All about plants

Swerve the big-name gardens and put these dynamic alternatives on your must-visit list this year. Chosen by our garden writer Camilla Phelps, they offer plenty of fresh inspiration to bring back to your own plot

Giant leeks and pumpkins the size of a small car can give impression that there is something slightly comical about competitive fruit and vegetable growing. But those who take part in this cherished B

‘ Her dream house was surrounded by gardens: a berry garden, an apricot garden, a cherry garden, a persimmon garden, a potato garden, a vegetable garden and a huge compost.” Ana Roš, a passionate rock

COLOUR IN THE GARDEN : STYLISH IDEAS FOR YEAR-ROUND COLOUR by Lucy Bellamy Mitchell Beazley, £25 ISBN 978-1784729349 ‘I am hungry for colour. I want jam red and acid yellow, violet blue and caterpilla

15,523m² is almost the same size as the base of the Eiffel Tower (which is 15,625m²) 7,117m² of wildlife-friendly plants, which is the same size as a football pitch 1,438m² of ponds, which is the same

Science is proving what gardeners have always known – that tending plants and spending time outdoors is soothing to mind, body and soul