I instantly fell for this 1950s housekeeper’s caddy. The removable top tray reveals a deep bucket that is perfect for showcasing all manner of flower combinations. Strong, bright colours work particularly well against the scuffed paintwork. I tried to use foliage with a similar glaucous green throughout the planting to unify the arrangement.

Pot-et-fleur with tulips and honesty: how to achieve the look

To create this fresh-looking spring display I removed the top tray from the bucket and placed a wide, elliptical glass vase diagonally across the base. At the bottom of the vase I secured two small metal pin holders with horticultural putty, and then filled the void around the vase with clay pellets before sinking the Callisia repens and two violas (in their pots) in opposite corners. Callisia repens is a vigorous trailing plant used here as a foundation for the colourful spring flowers, and I like the way the stem colour blends with the scratches on the box.

The dark-purple petals of the viola complement the velvety black intensity of Tulipa ‘Paul Scherer’ combined with the more flamboyant Tulipa ‘Blue Diamond’, an opulent late double tulip. Splashes of intense magenta come from a dark-flowered Lunari annua (honesty) and lilac sprigs from a friend’s garden. A drift of striped, dangling bells of Allium siculum are threaded throughout. The callisia prefers warmth and humidity but not direct sunlight, so water and mist regularly. Deadhead the violas frequently to encourage flowering. The tulips will benefit from a good soak prior to arranging, but don’t be too concerned about straight stems, the tulips’ natural tendency to curve just adds to the charm. Seasonal flowers work so much better in these arrangements, and I have tried to include flowers that can be grown in a garden or are easy to source. Buy locally wherever possible, as naturally grown flowers have so much more appeal, stamina and character.

Plants used in this pot-et-fleur display

1 Tulipa ‘Blue Diamond’ A fragrant, double, late tulip. April to May. 40cm.

2 Viola ‘Roscastle Black’ Clumpforming viola, prefers cool shade. April to October. 25cm.

3 Allium siculum A deciduous, bulbous perennial topped with an umbel of bell-shaped flowers beloved by bees. May to July. 1.5m.

4 Tulipa ‘Paul Scherer’ An almost black tulip. April to May. 50cm. AGM.

5 Callisia repens A tender, evergreen vigorous trailing houseplant. 45cm.

6 Lunaria annua Biennial honesty. April to May. 90cm.

7 Syringa vulgaris ‘Andenken an Ludwig Späth’ Purple lilac. April to May. 4m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 3a-7b.

Equipment you’ll need

• Traditionally, ornate punch bowls or soup tureens were used to hold elaborate, pot-et-fleur designs but any container could be adapted for a more contemporary approach including terracotta and ceramic bowls, willow baskets, glass aquariums or metal boxes, but if it’s not water tight, you’ll need to take care to protect the surface it sits on.
• Within the main container you can use any sealed vessel to hold the cut flowers but if it will be partially visible, opt for more attractive containers, such as old ink pots or vintage glass bottles that have a wide base and thin neck. Glass test tubes are a good option but take care when burying them in case they break, and always secure safely.
• A pin holder is an excellent way of accurately securing heavy stems. These discs of metal spikes are much relied on in the practice of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, lending a more naturalistic feel to an arrangement. I also use several heavy, semi-spherical glass frogs to hold flowers and branch stems. Be sure to attach both of these securely to the base of the vase with floral putty or tape before arranging. A length of wide-gauge chicken wire scrunched into a loose ball will do a similar job. Sharp scissors or secateurs are also essential bits of kit; thorn and leaf strippers are useful too.
• Before you start arranging your cut flowers, snip off the ends of picked stems and remove any foliage that will be below the water level and leave in deep water for up to 24 hours. Regularly topping up water levels or changing the water entirely every couple of days will help the arrangement last longer as air locks and bacteria will quickly cause a stem to wilt.
• Houseplants are easily killed through overwatering, so using hydroleca clay expanded pellets will not only add an attractive finish to the container, they will also absorb extra water, slowly releasing it as the compost dries out. They help maintain a humid microclimate around the plants when wet and even out fluctuations in the surrounding temperature. Activated charcoal is another useful addition to the growing medium as it reduces the build up of impurities minimising odours.
• Propriety brands of houseplant potting compost with an open, free-draining mix should be sufficient for most growing needs but you can improve drainage by adding perlite, vermiculite, horticultural sand or grit. A top dressing of decorative gravel, clay pellets or moss will also reduce water loss.
• A slim watering can with a long narrow spout for small spaces is ideal for these displays, but misting is an excellent way to maintain the humidity around plant leaves.

Loved this pot-et-fleur display? Have a go at creating this one with cow parsley, or this one using aspidistra.

Passion flowers can make you feel like a lovelorn teenager: the ones you want most of all are the most troublesome, and by far the trickiest to hang on to in the long run. They flaunt spectacular colours and fine, intricate petals, but in reality it is only the duller ones that are fully hardy and dependable. The rest run a good chance of breaking your heart.

Some of the more spectacular passion flowers are in shades of brightest red, yellow, white and orange, but Jane Lindsay of Tynings Plants – holder of one of the two Passiflora National Collections – says gardeners should always be wary of hardiness claims thrown about by those trying to sell the latest hybrid. “Very few are fully hardy but often plant sellers push something as hardy in order to help it sell. Even those we consider hardy are actually happier in a fairly sheltered spot.”

Jump to

• How to grow passion flower
• Where to grow passion flower
• When does passion flower bloom?
• When to plant passion flower? 
• When to prune passion flower? 
• The best passion flowers to grow

How to grow passion flower

© Annaïck Guitteny

Where to grow passion flower

Jane breaks passion flowers down into several categories: the hardy; the half hardy; those for a cool greenhouse; and those for a conservatory or heated greenhouse.

The half hardies such as Passiflora ‘Betty Myles Young’ and Passiflora ‘Abigail’ are perhaps the most accessible of the more interesting types. They are only hardy down to -6°C, so they will survive winter in mild areas if they are given a sheltered spot with great drainage and a good stroke of luck.

Drainage is the key for all of the passion flowers, says Jane. “It is winter wet that they really don’t like, so if you are going to plant these half hardy ones outside, do it in the lee of a house wall where they won’t take the full force of the rain, and where their roots will be among builders’ rubble.”

If you are not convinced that your area counts as ‘mild’, then even these need to be in a cold greenhouse. A cold greenhouse gives access to a whole group of passionflowers that will need that little bit of protection in the winter, but can be moved out of doors in summer. The edible passion flower, Passiflora edulis, is among this group.

