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are tricky to mow. Instead, keep your lawn to a usable size with a simple, defined shape.Give your lawn shapeLawns in small gardens are prone to soil compaction. Waterlogging occurs in wet weather as the rain can’t soak in – and in dry weather the rain runs

and the shape of the petals, which range from the very plain to the extraordinarily ornate like Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus.This month is the time when the galanthophiles roam the countryside. They are recognisable by their magnifying glasses

I've always been a great fan of bulbs, in all their shapes and sizes. I couldn't get through the winter without snowdrops, and the prospect of daffodils, heralding spring. But right now, in (a rather cold and wet) May, alliums are centre stage

'.Eryngium giganteum - this one I wrote about in the magazine but just wanted to show you what a fine and handsome corpse this plant makes. Still maintaining its shape long into the winter. It also looks great with grasses.

, sunny spot, it will produce edible pear-shaped yellow loquats. It's best grown in well-drained soil in full sun or part-shade, where it can reach an eventual height of 4m.Eriobotrya japonica, LoquatAmelanchier lamarckii has white, showy blossom in early

the beginning of the tree planting season and I want to state the case for one particular tree. A tree that, if you want your autumns to always be as sparkly as an Maharanee's tiara is indispensable. Ladies and Gentlemen (drum roll, please)...I give you

Flowers are not the only attraction in winter gardens. Biennial honesty (Lunaria annua) is a good example of a plant that keeps delivering after its flowers have passed. Once the petals have fallen, enchanting disc-shaped seed-pods are formed

of its own? A good question: the answer is here.It will come as no surprise to know that parrotias are part of the same family as witchhazels, which have the same shaggy, sea anemone-shaped flowers. Witchazel flowers can be even more spectacular than

prefer a plant or two that few others have.One that caught my eye when it was first introduced by Hillier's 14 years ago is Sophora 'Sun King'. A chance seedling turned up in Hillier Arboretum, growing into this new garden-worthy shrub, and what a stunner

A few weeks ago I wrote about the redesign of part of my garden. It's going well — thank you for asking. One of the plants I mentioned was Nectaroscordum siculum, which I think merits a blog of its own, as it's one of my very favourite plants