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Last week I spotted a speckled wood butterfly sunning itself on one of my plant pots. It was fresh and new looking, like it was drying its wings after emerging from a chrysalis. I was proud to think it might have come from a patch of turf I'd let

The rose is our most popular flower, and rightly so. A single rose bud captures perfection, slowly opening to celebrate nature at its very best.And as well as being a thing of beauty, roses are the perfect plant to grow as a celebration of life

in the sun. Everything was wrapped in a frozen overcoat. Will the plants survive? Most will, but like every adventurous gardener I push the boundaries of my gardening and grow a range of plants you would describe as having 'borderline hardiness'. Only time

new hedge, plant garlic in modules, lift and divide clumps of phlox, and prune an overgrown Clematis viticella. Her husband Neil held the ladder, watching as Carol climbed an alarming distance. Perhaps, like me, he doesn't have a head for heights

they get going. I have a few which are so embedded in the roots of other plants that all I can do is cut them down each year.However, they are a constant reminder of the impermanence of man (if you would excuse me for getting a bit philosophical for a

there are mixtures, as I'm often told these sell best. They're not for me. Their ‘kaleidoscope’ effect is a little brash and lacking in – how can I put this? -  style. I want to choose the colours and theme my pots to create more impact. Planting several pots

cm diameter pot, which I've moved into my flat. Once the plants have a few 'true leaves' and all risk of frost has passed, I'll harden them off before moving the pot into its permanent spot in the sunniest part of the garden.Beans are also heavy

grassy bank. The flowers are strong purple and pink and it is a wonderful sight. I wish I had a photograph but driving while taking plant portraits tends to be frowned upon by the constabulary in these parts. It is easy to grow, needing only sunshine

, but our committee permits dwarfing rootstock and asks that we plant trees in the centre of the plot so that we don't shade or deplete the soil for someone else. The dwarf rootstock for plums is known as 'Pixy', but if you're planting in a back garden

and make sure you keep the middle of the plant open - the idea is to create a sort of goblet shape to allow plenty of air to circulate through the plant to prevent mildew.If redcurrants are what you're after, there are around 40 types grown at Wisley, which