Beware winter wet gain here, says Jane. When growing them in pots it is important not to over-pot them. If you do, the roots can be left in damp compost throughout winter, and they hate that. Passion flowers like neglect, so pot on gradually, slowly building up the root system.

But of course the most lovely are the fussiest and most demanding, and need a heated greenhouse or conservatory in order to thrive. Some of the smallest of these, such as Passiflora citrina, with beautiful little starburst yellow flowers, and Passiflora allantophylla – which has the tiniest and most intricate flowers of all – can even be grown as an unusual houseplant.

If you have a heated conservatory, and particularly if you are lucky enough to have conservatory borders in which they can spread their roots, you can plant one of these objects of desire with the certainty that it will stick with you.

When does passion flower bloom?

The main flowering time for most passion flowers is from July to September.

When to plant passion flower?

Passion flowers that are going to be grown outside should be planted in spring, once the soil has warmed up and there is no danger of late frosts.

When to prune passion flower?

Prune back passion flowers in early spring if necessary.

How to prune passion flower?

Remove any dead or damaged stems, and old flowered stems. Flowers are produced on new growth.

If your plant has been damaged by frost, try cutting the stems back to 30cm from the ground in spring. It may regrow.

If your plant is overgrown, you can also try cutting it back to 30-60cm from the ground in spring. You will sacrifice flowers for a year or two.

The best passion flowers to grow

Passiflora caerulea

The most common passionflower, with uncommon looks – the beautiful large, white-green flowers have intricate violet and white filaments. They are very popular with bees. The flowers are followed by orange, oval fruits that are edible, but tasteless. Passiflora caerulea is a vigorous plant that will quickly cover a sunny wall, fence or pergola. It is hardy in most areas, but may need winter protection in colder parts of the UK. Height x spread: 12m x 4m.

Passiflora ‘Anastasia’

The deep-pink flowers of Passiflora ‘Anastasia’ are produced on long, trailing peduncles. The flowers then sit back beautifully, looking up slightly and making for a particularly elegant habit. Perfect for a cool glasshouse or unheated conservatory. USDA 11†.

Passiflora alata

Heavily perfumed with a lemony scent, this Amazonian native goes by the common name of fragrant granadilla. Grow it in a heated greenhouse or conservatory where it may produce its edible fruit, which are highly prized in Brazil. Height x spread: 6m x 1m. AGM*. RHS H1C, USDA 10a-11.

Passiflora vitifolia ‘Scarlet Flame’

This bright-red beauty is not remotely hardy, but with enough heat it will produce flowers for ten months of the year. Large-growing and evergreen, it’s best in a conservatory border where it can spread. Minimum UK temperature 10-16°C. USDA 10a-11.

Passiflora aurantia

This pretty Australian species has a neat trick. Its long, thin-petalled flowers open a pale apricot and then deepen to a stronger orange over four or five days. Keep above 5°C in a lightly heated glasshouse. USDA 9b-11.

Passiflora x belotii

Beautiful Passiflora x belotii is a vigorous hybrid of Passiflora alata and Passiflora caerulea. It is very free flowering and the flowers are highly scented. It only needs a temperature of 2°C, so plant in an unheated glasshouse. USDA 7a-10b.

Passiflora ‘Amethyst’

Passiflora ‘Amethyst’ has also been known as ‘Lavender Lady’ – a name that suits the beautiful, reflexed pale-purple flowers. In mild areas, try it outdoors in your sunniest, most sheltered spot, or give the protection of a cool glasshouse. AGM. RHS H3. USDA 7b-11.

Passiflora x smythiana

Passiflora x smythiana, a hybrid of Passiflora antioquiensis and Passiflora mixta, has large yet elegant dark rose-pink flowers, with strongly swept-back petals. A beautiful thing for the border of a glasshouse kept above 5°C.

Passiflora citrina

This passionflower is small and compact enough to be grown as a house plant, where it will produce its tiny, starry, lemon yellow flowers over a long period, up to ten months of the year. USDA 8a-10b.

Passiflora ‘Abigail’

Passiflora ‘Abigail’ has strong purple colouring, fine shaping and looks particularly exotic for one of the hardier of the bunch. It flowers from May to October. Worth trying outdoors in a dry, sheltered spot, or in a cool glasshouse.

Passiflora conzattiana

Grown as a houseplant in the USA, this little plant produces myriad tiny but striking green and dark-purple flowers from March to November. Very free flowering and happy wherever temperatures remain above 3°C.

Passiflora edulis

Often sold as hardy, Passiflora edulis actually needs a little protection from frost in order to thrive. Very vigorous, so grow it in the border of a large, unheated glasshouse or polytunnel. Produces the delicious edible fruit that we usually only find in supermarkets. Minimum UK temperature 10-16°C. 8m x 4m. USDA 8a-10b.

Passiflora caerulea ‘Constance Eliott’

Purest white flowers and one of the hardier plants, but will still appreciate a sheltered aspect. Happy in sun or semi-shade and not too vigorous, so it keeps a better shape than some of the faster-growing types. Orange fruit in autumn. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 6a-10b.

*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.†Hardiness ratings given where available. You can find more information on plant hardiness ratings here.

Throughout a long career, Dutch master Piet Oudolf has created many show-stopping landscapes and is still developing lush perennial schemes around the world. His legacy is celebrated in a new book, with insightful essays by those who have worked with, and been inspired by, him, alongside a selection of his intricate planting plans.

Piet Oudolf at Work (Phaidon, £59.95) Use code PIET20 for 20 per cent off the book on Phaidon.com. Valid until 31st August 2023.

Piet Oudolf at Work

Cassian Schmidt
Director of Hermannshof garden, Germany

Piet’s planting plans and plant lists are not secret, unlike with most other designers; he publishes them both in books and online. Piet is surprisingly relaxed about the possibility that others might copy him, saying they are welcome to do so. But by the time any given design has been completed, Piet has long since moved on in his creative thoughts and visions, and never reuses exactly the same combination of plants. His real achievement is in elevating the work of designing with plants to a whole new level. He has brought perennials back into the consciousness of landscape architecture. Renowned garden designers are now being valued increasingly for their specialist knowledge, and are even being brought in on high-profile projects and accepted as equal partners among architects. Even galleries and museums have come to value plants as a design tool for their outdoor areas or even to include them directly in art projects, as at the Venice Biennale. This has all helped to elevate an Oudolf planting design to a work of art, one that can stand on its own, as opposed to serving as an accessory or mere decoration. Piet Oudolf has thus succeeded in emancipating planting design as an art form in its own right, bringing it out of its niche and on to the big stage.

