Sambucus nigra by Remy ERRA Crushed elder leaves are the smell of childhood, of climbing through their soft branches and picking the landing-pad flowers. Now, picking the flowers supplies us with champagne and other elegant delights such as gooseberr
Lilacs, originally uploaded by NorthernLala Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is a well-brought-up young lady of a shrub. She dresses beautifully, but without any gaudiness, and smells hauntingly beautiful. Plant in a sunny spot in a fertile and alkaline soil
Image by Darren Graham If, like some of the Fennel and Fern writers, you are accustomed to stumbling down an icy garden path at doom o’clock every morning on the way to work, you should at least plant something to wake you up before you hit the
Image copyright Fennel and Fern Grow Campsis x tagliabuana if you have one of those sought-after south-facing, sunny, sheltered walls. It romps happily over walls and fences to height of 30ft if left unchecked and will produce clusters of fiery orang
Image copyright Fennel and Fern Bindweed is an evil plant. Its white roots snake through the soil, can reproduce from a very small section of root, and are extremely resilient. But if you have ever felt a twinge of regret as you pull down those beaut
Garden Raspberries, originally uploaded by Alison Now’s the time to get your hands on some bare-rooted raspberries for planting as soon as possible. The plants are dormant at this time of year, and so won’t be harmed by the planting, but
Romanesco, originally uploaded by Cathy One for the mathematicians, this stunning brassica is an example of a ‘fractal vegetable’, with its florets growing in a fibonaci sequence. It’s sure to wow, and even has its own fan group on
Image copyright Fennel and Fern This gorgeous Hibiscus rosa-sinensis was snapped in Lefkas, Greece last summer. You can grow H. rosa-sinensis here, but only if you’ve got a warm greenhouse or conservatory. It grows to around 8ft tall and 6ft wi
Buddleia davidii. Photo by tijmenkroes Buddleia is a common-as-muck garden shrub. But it doesn’t consider itself just a garden shrub. Stare out of any train window and you will see miles of purple spires running alongside the track as the thugg
♥ Originally uploaded by Sadferret Ranunculus asiaticus, or the Persian Buttercup, is an herbaceous perennial which flowers from Spring to Summer. It reaches a height of about 45cm, and its beautiful, full-bodied blooms can range from pale pink throu
Walking through central Bristol’s Bearpit is not usually a particularly aesthetically pleasing experience. But now a beautiful meadow has appeared next to the greying walls and rubbish lying around. It’s a pleasant splash of colour amongs
