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The first really hard frost hit this morning. The garden was so white it almost looked as if it was covered with snow. It was gorgeous to look at but pretty miserable for some of the less hardy plants. But when I went into the greenhouse to grab

on our native habitats, and the desire of people to do something practical about this, which they can do, by giving a home to nature in their own gardens. Our ecology is in dire straits now because of the preference for exotic plants and chemical

They were a long time coming, but my Glory Lily has finally started flowering. It was my fault really, as I should have planted the tubers earlier in the year. Time caught me out, and despite receiving them in March they remained in the paper bag

of muffled hens while others are as small and delicate as the eyelashes of newborn babies. Some flower in May and others in July. Which one should you choose? How do we know which are the best, most reliable plants? It can get a bit confusing, especially when

a firm tug.More tips on sowing seedsVideo guide to sowing bluebell seeds, with Chris BeardshawCarol Klein gives advice on growing exotics from seedGrowing dahlias from seedPropagating from seeds and berriesView a variety of cyclamenChoose plants

.AdamDon't sow seeds too close together as they can be more prone to dying or 'damping off'.More on sowing seedsGrow sweet peas from seedGrowing exotic plants from seed - video advice from Carol KleinSowing seeds outdoorsCollect and save seeds

and homeliness of a 'proper' garden, but that's the point, really. It's wonderful to see a fabulous tree or shrub and know that somewhere very close will be a neatly engraved label giving more information than you will ever need. Not just the plant name but also

Last year I had a great crop of chillies. I was so pleased with them that I couldn't bear to throw the plants on the compost heap when they'd finished fruiting. So I saved my favourite two to overwinter indoors as an experiment in chilli endurance

and consisted of immaculately maintained pathways through fabulous exotic plantings. Since then the garden staff has been reduced from 12 to one and the mood of the garden has changed to one more in keeping with the relaxed attitude of the island.The paths are a

). Mostly because I'm a bit short of space for any more plants but also because of laziness. I am beginning to see the error of my ways ... I want more. Not so much the petunias or busy Lizzies (even though white ones are a very effective way of making a