Jonny Bruce
Gardener and writer

Piet’s contagious enthusiasm reflects his experience and the generosity he has received, and is a legacy as important as the plants themselves. Certainly, walking with Piet in his garden is never a passive experience: as he runs his hands through the grasses overhanging the paths, he directs your attention to some uniquely beautiful seedhead before raising his phone to capture it. “There are still so many plants to discover,” Piet says, with characteristic enthusiasm. It was always a pleasant surprise on taking Piet and his wife Anja a box of plants to hear the words, “I haven’t grown that before”, and to think that our conversations were finding their place alongside those of Henk Gerritsen, Roy Diblik, Rob Leopold and the countless other gardeners who have informed this rare garden. It is in this way that one can best understand Piet Oudolf, for as he says: “My relationship to plants is through people.”

Noel Kingsbury
Plantsman and garden writer.

The vast majority of people who know Piet’s work are familiar with it from arrays of massed perennials and grasses. To create these plantings, he sketches and draws his designs using plans that until now have been seen only by a minority of his admirers. So striking are these plans – done with coloured pencils, felt-tip pens and markers, and using a dense language of annotation, including dots, dashes, spirals and squiggles – they have become accepted as artworks in their own right. The plans are, in a way, representative of the creative process of an artist – a process that is next to impossible to explain, in part because the routes of the design method are many and may vary greatly from one project to another. Inevitably, given the transitory nature of gardens in general, and of perennial-based planting schemes in particular, these places will change over time, often dramatically. The plans at least will preserve their originator’s thoughts and intentions for posterity. Looking at Piet’s planting in the broad sweep of history, it can perhaps be best understood as representing a stylisation of nature, much as the highly influential landscape movement of 18th-century England created a highly structured representation of the natural world. Much as it went on to stimulate a very wide range of design styles, we can speculate that Oudolf planting will also have a major and continuing influence on the nature-inspired planting of the future.

Rosie Atkins
Former Gardens Illustrated editor, who commissioned Piet’s Best in Show garden (designed in collaboration with Arne Maynard) for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 2000.

Most garden designers work in multi-disciplinary practices, but Piet has always preferred to work alone in his studio, collaborating externally with teams of multi-skilled professionals. Like all gardeners, he believes to share is to multiply. “The public projects allow me to share my work with a large number of people, while the private gardens are, well, private,” he says. He likes to think that all his gardens are a promise for the future, and “like a good marriage,” he says, “I want my planting designs to work together as they age.” Piet has become the leading figure in a movement that promotes a more natural and resilient approach to urban landscape design. His understanding of how plants behave in different soils and climates makes his designs both distinctive and sustainable. As the gardening writer and historian Tim Richardson says, “Piet is an original thinker and a proselytiser for an attitude to planting rather than a ‘look’.” His work embraces and accepts the natural process of the life and death of plants and recognises how plants adapt to change, which is something we will all have to do if humankind is to preserve a peaceful and sustainable way of life in the future.

BUY THE BOOK
This edited extract is taken from the new book, Piet Oudolf at Work (Phaidon, £59.95). Written in close collaboration with Piet, this beautifully illustrated book offers a fresh insight into Piet’s creative practice, showcasing many of his well-known gardens – from New York’s acclaimed High Line to the newly planted Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

Use code PIET20 for 20 per cent off the book on Phaidon.com. Valid until 31st August 2023.

Rebecca Louise Law makes eye-catching, ethereal sculptures using cascades of fresh and drying cut flowers. It’s a technique she has invented herself, harnessing both her artistic and horticultural knowledge to create artworks with all the delicacy and breathtaking natural beauty of a wild-flower meadow.

Rebecca studied fine art at Newcastle University where she tried out various natural materials before accidentally discovering the potential of flowers. “My father is a gardener and I went home one weekend and took a load of his dahlias back to college to experiment with,” she explains. Rebecca used the dahlias to create an installation exploring the processes of preservation and decay, and realised that she had found her perfect material. After graduating she decided to continue making floral artworks but felt she needed some practical experience. “I had to understand what I was working with before I could work as an artist.” Consequently she spent four years as a florist before setting up on her own in 2008.

Rebecca’s big break came in 2011 when she won her first major commission, Hanging Garden, a dramatic installation made for the Floral Hall at the Royal Opera House in London. It was such a success that Rebecca, now in her thirties, hasn’t stopped since and in the past five years she has worked on installations for clients as far afield as Japan, Athens and New York. She also makes smaller sculptures encased in glass boxes and framed pieces using flowers recycled from her temporary installations. “We never throw anything away,” she laughs.

The sculptures are made by tying flowers to lengths of copper wire. These are then manipulated into shape and suspended from the ceiling, allowing the flowers to dry naturally. Part of Rebecca’s skill lies in knowing how individual flowers will age and she is constantly experimenting with different species. “It’s what I like best – learning the whole journey of a species from beginning to end,” she says.

One of Rebecca’s installations was at the Luton Hoo Estate in Bedfordshire. Although designed by ‘Capability’ Brown, Luton Hoo’s gardens fell into disrepair in the 1980s, but are now being restored by volunteers. “It’s somewhere that’s really lost and beautiful and an incredible space – it was like a blank canvas for me,” says Rebecca. She’s used dried flowers collected over the past four years to create an installation called The Dairy 2016, a fragile, ghostly drift of plant forms that gently float above an old marble dairy slab.

Rebecca takes her inspiration from nature. “I want to capture a tiny part of the awe you get when you are completely surrounded by the landscape,” she says. But as well as its grandeur, she’s also fascinated by the minutiae of nature and her sculptures are as much about the detail of individual flowers as their overall impact. And this is why she prefers her sculptures to remain in situ for as long as possible, although it may seem perverse to make permanent sculptures out of such an ephemeral material. “The longer the installation is there, the more fascinating it becomes – the colour slowly disappears but the actual structure of the flower remains,” she explains, adding, “Flowers can last forever – they are a really amazing material.”

Very few flowers offer such a vivid spectacle as zinnias. Available in a broad spectrum of colours (except for blue), they jostle for joy in a spectacular Latino parade. These highly decorative and irrepressibly cheerful daisies have their roots in the rocky hillsides of native northern Central America, Mexico and southwestern USA. Hybridisation and rigorous re-selection has tamed and transformed the straggly wild zinnia into dramatic garden plants with bigger, fuller, flowers of singles, doubles, semi-doubles and pompoms in myriad tones.

