first plant that you grew just for yourself?I found some ancient

everything in the garden is looking. Plants that were mere toddlers when I left have blossomed into adolescents.Most notable is the cow parsley, or Queen Anne’s lace. Over the past decade or so we have encouraged it to seed itself amongst the trees alongside

of goodness). My favourite plant at this time of year is a magnificent Parthenocissus that covers an old building nearby.I like to go there every few days to watch the leaves change from deep green to pink and yellow and deep dark red. It is a truly

evening and when I got out of the car the first thing I noticed was scent. A wild romantic perfume floating through the heavy warm air. Although the planting in my garden is predominantly herbaceous, I will always have room for the begetter

It's easy to be sniffy about the ornamental cabbage. It is quite a strange concept; an odd, Frankensteinish amalgam of vegetable and bedding plant. However, my mind was changed - temporarily at least - during a recent trip to New York. I saw