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I’m not one for New Year resolutions, but there’s a nagging voice in my head (no, it’s not my wife) saying I should make one.My shed has become a disgrace … again. I did give it a good clearout a couple of years ago, but the clutter accumulates

at Christmas when relatives out-stay their welcome. But as a gardener my shed is entirely functional... no stove, no bookshelf, no biscuits, just the tools of the trade.One of the previous owners of my house was an Italian family, and Gino, the father

Totting up the value of everything in my garden shed this week, I was amazed at how much it came to. There are the big items like a mower, shredder and pressure washer, then all the smaller things from forks and spades to secateurs, greenhouse

for garden use in the 1970s. Liquid nicotine is extremely dangerous to all living creatures and was used widely as an insecticide for many, many years. It was either mixed with water as a spray or else vaporised in lamps - in which case the gardener lit

, leading to flooding. If every building had a green roof - be it an office block or garden bin store - much of this water would be absorbed before it even hit the ground.My shed has a tiny, steep roof, so we needed to make sure any soil that was added

and there were numerous opportunities to talk garden design. I had a great time chatting about pests and pathogens in the potting shed. It was amazing just how many people were happy to queue in the hot sun to talk about their problems (it got so hot that we

gratuitous vandalism on allotments remains horribly common. Thefts range from handfuls of fresh fruit and veg to expensive garden tools, while whole sheds are reported to have been torn down and burned for 'fun'. As gardens and allotments are quieter now than

, cleaning them off and spraying some oil around. There are certain tools without which I cannot cope and others which I hardly ever use. Among my favourites are:1. My small border fork and spade, which are perfect for planting and diddling around.2. A steel

eating pies. But your garden can harm you at any time of year - just the other day my friend came round to dinner sporting a black eye, which she'd received from a thorny bramble while picking blackberries. Another friend once caused herself so much

.The Draughtsman's Contract (1983). Beautiful Peter Greenaway film about love and lust amongst formal gardens and sweeping landscapes. Filmed at Groombridge Place in Kent, which was also used in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice.Green Card (1990) starring Gerard