Around 20 species of Zinnia are found in the wild, mainly annuals but with some perennials and shrubs. The genus is named after the 18th-century German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn, who first described the flower. Zinnias have their own style with rich green foliage setting off fiery daisy flowers and reptilian, prominently scaled flower buds.

Jump to

• How tall do zinnias grow
• How to grow zinnias
• Sowing zinnias
• How to care for zinnias
• What to plant with zinnias
• The best zinnias to grow
• Where to buy zinnia seed

Zinnias: everything you need to know

How tall do zinnias grow

The most striking are the old-fashioned, tall, large-flowered forms bred from the wild Zinnia elegans – a coarse plant from Mexican deserts, at 1m tall with single purple flowers 5cm across. All make excellent cut flowers lasting several days. Zinnia Giant Double Mixed is a stirring mix of tall, double and semi-double flowers, up to 11cm across, blended in garish shades of yellows, pinks, oranges, and deep reds. Zinnia Dahlia Flowered Mixed is similar (if not identical).

The most striking of all the large-flowered cultivars are the Zinnia Benary’s Giant Series, which appear in a range of vivid single colours. Plants are robust on thick branching stems growing 1.3m tall and 0.5m wide. ‘Benary’s Giant Salmon Rose’, ‘Benary’s Giant Lilac’, ‘Benary’s Giant Deep Red’, ‘Benary’s Giant White’ and ‘Benary’s Giant Orange’ are just a selection that I grow. Other colours are available from rich carmine red to yellow but seed is difficult to source in the UK, with the full range available only from the USA.

Zinnia Giant Cactus Flowered Mixed is also tall at 1m and has full flower heads packed with gently quilled petals. The blend comes in six or seven colours and works well in mixed borders although sometimes plants are of ragged appearance.

Recent breeding efforts have favoured dwarfing, producing ungraceful stocky plants with large flowers. Here impact seems to have conquered grace, but a few of the large-flowered, short-stemmed hybrids still retain the charm and character of their parents. For example, plants of the Zinnia elegans Dreamland Series are just 40cm high and not overly squat. Their plump double flowers are most effective at the front of borders or in pots. Coral, ivory, pink, yellow and rose and a mixture exists, but ‘Dreamland Scarlet’ in fiery orange and ‘Dreamland Red’ in deeper red, both with yellow centres, inject intense colour without sacrificing much space.

How to grow zinnias

Sowing zinnias

Zinnias are hot-weather plants that crave heat and love sun. Little is gained by starting them early as cool temperatures could delay planting out.

• In the UK, sow zinnia seeds in mid-May under glass. Germination takes as little as three days if the temperatures are high.
• Prick out seedlings into small pots or plug trays as soon as they are large enough to handle and nurture under glass before gradually hardening them off.
• Root congestion can be a setback, so plants should be moved on to the next pot size if they root through before outside temperatures are high enough for planting.
• In southeast England we plant them in the first or second week of June, when night-time temperatures are generally above 10°C. As they hate root disturbance, zinnias are better sown direct in hotter climates as they germinate and thrive without being checked.

How to care for zinnias

Zinnias thrive in light, rich, well-drained soil. They will tolerate drought but need water while establishing in order to develop a root system. Avoid excessive watering as this will reduce the risks of fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and Alternaria solani blight, which causes reddish-brown lesions on the leaf. Fungicides can be used to overcome any problems but on the whole zinnias are trouble-free as long as summers are hot.

Staking may be necessary for taller zinnias. A single bamboo cane behind each plant, with string looped around the principal stems, is sufficient. Plants should be deadheaded regularly unless spent blooms are hidden by new flowers.

What to plant with zinnias

Zinnias make good partners to a range of summer flowering plants, including salvias. Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Salmon Rose’ is a stunning cohort to the fine velvet red lances of Salvia confertiflora with a backdrop of green and cream variegated Euonymus fortunei ‘Silver Queen’. Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Lilac’ is equally effective next to intense blue Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’, flowering until autumn.

The tall fleabane (Erigeron annuus) produces a froth of white daisies all summer long, setting off the rich red heads of Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Red’. Zinnia ‘Dreamland Scarlet’ and Zinnia ‘Profusion White’ or Zinnia ‘Profusion Orange’ blend well with the pale blue South American annual Browallia americana.

The best zinnias to grow

Zinnia Giant Double Mixed

Mix of double and semi-double flowers in a range of bold colours. The dramatic blooms can be 11cm across and have a central disc with a contrasting ring of bright yellow fertile florets. The plant grows up to 1m tall.

Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant White’

Dahlia-flowered, with elegant chalky white petals offset by green and yellow centres. Grows to 1.3m tall. There’s also ‘Benary’s Giant Lime’ in a delicate lime green.

Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Orange’

Double 10-13cm flowers of intense burnt-orange petals and a large central disc. Up to 1.3m tall. All the Zinnia elegans ‘Benary’s Giant Series’ make excellent cut flowers.

Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Salmon Rose’

Dahlia-flowered. A delicate light salmon with fully double flowers 10cm across from late July to October. Grows to 1.3m tall and 50cm wide, with typically sturdy stems.

Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Deep Red’

Large dahlia-like blooms on sturdy stems in a sumptuous, rich, velvety red. Like all the Benary’s Giant Series’ it grows up to 1.3m tall. A good cut flower with high yields.

Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Lilac’

Large, lilac-mauve petals are overlaid into elegant double flowers up to 13cm across, highlighted with prominent yellow flecks of the central disc. Robust stems up to 1.3m tall.

Zinnia Giant Cactus Flowered Mixed

Flower heads are packed with quilled petals to give it a characteristic cactus-type appeal. Colours range from cream through to bright red. Grows to 1m.

Zinnia ‘Profusion White’

White flowers produced over a long period. ‘Profusion’ are interspecific crosses between Zinnia elegans and Zinnia angustifolia. Good disease resistance. Grows to 30cm tall.

Zinnia ‘Profusion Orange’

Reliable performer with sheets of dazzling orange flowers suitable for a sunny spot in a border or pots. Vigorous, copes with a wide range of conditions. 30cm tall.

Zinnia ‘Dreamland Scarlet’

The Dreamland Series produces stocky dwarf plants and plump flowers, in this case an intense red. This cultivar typically grows to a height of 40cm.

Zinnia ‘Profusion Cherry’

Another bushy choice with profuse single flowers up to 5cm across, in a vibrant cerise. Good in a border or as a cut flower. Grows to a height of 30cm.

