The garden of her Surrey home is dotted with pots at every turn: some decorative, some functional, some planted and others empty, but all carefully placed for effect.

Beds and borders fall loosely into four categories: single, herbaceous, shrub and mixed. The style of border you choose for your landscape may well depend on the amount of time you have available for planting and maintenance.

Peas are one of the prime examples of the taste difference between bought and fresh from the garden.  Normally peas are grow better in cooler climates, and will actually stop producing pods if the temperature goes over 20C (70F). Peas come from the legume family of vegetables. Interesting fact: These types of legumes take the nitrogen from the air and store it in little nodules along their roots. Keep this fact in mind when you're planting and growing your peas.