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There are so few plants that do well in my small, shady garden, but those that do thrive deserve a medal. This week, honesty is taking centre stage, with its tall spires of brilliant white flowers, towering above more subtle spring blooms.I love

Dog violets, Viola riviniana, appeared almost as soon as I laid the topsoil of my new garden. They’ve been here for three years now, slowly bulking up in corners where nothing else grows.They thrive in the shadiest parts of my garden, flowering just

many varieties and types to choose from, and, with patience, you can even develop your own from seed.Every visit to a garden centre or spring flower show usually results in the purchase of an auricula (or six). We were once lucky enough to be given a

garden is tiny and my soil shallow, so I'm growing dwarf French beans and spinach in pots.As well as being small, with shallow soil, my garden is shady, but it gets two hours of strong sun in the afternoon, which I hope will be enough for French beans

grass seed - one mix for shady areas, one regular blend and one with wildflower seeds - and watched the pigeons eat it all up. We made a scarecrow with a mop, a garden fork, an old shirt and some plastic bags and sowed some more. The pigeons didn't like

I might move house this year. It’s very early days, but the possibility of having a bigger garden is sending my plant-collecting gene into overdrive. I currently grow plants in my small, shady courtyard garden. But after four years of this, I long

the rest have clambered over the walls, in search of sun. (The rose, sadly, has done very well.) I need to face facts: my garden is just too shady for most climbers.Whenever I walk around my garden and lament the mildew-infested clematis, limp passion

off in summer.
Chives, which refuse to grow in my shady garden; I miss them in potato salads.
Borlotti beans, for drying and storing in jars, then adding to winter stews. Butternut squash and several varieties of pumpkin, for hearty autumn soups

butterfly populations and identify any changes, which could indicate wider environmental problems.I've always gardened with butterflies in mind, but so few come into my shady London plot that I've never given them much attention. After working on content

and cotoneaster. But what I’d really like is a crab apple. It’s probably not the best option for my small, shady plot, as it requires a fair amount of sun, but I think I might chance it. A friend has one growing in her garden and I always feel a pang of jealousy