Zinnia ‘Queen Red Lime’

A charming, new variety with an old- fashioned quality. Medium-sized pompoms in a blend of dusky pink and lime green give the flowers a delicate effect. Grows to 60cm.

Zinnia Starbright Mixed

A mix of white and orange stars just 3cm across and with yellow centres. Plants are low at just 20cm, multi-branched with narrow leaves.

Zinnia ‘Starbright White’

A looser more informal look that works well as a choice for containers. Narrow leaves below bright white flowers up to 5cm in size. Grows to 35cm in height, 20cm spread.

Zinnia ‘Red Spider’

Graceful, upwardly fluted single red flowers on delicately branched stems growing to 45cm high. A good choice for combining into the flower border.

Zinnia ‘Aztec Sunset’

A mix of jewelbox colours in shades of red, mahogany, yellow, orange, green and cream. Many have bicoloured zonal banding and some are single, some double. The flowers are 3cm wide on 40cm high stems.

Where to buy zinnia seed

• Chiltern Seeds, Bortree Stile, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7PB.

• Moles Seeds (UK) Ltd, Turkey Cock Lane, Stanway, Colchester, Essex CO3 8PD.

• Thompson & Morgan, Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3BU.

• Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 955 Benton Avenue, Winslow, Maine, USA 04901.

• Select Seeds, 180 Stickney Hill Road, Union, Connecticut, USA 06076-4617.

Thanks to Great Dixter in East Sussex, where the plants pictured in this feature were photographed.

Shopping for bunting for a garden party or special occasion can be fun, but with so many options available, it can also be overwhelming. Not all bunting is created equal, so it’s important to consider factors like durability, versatility, and aesthetics when making a purchase. Lots of bunting on the market is made from plastic and won’t stand the test of time, whereas fabric bunting can be washed and re-used. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the nicest bunting on the market to make your decision easier.

Don’t miss our piece on entertaining in the garden.

Best bunting to buy for the garden and home

Jaragar Fabric Bunting

This vibrant and eye-catching bunting banner comes in an array of colours, making it perfect for birthdays, weddings and garden parties. The flags are double-sided, ensuring that your decor looks great from all angles. Plus, the weather-resistant fabric material makes it suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. Setting up the Jaragar fabric bunting is a breeze – simply hang it from trees, fences or walls using the included string. It’s lightweight and easy to transport, so you can take it with you wherever you go, making it great for picnics too. Whether you’re hosting a garden barbecue or a fancy indoor gala, this bunting banner will add a festive touch to your decor.

Textile Bunting

• Buy now from Kidly (£23).

This Textile Bunting from Kidly is the perfect addition to any party decor. This bunting is made from recycled materials and is light and easy to hang. The colourful flags also feature tassels making this bunting particularly pretty and perfect for picnics and garden parties. Whether you’re looking to add a playful touch to a nursery or brighten up a birthday celebration, this textile bunting is sure to delight. It is machine washable for easy care and can be used again and again.

Floral Fabric Bunting

This fabric bunting is a beautiful addition to any outdoor celebration or event. The 42-piece bunting banner is made of high-quality cotton and features a vintage floral design on each flag. Perfect for weddings, birthdays, garden parties, or any special occasion, this bunting adds a charming touch to your decor. Measuring at a generous length of 33 feet, it can be draped across large spaces or cut into smaller sections to fit various venue sizes. This bunting is easy to install and can be hung from trees, fences, or any other outdoor structure. The GDFAN Fabric Bunting is durable and can be re-used for multiple events, making it great value for your money.

Pennant Bunting

• Buy now from H&M (£8.99).

The Pennant Bunting from H&M is a fun way to add some colour and festive vibes to your space. This trendy bunting features a string of 12 flags in a variety of bright shades, making it the perfect addition to parties, celebrations, or simply as a year-round decor item. Each flag is made from a durable cotton and linen weave and is designed to withstand wear and tear, so you can enjoy this bunting for many occasions to come.

Union Jack Fabric Bunting

• Buy now from Etsy (from £15).

Made from high-quality cotton fabric, this bunting is perfect for adding a touch of nostalgic charm to your home, garden or party venue. Featuring the iconic Union Jack flag design, each flag is double-sided so the bunting will look great from all angles. It comes in a range of lengths to suit all needs and can be easily hung on walls, fences or strung along balconies or tables using the included cotton tape. This would be perfect for garden parties celebrating royal occasions like the coronation and jubilee events.

Linen bunting

• Buy now from Etsy (from £27.70).

For a more rustic or bohemian look, linen is a great choice. This handmade linen bunting from Etsy features natural, earthy colours including sage and brown. It is perfect for indoor and outdoor use and can be used over and over again so is perfect if you like to host a lot. This bunting can be ordered with 8 to 89 flags, making it very versatile and useful for any sized space.

Bunting is a great addition to any garden party or picnic. If you’re hosting, why not take a look at our recommendations for tabletop heaters and garden bar ideas to take your celebration to the next level.

Gardens Illustrated is launching a brand new podcast featuring a host of horticulture’s top talent on 21st March.

The Talking Gardens podcast features conversations with the great and the good of the gardening world about their dream gardens.

Gardens Illustrated’s new podcast: Talking Gardens

In conversation with Gardens Illustrated editor Stephanie Mahon, guests choose the places, people and plants that have shaped their love of gardens and pick the things they would most like to have in their fantasy spaces.

In season one, Stephanie chats to head gardener Fergus Garrett about his fantasy garden, from the borders of Great Dixter, where he has worked since 1992, and the spirit of its creator Christopher Lloyd, to the wild landscapes of Turkey. We also hear from garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith about his new Plant Library at the Serge Hill Project, his work abroad in India and Morocco and his dream of eliminating plastic from gardens. Alice Vincent, author and Gardens Illustrated columnist, tells us why her dream garden would have to include Piet Oudolf-style naturalistic planting and a glasshouse for entertaining friends such as Diana Ross (the garden writer, not the disco diva).

Tune in to find out why head gardener Troy Scott Smith is no longer watering the borders at Sissinghurst; why herb expert Jekka McVicar loves a moon gate; and how gardening saved the life of Charlie Harpur, head gardener at Knepp Castle Walled Garden. We also learn what ethnobotanist James Wong’s imaginary Eden would look like, and what garden designer Sarah Price would never allow in her garden.

