Meeting before going to the garden it was clear that all was not quite as it might have been! In order that the 25 recognise each other we were invited to wear a button hole in the true spirit of a blind date. All was going swimmingly with assorted flora being sported until one of our number arrived wearing a half eaten digestive biscuit secured with a badly mis-shapen paperclip!

Perhaps I should explain that this gathering was no ordinary outing but a meeting of gardening enthusiasts of various persuasions found loitering with intent on Twitter and the garden we were to visit was Highgrove, the garden of HRH Prince Charles. The biscuit arrived courtesy of James Alexander-Sinclair which somehow saw the topic of conversation move on to cakes.

Now you would have thought that the often vociferous assembled group would be interested in the organic gardens filled with national plant collections especially as we had the pleasure of a carefully selected volunteer guide with three Chelsea Gold Medals to her name to guide us round. However it was quickly established that cakes would be available for purchase in the tea rooms at which point Barbara Taylor volunteered that she had baked cakes for everyone too! Now our interest was truly roused.

Two cakes for one garden visit!

My thanks go to Helen Johnstone for bringing this to life – it was great to see friends that in some cases have only been known online and to re-acquaint with others met at similar events previously.

It was a pleasure to meet Michelle Chapman, Roland and Jamie Paterson, Rob Stacewicz (who won the prize of some hand cream for his airplant buttonhole), Cleve West and Christine Eatwell, Anne Wareham and Charles Hawes, Zoe Lynch, Jenny Woods, Helen Reeley, Lia Leendertz, Sharon (Plantswoman), James Alexander-Sinclair, Simon and Sherrie Suter, Judith (aka Arabella Sock), Dawn Isaac, the shy and retiring Anne-Marie Powell, Kate Bradbury and her friend Abigail, Barbara Taylor and Deb Bird.

Gardens are a great way of enjoying a summer afternoon and the pleasure is multiplied when it is shared with so many with differing views but a shared passion – even if that appeared to be cake and biscuits.

Wouldn’t it be great though if instead of having to sow fresh seeds each year you just waited for the plant to come up and produce food for you? You are probably getting interested now – particularly if you have limited space and time. You heard right plant once and crop for ever!

Of course fruit trees and bushes fall in to this category – but here we look at two plants that are easy to grow, require very little maintenance and will just keep going!

First up is rhubarb.

I have just been given a couple of portions of root from a friend who has split their existing plants. Splitting them every few years helps to keep the fresh and strong. So splitting them has two benefits, firstly they help keep the plants healthy but also provide an opportunity to give plants away. If you start now then in a couple of years you too can give a piece of root away to someone else to have a go! Rhubarb can be grown naturally or many people force them under special clocheswhich helps blanche the stems. Picking is easy simply pull the stalk away from the base when it is ready to eat. Take care to discard the leaves to the compost as they are poisonous and shouldn’t be eaten.

I am not a fan of the texture of rhubarb personally but I do like the flavour! My favourite recipe simply involves cutting the stem in to inch long chunks and simmering for a few minutes until reduced to a soft texture. Adding banana helps soften the flavour a little, and add honey as a sweetener. Blend with some custard and chill in the fridge.

Secondly is root artichoke

 - again this is a plant once crop for ever vegetable. Jerusalem artichokes have an added bonus of producing tall sunflower like blooms. Best planted towards the back of a border. A neighbour kindly left a bag of their split out stock and in a couple of years you will be able to as well ( not to me – I already have some!) These are a root vegetable resembling a rather knobbly potato and they have a sweet flavour that combines well with potato. Be warned though! These are often referred to as f**tichokes for good reason!

The joy of both these plants is that they easily combine with a regular flower borderwhilst producing food at the same time – a real bonus! Anyone feeling even more adventurous can also try globe artichokes which are a real treat – if slightly messy, to eat! The plants are very architectural and make quite a statement so make sure you have plenty of room for these beauties.

So for food crops that don’t need an allotment or green fingers why not try rhubarb and artichoke and add some variety to your kitchen dinner table. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!

First up was Coblands Nursery – I had the pleasure of visiting the Nursery in Kent last summer so it was great to catch up with Nigel Gibson again. They offer both commercial and retail outlets for their plants but were displaying a range from their Best4plants range which is an online garden centre, I guess in some way rivalling Crocus.

