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plant is tall and slightly ungainly (like a new-born giraffe) with acid yellow flowers on tall (almost leafless) stems. Jekka has used them in conjunction with Angelica archangelica (a fabulous biennial that reaches over 2m in height and looks great

I watered, it rained within 24 hours.The downpours we've had in Hampshire over the last few days have made a serious difference to the plants. The veg plots are suddenly flourishing and some of my miserable-looking lettuce seedlings have finally

. Wind can scorch leaves as well as sun (and we’ve certainly had plenty of wind in Hampshire). Heavy rain and hail will also damage plants, peppering leaves and flowers with tiny shot marks.To make matters worse, water droplets on foliage can magnify

Every morning before breakfast we go for a walk through the surrounding fields. We miss out on Sundays but are pretty conscientious every other day of the year. Except when it is absolutely tipping it down with rain - which, and this is a slight

changing from pink to blue...a clear illustration of the affect of pH on plants.My garden soil must have got more alkaline, possibly through watering with 'hard' tap water during hot weather last summer, hence the pink flowers this year. I'll need to change

, bright sun. But the recent rains had started me wondering whether I should've planted moisture-lovers instead. But although I expected those osteospermums to flop and develop grey mould, they've continued to look great, admittedly with a bit of extra

. Apricot trees (Prunus ameniaca) grow particularly well there because of the south-western aspect and because, before the invention of the gutter, they got lots of rain - apricots need lots of water to prevent the fruit from splitting.I mention this because

and their exuberance. By 'big' I mean something that dwarfs its neighbours and reaches at least 2m high. I have five such plants in my garden.The first is Inula magnifica. I can see the cheerful, shaggy yellow flowers from my office and they never cease to amuse me

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

most of them a second thought. Well, that's why I planted them in the first place – to be reliable performers that look after themselves.The problem with leaving perennials alone is that the central parts of plants grow less productive over time