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In 1985, Chris Baines created the first ever wildlife garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Apparently it caused quite a stir - wildflowers in those days were often dismissed as 'weeds' - and his medal was mistakenly inscribed "Chris Baines, for a

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

Garden Media Guild Awards) but above all he is an enthusiast.He follows in the footsteps of not only recent figures (the late Geoff Hamilton springs to mind) but of many of the great plant hunters. Have you ever grown Viburnum farreri? You should

, 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

It's RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week: the biggest and most famous show in the world (although Gardeners' World Live at the NEC from 16-20 June 2010 runs pretty close of course!).The tickets sold out very early but for those of you lucky enough

My, we gardeners have been busy over the past few weeks. First the delightful Malvern Spring Show, then the pomp and circumstance that is the Chelsea Flower Show. Last week was the bustle of Gardeners World Live and before we know it we

products at many garden centres. Christmas takes centre stage as baubles and singing Santas replace spring-flowering bulbs, and once again I'll be left searching in vain for gardening inspiration.Now, I'm not saying that all these fabulous marketing

’re dead, but just that their tops will have been knocked back. Hopefully roots in fairly dry compost, and insulated from cold, will survive and start growing next spring when conditions warm-up.My colleague Lucy on Gardeners' World magazine looked very fed

.An inspiring book I often turn to for ideas is a small paperback by Joy Larkcom called Vegetables from Small Gardens, first published in 1976 – I'm not even sure if it's still in print. Joy introduced me to a lovely concept – the Value for Space Rating (VSR

What an amazing fortnight I've had, cruising right round the British Isles in the company of over 300 gardeners, and visiting great gardens along the way. The Gardeners' World Magazine 20th Anniversary Cruise was a great success, with experts Pippa