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to inject a note of optimism the second picture, below, is of the same area in May - so all is not lost).Now is the time start the big chop back in readiness for the spring. Over the next few weeks I will be cutting back pretty much everything, pruning roses

surprised by the announcement. "A real shame to see Toby go," wrote Aaron Abbott. "He is my kind of gardener.""Why the sudden change?" asked Joe Rose. "I was just getting used to Toby and I enjoyed his style of presenting. Does this mean that the money

of Malvern - which clings to the side of the steep Malvern Hills - the whole show is laid out beneath you. Car parks, show gardens and giant marquees are all dwarfed by the magnificent view that, on a clear day, stretches languidly away towards the Cotswolds

In the words of Benny Hill: "I'll never know how a rose can smell so sweet and pure, And hold its head up high when it's standing in manure!".Old Benny cannot have been much of a gardener (a statement borne out by the fact that he lived all his life

. A mother’s idea of a cool T-shirt was always, always completely wrong.Nowadays I have grown out of most toys (unless you count snazzy gadgets) and my tastes are far more practical. I take refuge in those garden essentials that are really boring but without

, Dorothea) and R.banksiae 'Lutea', a pale yellow version, which is a stunning climbing rose with evergreen leaves and barely any thorns.However, he wasn't just a gardener and, during his 41 year presidency of the Royal Society, he encouraged innovation

've resisted burning much in the way of garden refuse as I compost everything I can.Once a year I rent a great big shredder for a weekend and the peace of the countryside is completely disrupted as I spend a couple of happy days half-deafened and covered

January already: Christmas neatly tucked away and another year of fabulous gardening stretching away ahead of us. The beginning of the year is the time for fresh starts and change but, rather than pestering you with annoying resolutions which few

that are still viable. (iv) Plant the seeds that my very efficient wife has ordered. (v) Divide grasses and some herbaceous plants. (vi) Prune and tie back climbing roses. (vii) Cut back willows and dogwoods - although this can wait a bit. (viii) Plant bare