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The danger of frozen water pipes is on my mind during this freezing weather, but I'm also concerned that garden birds are suffering, too.Water in my bird bath quickly turns into a solid sheet of ice on cold nights, and hasn't been thawing out during

garden to look good, and for neighbouring plants to complement one another.Walking through my garden this week I was struck by its freshness following a shower. Doesn't rain transform the colour and vigour of plants in a way simply watering by hand never

, all of which make ideal pot plants for the home, greenhouse or conservatory.Victorian gardeners believed achimene must be watered with tepid rather than cold water, hence their common name of hot water plant. I'm not convinced this is actually

.So, when the kettle boils I make the 20 metre dash down the garden to melt the ice. A whole floating sheet often comes away completely, but occasionally the stubbornly thick ice needs a return visit with another kettle of boiling water to finish the job

’t need to lift a finger. Automatic watering systems take the strain, leaving the busy gardener with time to tie in leading stems, pinch out side shoots and check for pests, and not lug endless watering cans into the greenhouse.I haven't checked

, and not by the gardener. However, the cold has used the skeleton of my creation to produce something unique.Spend a few minutes enjoying the scene before temperatures rise, and it's gone!Don't forget to get out each morning with a kettle of boiling water to melt ice

changing from pink to blue...a clear illustration of the affect of pH on plants.My garden soil must have got more alkaline, possibly through watering with 'hard' tap water during hot weather last summer, hence the pink flowers this year. I'll need to change

Has the snow been a good or bad thing for our gardens? Well, probably a bit of both, but I do live in hope that the cold weather has helped kill off a few garden pests. We've all had our fair share of snow over the past couple of weeks, with varying

Ask any seed company to name their Top 10 bestselling flowers and you'll regularly find sweet peas in first place.Sweet peas are the gardeners’ favourite for climbing colour and delicious fragrance, bringing a touch of cottage garden nostalgia

to encourage good cross-pollination between plants, each plant needs space to grow. This year each plant is at least 30-45cm (12-18in) from its neighbours, which should be enough.I'm trying a few varieties this year, including 'Swift', which is described as "an