Presnting their range of ‘larger than usual’ bulbs were Avon bulbs, I think what appeals here is that the bulbs are UK grown, not, as so many are, from Holland or Europe. If you are looking for great spring and summer flowering bulbs this site is well worth a visit. They have won numerous RHS Gold Medals for their show exhibits over the years. As a little thank you visitors were presented with a pack of Gladiolous callianthus

I am really looking forward to trying these, having first seen them a few years ago when they were known as Acidanthera murielae!

Celebrating 50 years were the Beth Chatto gardens and it was great to see some of the team buzzing with enthusiasm and interested as ever, I have the gardens in Essex high on my list of gardens to visit.

There were a couple of interesting seed merchants there. Worthy of note were Harrod Horticultural with their range of Stephanie’s (Harrod) Kitchen Garden Organic Seeds and Thompson and Morgan for their wide range of seeds and plant plugs. Perhaps the most interesting thing particularly if you are new to growing your own is a range from Unwins called Gro-sure which come with a guarantee of successful results. There were of course many others!

Many of the stands had interesting organic or eco-friendly products on display including Vitax with some organic slug pellets fetchingly called Slug Death XL - no guesses as to what that does then!

The award for the Best Overall Stand at the event though went to a company called Carbon Gold. This is an innovative company formed by Craig Sams – who also started Green & Blacks Chocolate. A quote from their website

“Biochar offers a fresh solution to the challenge of climate change. Carbon Gold is developing a portfolio of projects that uses the latest technology to turn surplus biomass into biochar – a form of fine-grained charcoal that is high in carbon and largely resistant to decomposition.

Biochar offers a unique tool to combat global warming because it can capture the carbon dioxide that has been absorbed by growing plants and tie it up in the soil for hundreds of years, so preventing it re-entering the carbon cycle.

Biochar also increases soil productivity, retains moisture and reduces nutrient leaching, thus reducing the need for irrigation and artificial or organic fertilisers. Unlike charcoal, biochar can be sourced from various types of biomass, typically from surplus agricultural materials, such as crop residues, tree prunings and agro-processing by-products.”

This certainly seemed an amazing product and it will be interesting to follow its progress in the market, we shall see just what impact it can have.

There were of course tools and machinery on display and all sorts of novelties, like Backdoorshoes – which take on from where Crocs left off!

One thing I found which was particularly interesting as a garden designer was a publication on the Husqvarna stand which had analysed the many ‘garden blogs’ from around the world and had identified the most prevalent topics of discussion, surmising that these were likely to be the styles and trends most reflected in the corners of the globe – it makes fascinating reading and perhaps I’ll find a way to share some of its contents here.

Still on the design theme Vectorworks were showing their new Vectorworks 2010 software. I use an earlier version and recently reviewed Tamsin Slatter’s book on the subject. They are certainly forging ahead with developments and it is now justifiably regarded as the number one CAD software for garden designers. Like so many software packages it is a vast programme, but the backup and support available makes learning a pleasurable experience.

An interesting show and one that I could easily have spent another day at and still not spoken to everyone! Here’s to next year!

The first thing I do is to soak the seeds for a couple of days. Add them to a saucer of warm water and sit them on the window sill. This helps them to germinate quickly.

Once they have soaked I then place them in one of my simple recycled newspaper plant pots. make a small impression in the compost with a pencil so that you don’t damage the seed then cover over with compost. Make sure the compost is moist without being wet. Best to water the pots from the base rather than the top as this will encourage root growth.

Your paper pots can be stood in a plastic container or in recycled yoghurt pots. Tie them together loosely with garden twine or string to keep them together.

Tip:- if you have a Phormium (New Zealand flax) try tearing a leaf length ways in to long strips – this can then be used as twine!

You should see the new shoots appearing within about 7 days.

For a longer season sow some of your packet now and then wait a few weeks before planting a few more and so on. The seedlings need to be kept warm and shouldn’t be planted out until the weather is a warmer and we have had the last frost.

Note this can also be used for peas and other garden vegetables. Sweet pea seeds are harmful though and you should was your hands after handling them.