Talking Gardens – Season One release dates

• Episode One: Fergus Garrett 21/03/2023
• Episode Two: Alice Vincent 28/03/2023
• Episode Three: Tom Stuart-Smith 04/04/2023
• Episode Four: James Wong 11/04/2023
• Episode Five: Troy Scott Smith 18/04/2023
• Episode Six: Jekka McVicar 25/04/2023
• Episode Seven: Charlie Harpur 02/05/2023
• Episode Eight: Sarah Price 09/05/2023

New episodes will be released every Tuesday, subscribe so you never miss one! The Talking Gardens podcast is sponsored by J Parker’s Bulbs

Garden designers have been speaking up and showing their support for a new campaign against artificial lawns and plants launched by the Society of Garden Designers.

‘Say No to Plastic Grass and Plants’ is a new initiative from the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) to highlight the environmental damage that is caused by the growing trend for plastic grass and plants. Supported by the Royal Horticultural Society and the Landscape Institute, the campaign aims to encourage homeowners to opt for keeping lawns and other forms of greenery instead of replacing them with plastic alternatives.

Plastic grass is rising in popularity

The three organisations are encouraging millions of homeowners, gardeners and garden designers to help cut down the pollution and ecological destruction caused by artificial grass and to create more habitats for birds, bees and other wildlife.

The SGD says that according to Google Trends, which tracks the popularity of online searches, the search for artificial lawns surged during the pandemic, with a 185% jump in May 2020 compared with the same month the previous year. Meanwhile a survey by Aviva revealed that over recent years, 1 in 10 households in the UK have replaced their garden’s natural lawn with artificial grass, leading to the loss of the crucial natural habitats and ‘green corridors’ on which wildlife depend.

SGD Co-Chair Lynne Marcus MSGD said: “Plastic grass is far from an eco-friendly alternative to natural grass. Covering your garden with a layer of plastic has absolutely no climate benefits at all. It will suffocate the soil beneath it, destroy all sources of food and habitat and have devastating consequences for microorganisms in the soil beneath as well as the bugs and birds above. Compare that to a real lawn where a vast ecosystem of organisms, microbes, invertebrates and plant life can thrive, helping both the food chain and biodiversity, and it’s clear that there is absolutely no place on the planet for these products.” She adds: “We are all aware of the damage plastic bags do to the environment. Plastic grass and plants are no different.”

Garden designers support the campaign against artificial grass

Since the campaign launched, many designers have come forward to share their grievances about the use of plastic grass. Ann Marie-Powell Gardens took to Instagram to share their thoughts on plastic lawns, citing among other things that they destroy natural habitats and soil, contribute to urban heat islands and can’t be recycled.

Echoing these thoughts, Helen Elks-Smith said “I never use plastic grass in my designs and don’t believe that there is any space or requirement where a beautiful and natural alternative can’t be used instead.”

The SGD hopes that people will realise that their lawns and gardens can be a vital resource for wildlife, with bees, birds and other insects and animals all reliant on these varied habitats. They are also debunking claims by manufacturers that these plastic products are harmless and low-maintenance, promoting several alternatives such as low-mow lawns and drought-tolerant lawns.

Cassandra Crouch Garden Design also shared their support, saying “nothing beats nature and plastic really has no place in our gardens.”

Other design studios that have shared their support include Richard Miers Garden Design, winners of the People’s Choice at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2022 for the Perennial Garden ‘With Love’.

For more information about the campaign and a downloadable leaflet, head to sgd.org.uk.

Shrubs are often described as the backbone of a garden, and can offer not only beautiful flowers but height and structure, foliage and berries.

Flowering shrubs are often excellent for attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinators, and many have the added bonus of deliciously scented flowers. They can also provide much needed shelter, food and habitat for wildlife – birds are more likely to visit bird feeders if they have protective shrubs to dart in and out of.

Read about the best shrubs for birds.

Some flowering shrubs have evergreen foliage and look good all year round; others are deciduous, and may offer beautiful foliage in autumn before it falls. Deciduous shrubs can be underplanted with spring bulbs such as crocus or spring flowers such as primulas, which flower before shrubs come into leaf.

You can grow flowering shrubs as focal points in a front garden or lawn or grow them in a mixed border of shrubs, perennials and annuals.

There are flowering shrubs to suit every garden. Choose carefully and you can enjoy shrubs in flower in every season of the year.

Are there any shrubs that flower all year?

There are no shrubs that flower continuously all year round. However, some shrubs do flower for a very long time, straddling two seasons, such as abelia, which starts flowering in summer and continues well into autumn. With a little planning you can plant flowering shrubs to add interest in your garden for 12 months of the year.

Jump to:

• The best spring-flowering shrubs
• The best summer-flowering shrubs
• The best autumn-flowering shrubs
• The best winter-flowering shrubs

Best flowering shrubs for spring

Camellia

Camellias bear rose-like blooms in early spring, in a range of colours including white, pale pink and red, and have glossy, evergreen foliage. They are woodland plants, so prefer light shade and acid soil – if you don’t have acid soil in your garden, grow in a pot in ericaceous (lime-free) compost. Read about the best camellias to grow.

Flowers: February/March/April, depending on type
Evergreen/deciduous: Evergreen
Height x spread: 1-4m x 1-4m
Best for: Acid soil, shade, containers
Scent? No

Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica)

Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) is a beautiful wall shrub with attractive orange, crimson, white or peach flowers from March to May. It may produce small green or yellow quinces later in the season, which can be made into jelly. It is not fussy about soil, or aspect.

Flowers: March/April
Evergreen/deciduous: Deciduous
Height x spread: 1m x 2m
Best for: wall training, back of a border
Scent? No

Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

Flowers: March/April
Evergreen/deciduous: Deciduous
Height x spread: 1.5m x 1.5m
Best for: mixed border, wildlife value, informal hedge
Scent? Aromatic, currant-scented leaves

California lilac (Ceanothus)

Flowers: April/May
Evergreen/deciduous: Evergreen or deciduous, depending on variety
Height x spread: From 1m x 1m, depending on variety
Best for: wall training, informal hedge, mixed border
Scent? Yes

Pieris

Pieris are small, evergreen shrubs. In late winter and early spring, the fresh new leaves and shoots have beautiful and eye-catching pink or red tips. In mid spring, they bear small white or pink bell-like blooms. They need acid soil and grow well in pots – use ericaceous compost. Grow in sun or part shade.

Flowers: April/May
Evergreen/deciduous: Evergreen
Height x spread: 1m x 1.5m
Best for: attractive foliage in spring
Scent? No

Rhododendron

Rhododendrons bear masses of flowers in bright tones of red, pink, purple, yellow, white or purple. They like acid soil and some shade, so work well in woodland schemes. Compact and dwarf cultivars like Rhododendron ‘Princess Anne’ are best for small gardens.

