When we moved in, most of the rear garden was completely overgrown and was essentially a wild, woodland garden.

Although we had 15 trees taken out (mainly large gloomy conifers) and we cleared a lot of scrub ourselves, a lot of the woodland plants continue to come up. When they come up in the borders, as these foxgloves have, we let them flower and go to seed.

Each year we buy plug plants from Jersey Plants Direct, and grow then on it pots before planting them out in urns and pots round the patio. £10 of plants plus £10 of compost from Homebase and a morning's potting does the whole garden.

Last year we chose geraniums and petunias, then ordered these Sweet Williams in the autumn.

The Sweet Williams overwintered in plastic pots in the corner of the patio, and looked very battered after the snow. However, they all pulled through and now look quite stately.