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taken off. Sadly, the weeds have flourished too. It's as if they're making up for lost time, putting all their energy into growth so they flower and set seed before it gets dry again. I suppose that's just one of the reasons why they're so successful

What's the difference between wildflowers and weeds? They're at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to acceptability in the garden, but are they really so different? A weed is a essentially just a plant growing in the wrong place. But what

Why is it that dandelions are regarded as weeds? They're amazingly beautiful, have a strong and reliable flower colour, they're hardy, vigorous plants and they're even edible.I love dandelions, which is great as the warm, wet weather of the past two

Madeiran climate!After 10 days in the company of more than 100 keen gardeners, I feel refreshed and invigorated. The calabrese I planted the day I left has doubled in size, and the last-minute tomatoes that I planted also seem sturdy and unstoppable. So

trays, compost or propagators. Just clear the soil, forking it over to remove debris, weeds or larger stones and get sowing. I use sand from the kids' sandpit to mark out separate areas for each type of seed, and sow in rough rows to make subsequent

in Hampshire. Everything was looking somewhat overgrown, after my 10 days away. It was amazing how many weeds had emerged. Three of us have just spent hours weeding, mowing and sorting, and my hands are still buzzing from the nettle stings, despite the chunky

sit outside for a cuppa, or every time I kneel down to tend some plants or remove some weeds, one (or six or more) nips up my legs and bites me where it hurts. My legs are positively screaming on bad days. And then, to top it all, the horseflies

. The end result was that I had to pay someone to take it back to where it came from. Another waste of money and another member of the local horsey community who thinks I'm crazy!This stuff is different: free from junk, seemingly weed-free and a good texture

by the tendency of these little birds to strip yellow flowers, such as crocus, but so what? And don't forget that the adults not only eat weed seeds, but they also feed their young with insects and their larvae. All-in-all, sparrows are a delight and a help

of unwanted materials. But horseflies are a menace to horses and humans and no doubt a lot of other creatures too. Gardening has suddenly become a high-risk business - I seem to do more leaping about than weeding and sowing. We even have a house rule