Flowers: April/May
Evergreen/deciduous: Evergreen
Height x spread: from 1m x 1m, depending on type
Best for: bright flowers, acid soil
Scent? No

Lilac (Syringa)

Flowers: April/May
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: from 1m x 1m, depending on variety
Best for: scent, wildlife, alkaline soil
Scent? Yes

Best summer flowering shrubs

Weigela

Weigelas are low-maintenance shrubs with funnel-shaped flowers in deep red, pink, white or yellow that are enjoyed by pollinators. Most bloom in midsummer, but newer cultivars such as Weigela ‘Picobella Rosa’ go through to early autumn. Some also have foliage in shades of bronze, purple, yellow or variegated. Weigelas look good towards the back of a mixed border. Grow in sun or partial shade.

Flowers: May/June
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: from around 1m x 1m
Best for: wildlife, back of a border
Scent? No

Mexican orange blossom (Choisya)

Choisya have glossy aromatic foliage and scented white flowers in late spring and early summer. They are easy to grow and compact, so excellent for small gardens. Choisya x dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’ sometimes repeat flowers in August or September. Choisya x dewitteana Apple Blossom is a compact new cultivar with pale pink and white flowers and also repeat flowers.

Flowers: May /June
Evergreen/deciduous: evergreen
Height x spread: from 1m x 1m
Best for: small gardens, scented flowers
Scent? Yes

Mock orange (Philadelphus)

Flowers: May/June
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: 1.5m x 1.5m
Best for: intoxicating scent, elegant look
Scent? Yes

Elderflower (Sambucus)

Elder is a hedgerow plant but there are garden varieties available too, with attractive foliage and white or pink flowers in early summer. These are pleasantly scented and can be used to make elderflower cordial. Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’ (syn. ‘Black Lace’) has attractive purple-black foliage and pink blooms, while Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Gerda’ (syn. ‘Black Beauty’) has reddish-black leaves and dark-pink flowers (which will turn cordial an attractive shade of pink). In autumn, black berries will form, which birds love. They are edible, but should not be eaten raw as they cause stomach upsets. They can be cooked and used to make an elderberry tincture – a powerful antiviral.

Flowers: May/June
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: approx 2m x 2m
Best for: wildlife, edible flowers and berries (after cooking)
Scent? Yes

Flowering dogwood (Cornus kousa)

Flowers: June
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: around 3m x 5m but each varies
Best for: stunning display
Scent? No

Hebe

Flowers: June/July/August/September
Evergreen/deciduous: evergreen
Height x spread: 40cm to 1.5m
Best for: long flowering; evergreen interest
Scent? No

Butterfly bush (Buddleia)

Flowers: July/August/September
Evergreen/deciduous: decidous
Height x spread: from 80cm to 5m, depending on variety
Best for: pollinators, long flowering time
Scent? Yes

Smoke bush (Cotinus)

Cotinus are large shrubs with green, purple or gold leaves and hazy tufts of fluffy flowers in summer; many have excellent autumn foliage colour too. The common name of smoke bush or smoke tree is inspired by the flowers, which form a smoky haze around the plant. Cotinus ‘Grace’ is a popular variety that also has excellent foliage colour in autumn.

Flowers: June/July/August
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: approx 3m x 3m, but sizes vary
Best for: flowers and autumn colour
Scent? No

Read our guide to growing cotinus.

Hydrangea

There are many different types of hydrangeas, from lacecaps that have flat flowerheads with larger petals on the outside, to mopheads that have big round blooms and the more modern Hydrangea paniculata varieties that have cone-shaped blooms and are incredibly long flowering. They come in an array of colours from white and pink, to deep blue when grown in acid soil. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ are a favourite with garden designers. Oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) have good autumn foliage colour, too. Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris is a climbing variety. Grow hydrangeas in sun or light shade, in moist soil.

Flowers: July/August/September
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: from 1m x 1m
Best for: long flowering season
Scent? No

Fuchsia

Hardy fuchsias have dainty, often two-tone flowers that look like ballerinas in tutus, in shades of white, red, pink and purple. They can be incredibly long flowering. Popular cultivars include ‘Lady Boothby’ and ‘Mrs Popple’. Fuchsia magellanica var. molinae makes a good informal flowering hedge.

Flowers: June/July/August/September/October
Evergreen/deciduous: mostly deciduous
Height x spread: sizes vary
Best for: incredibly long flowering time
Scent? No

Read about the best fuchsias for your garden.

Bluebeard (Caryopteris)

Flowers: August/September
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: from 1m x 1m
Best for: combining with late summer perennials; bees and butterflies
Scent? Yes

Best flowering shrubs for autumn

Many flowering shrubs straddle summer and autumn – see our Summer selection, above.

Abelia

Many summer-flowering shrubs straddle summer and autumn, and abelias are no exception. They have an incredibly long flowering time, often beginning as early as June and continuing until October or November. They produce masses of small, white/pink trumpet-like flowers that are scented and a magnet for bees. They are slightly tender, so best grown in a sheltered spot. ‘Sunshine Dream’ is a compact variety. Abelias are semi evergreen, retaining their leaves for much of the year, especially in sheltered gardens.

Flowers: July/August/September/October
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: from 1m x 1m
Best for: combining with late summer perennials; bees and butterflies
Scent? Yes

Plumbago (Ceratostigma willmottianum)

Flowers: August/September/October
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: 1m x 1m
Best for: combining with late summer perennials; bees
Scent? No

Camellia sasanqua

Most camellias flower in late winter and early spring, but Camellia sasanqua types flower in late autumn and early winter, when not much else is in flower. They have evergreen leaves and beautiful, scented flowers in a range of colours, including white and red. Unlike spring-flowering camellias, they do well in a sunny spot. They can also be grown as an informal and unusual hedge. Compact cultivars grow well in containers.

Flowers: October/November/December
Evergreen/deciduous: evergreen
Height x spread: 3m x 3m
Best for: autumn flowers
Scent? Yes

Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)

The ‘flowers’ of these bushy shrubs are actually brightly coloured, winged fruits that smother the plant in autumn (spindles actually produce insignificant flowers in late spring or early summer). These fruits split to reveal seeds in contrasting colours – usually pink casings with metallic-blue or orange seeds. This coupled with stunning autumn foliage makes the plant an arresting sight. Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ is one of the best cultivars. Euonymus are tough plants that are happy in most soils and conditions.