Now all we need to do is wait and watch – ready for the next stage in creating great seedlings – more to follow!

I went with my Garden Network hat on – not really knowing what to expect! Here is my first take on the event – there were 63 stands in total so I won’t be able to cover off everyone but these are some of the innovations that caught my eye.

The recurrent theme on many of the stands was, encouragingly, growing your own and organic gardening.

First up came the Vitogrow

 from Greenhouse Sensation – this was one of a number of products that was encouraging us to all grow your own food and combined a good-looking container which self watered the plants! A simple idea that means your crop won’t dry out – so if, like me you don’t remember to water your containers as regularly as you might, then this might just be what you are looking for! The pack comes with suitable nutrients and instructions. They also offer advice and a guarantee of success. They also had on show a solar-powered device for growing plants without soil – known as hydroponic – the power simply recirculates a nutrient rich solution over the roots.

Another ingenious product came in the form of a Polanter – best described as a holey drain pipe with a leaky pipe through the middle!

Again aimed at minimising water loss during the watering process and encouraging us to grow plants including fruit and veg. It attaches to a wall and performs a similar function to a hanging basket. Watering is simple, straightforward and uses minimal water. Simply attach a hose to the water inlet at the base and wait until a few drips appear.

There were some other great products from Access Garden Products

and Forest Garden again on the Grow your own theme,

These include small greenhouses and cold frames suitable for even small gardens.

These all tie in very nicely with Garden Organic’s new campaign called One Pot Pledge - aimed at getting enthusiastic gardeners to encourage a friend to try growing an edible plant for the first time and acting as a Gardening Guru to help them with their new experience. I have signed up to this and would be delighted to help anyone who is venturing out for the first time. I’m starting off with a Question and answer session at The Neston Country Inn on 11th February 2010 – I’d love you to come and join in for some fun! Contact me if you would like more details.

I’ll be adding my thoughts on other aspects of the show soon.

• The scent of this plant is amazing – one day when we have scratch and sniff monitors I’ll be able to convey that to you!

• If you are looking to add an element of sustainability to your garden, look no further. The plant is also known as the Oregon grape and produces clusters of dark fruits, much loved by wildlife.

• Great for autumn and winter interest as it is in flower from October through the winter.

• Attracts bees and other beneficial insects

• Popular varieties include Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ and there is a smaller low growing variety called Mahonia aquifolium ‘Apollo’.

They can grow quite large but they respond well to cutting back if they get too leggy. They are straight forward to grow and are tolerant of most conditions, even shade – so take a closer look at this plant and that amazing scent and perhaps include it in your garden.

In a sustainable woodland culture the leaves from the trees fall to the ground where they break down slowly to form a lush carpet of water retentive organic material, harbouring all manner of beneficial activity which stimulates the natural environment.

In most gardens we don’t want the whole garden covered in leaves decaying slowly, so we can collect them up – storing them in a large pile ready for re-distribution once the breaking down process is complete, thus mirroring the natures own efforts. When clearing the leaves don’t be too particular – a light scattering on the grass will soon be taken down by worms and help with the health of your lawn. Be sure to leave plenty under shrubs and hedges too for creating a natural winter habitat for creatures like hedghogs.

Once collected, the leaves can be left to do their own thing. I keep them separate from general compost as the method of decomposition is quite different. Compost, which is high in nitrogen breaks down aerobically with the action of bacteria. Leaves by contrats which are predominantly carbon break down significantly slower, anaerobically.

Leaves collected ready for breaking down

Leaf mould is low in nutrients but is an excellent soil ameliorant. It promotes water retention meaning less need to water and also with worm activity promoting healthy soild for your prize plants. Leaf mould is one of natures very best free gifts and now is the time to be collecting them up to make use of this wonderful sustainable resource

One of the best trees for such garden is the Sorbus or mountain ash, sometimes also known as the rowan tree. It wins on nearly every count. It is a small tree that performs well in most soils, preferring slightly acidic. Relatively slow growing and has an extended season of interest. White flowers in spring are followed by clusters of bright orange-red berries. The mid green pinnate leaves turn yellow in autumn. Meaning that this plant gives value for a good long time.

Sorbus aucuparia