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I always get a real thrill when I find the telltale marks of the leafcutter bee on the leaves of my roses and wisteria. Sometimes I catch them in action, cutting out a circle of leaf, or flying around carrying it. It doesn't bother me to find plants

A perfume-filled balmy evening in the garden is heaven on earth. I've always felt that perfumed plants provided an added bonus - scent plus beauty - as who can help but feel a wash of pleasure when experiencing all that a rose-clad arbour has

I've only just got around to chitting seed potatoes. Many of this year's spuds were given to me for my birthday by my kids in February. I normally chit them in the greenhouse, but after last year's potato massacre I felt that putting the tubers rose

as the pustules erupted from nearly every leaf.The pears too had rust - a sight I've only ever seen a handful of times (and that includes working as plant pathologist at RHS Wisley for 11 years, examining thousands of decrepit plants each year). Presumably it

such as rose rust and hollyhock rust are then quick to establish. At the beginning of summer I was given samples of pear foliage with rust on them. Interestingly, my pear trees haven't been affected this year, which is surprising as the weather conditions have

'm in no doubt that greenfly, blackfly and just about every other colour of aphid do not seem to be around in their usual quantity. There have been a few on the okra plants I've raised from seed and the odd one on the roses, but that's about it. I've also noticed

forward to seeing more strident colours, too – the roaring reds of the liquidambars and screaming orange amelanchiers. I can’t wait to find the guelder rose thickly covered with berries and the blackthorn bearing sloes, which positively beg to be picked

't be a problem. Fantastic if you could grow roses so far north. Still, beautiful as the scenery was, I'd not swap it for our variable and often excessively wet climate, with all its rewards of tasty, tender veg we've been enjoying since our return!