Flowers: Fruits from September/October/November/December
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: 1.5 to 4m x 1.5m to 4m.
Best for: autumn fruits and stunning autumn foliage
Scent? No

Read our expert guide to growing euonymus.

Best flowering shrubs for winter

Viburnum

Depending on the variety, the white or pink flowers of viburnums appear from autumn to late spring. They are often stongly scented. Viburnums are easygoing, low maintenance shrubs that grow well in sun or partial shade. There are many viburnums to choose from: Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ is a popular evergreen variety with flowers from December to April; Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ has globe-shaped clusters of scented flowers from November to March.

Flowers: autumn to spring, depending on variety
Evergreen/deciduous: evergreen or deciduous, depending on variety
Height x spread:
Best for: scented flowers, winter interest
Scent? Often scented

Witch hazel (Hamamelis)

Hamamelis, or witch hazel, bear spidery, citrus-scented flowers in shades of yellow, orange or red along their bare branches in winter. Many cultivars also have good autumn foliage colour too. Good choices include Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Pallida’, with yellow flowers and ‘Jelena’, with orange blooms. Grow in a sunny spot.

Flowers: December/January/February
Evergreen/deciduous: deciduous
Height x spread: approx 3m x 3m
Best for: scent, unusual blooms
Scent? Yes

Read our expert guide to growing Hamamelis.

Daphne

These evergreen shrubs bear star-shaped, scented flowers in winter and as they are compact, are ideal for smaller gardens. They are woodland plants, so grow them in dappled shade; if you can, plant them somewhere close to the house, where their scent can be appreciated, even if you don’t venture far into the garden on a cold day. Daphnes can take a while to establish.

Flowers: January/February/March
Evergreen/deciduous: evergreen
Height x spread: 1.5m x 1.5m
Best for: evergreen interest, scent
Scent? Yes

Read our expert guide to growing daphnes.

Mahonia

Flowers: November/December/January/February/March
Evergreen/deciduous: evergreen
Height x spread: 3m x 3m
Best for: long-lasting flowers, scent, pollinators
Scent? Yes

A quick fridge search of most advocates of seasonal eating reveals a huge amount of either hypocrisy or ignorance. Do we really think you can grow broccoli in the UK in January or green beans in March, or have we just conveniently suspended our critical faculties? I include myself and many Riverford veg box customers in that category.

To blame my step-daughter’s resistance to cabbage for the cucumber and pepper in my fridge is not entirely fair; by March I am longing for the peas, beans, lettuce and occasional asparagus that we import from growers in Spain to keep those hypocrites happy. Although it must be said that our UK-only veg box is selling better than it ever has (though still less than 5 per cent) so perhaps there is some narrowing of the reality gap.

Thérèse Coffey’s suggestion that we should eat turnips says as much about the ignorance of our secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs minister as it does about the nation’s slatternly eating habits. A purple top Milan turnip sown in March, grown quickly and picked young in May or June is indeed a lovely vegetable; braised in butter, grated in a remoulade or in a navarin of lamb stew, but right now it would be imported from Spain or Italy, along with the contentious tomatoes.

The slow grown, traditional, winter turnip beloved by Blackadder‘s Baldric, is in season in March but you have to be very, very hungry to enjoy one; we stopped growing them at Riverford twenty years ago when I could no longer fend off the moans from even the most committed, green, locavore customers. I would guess I could carry the entire UK weekly sales of these sulphurous brutes to market on a bicycle and I doubt our rural affairs minister would recognise one if a voter, outraged by her ignorance, threw one at her.

So, is the solution to put up more glasshouses or polytunnels and grow tomatoes in the UK? Without heat, even under glass, tomatoes grown commercially in the UK are sown in February for planting out in April and picking from July to October in a good year. If they limp on into November, under falling sunlight, the flavour is very poor. With heat they can be planted in January for cropping from April to November but this consumes a prodigious amount of fuel.

Consider that we are legally obliged to double glaze new homes when windows normally account for less than 10 per cent of the surface; yet a glass house will be heated to a similar temperature (20C) in January with 100 per cent of the surface single glazed. It is so bonkers that a tomato or pepper trucked 1500 miles from southern Spain or Italy will typically still have a carbon foot print ten times smaller than one grown under heated glass in the UK. Heating glass to produce out of season tomatoes in the UK is as bonkers as flying runner beans from Kenya. Riverford sells nothing from heated glass (nor anything that has been on an airplane). In a world that was serious about climate catastrophe both would be illegal.

So how do we eat the plant-based diet almost everyone is advising, while leaving a habitable planet for our children? No amount of advice from me or Thérèse Coffey is going to get us there unless it is enjoyable. Guilt or good intentions change little for 95 per cent of us. While 99.9 per cent of us will not revert to eating turnip, I am convinced that, for veg at least (fruit is more challenging), with the right nudges and policies we could eat an 80 per cent UK diet without suffering (or using heated glass).

There are so many wonderful, but neglected vegetables, if we could wean ourselves off tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and broccoli even for a few months. The radicchio / escarole family can provide great salads (for those not needing everything to be sweet) right through the winter as can corn salad, winter purslane and a host of oriental greens. Celeriac can replace celery, purple sprouting replace broccoli. Better storage could see UK grown onions, carrots and potatoes kept in good condition right through to the start of the new season.

Easing of planning control on polytunnels. Better provision of training and support for new entrants would all help boost supply. Personally I do not support flying in an underclass of labourers to support the poor employment practices of many of our large growers; far better that the industry restructured towards smaller businesses more reliant on local labour.

What we do import should never be flown; in terms of CO2 emissions per kg of veg, planes are over 30 times worse than ships; trains about double and trucks about 10 times. In an ideal world what we do import would come by ship from Morocco or southern Spain, which takes three or four days; only a little longer than by truck.

Though the recent tomato shortage was certainly exasperated by self-inflicted Brexit related trade barriers that make the UK a customer of last resort for growers in mainland Europe, the fundamental issue was unseasonably cold weather in Andalucía and Morocco. Every grower I speak to now mentions changing weather patterns as their major challenge; the closer you get to the equator the more acute it becomes.

Our crops and variety choices, planting dates, cultivation strategy and pest control practices have all evolved based on what has worked in the past; that accumulated wisdom, often built over generations, is rapidly being devalued by changing weather patterns; heatwaves, late frosts, torrential rain and gales. They add unpredictability and risk that growers are seldom built into a grower’s budget. We should expect more shortages and higher prices.

But really, is this worth the fuss? We are the lucky ones; no one died for lack of a tomato, we just have to be a bit less picky for a few weeks.