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of leaves, only to emerge during the harvest of crops such as winter kale or purple-sprouting broccoli.Hopefully vine weevil larvae and chafer grubs will also be seriously diminished by the cold snap. I'm also crossing my fingers that hungry birds

and potato soup. The green tops add so much flavour to soup and stock and it saves wasting them. My soup tasted much better than the carton of ready-made I bought the week before.The leeks have fared better than my catastrophic purple-sprouting broccoli

when driving past them in the car.The lanes and verges were awash with primroses, mosses, ferns, and masses of gorgeous violets, whose stunning leaves and pretty little purple faces made my heart sing. I was yet again reminded how lucky I am to live

penstemon, a tiarella and a catmint, Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low'. Sadly, the plant label is virtually all I have left of my once stunning purple-flowered plant. It met its doom on the front steps, still in its nursery bag, within an hour of arriving home

'Freda' - a pretty plant with purple-tinted leaves and pink flowers. The arbour is gorgeous to look at, but becomes a more favourite haunt as it provides me with a leafy retreat, laden with the best of summer perfume.Add to this some night-scented stock

ornamental cabbages with marvellous frilly leaves, in shades ranging from washy pink to beetroot to deep purple, together with larger ornamental kale.The Americans are very keen on ornamental cabbages and use them in quantity for public plantings (and also

.It took me a while to find the best spot for them.  Heavy clay isn't really ideal, but I've been blessed with wonderful allium displays that return year after year.Their dense pom-pom flower heads, composed of numerous purple 'stars', provide an easily

taste for single colours.Pictured above is a brand new zinnia that you may have discovered this year, but will be widely available in the 2011 seed catalogues. It's called 'Purple Prince' and I've been trialling it this summer. I love it! Growing up

Picos Blue - I know, I have mentioned that one as well but this is a picture of the one in my garden.Eryngium padanifolium 'Physic Purple' - a South American variety that has very striking muddy red flowers. The leaves are fleshy and viciously spiked

In a large pot, mix together a rich purple osteospermum with zesty yellow and orange bidens, lantana, portulaca and California poppies for the perfect summer cocktail.springJune - August 40 minutesOsteospermum 'Malindi'Lantana camaraCalifornia poppy