One of the things I enjoy most about perennial plants is that they rarely stay the same. Unlike annual bedding plants that complete their lives in a single season, perennials settle into the garden and slowly develop character. Each spring they emerge a little stronger, each summer they fill a little more space and, if they're happy, they gradually become substantial clumps that seem completely at home in the border. For several years that's exactly what we hope for. Then som

One of the most common questions I hear isn't about plants at all. It's about time. "How often should I be working on my borders?" "Do they need attention every week?" "Am I falling behind?" I understand the concern because gardens can sometimes make us feel guilty. We notice a few weeds, flowers beginning to fade or a shrub growing a little further than we'd planned, and suddenly it feels as though the whole garden is slipping away from us. The reality is rather different. H

If there's one thing I've learnt after working in Gloucestershire for many years, it's that clay soil gets an unfair reputation. Mention heavy clay and many gardeners immediately start apologising for it. They tell me nothing grows, that it becomes rock hard during summer, waterlogged through winter and impossible to dig for much of the year. I've heard people describe it as the worst possible soil to garden on. I understand why. Clay certainly has its challenges. But I've al