Can my vegetables go to pot at home?

Can I grow veggies in containers? If so, which ones? – Malcolm via email DAVID: There are lots of veg that grow well in containers, provided you keep them well fed and watered.

Carrots and potatoes are great if you have a good, deep container (or an old dustbin). All leafy veg and summerfruiting veg like tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers and peppers are great too.

There’s something very satisfying about a nicely symmetrical garden or planting scheme. Neatly laid, matching rows, perhaps with a path down the middle, satisfy a very human instinct for order.

But breaking up a garden in an asymmetrical pattern – splitting neat lawns one side and borders, planting and hedgerows on another – can be equally satisfying.

For professional designers it’s the interaction of these two – hard landscaping versus live planting – that makes some of the most interesting gardens. By interspersing your landscaping with your planting, you can create a range of different looks, from clean modern lines to wild and rustic textures, depending on your taste.

On the latest episode of Love Your Garden, we created a beautiful patio using Bradstone silver grey paving stones inter-planted with a lovely groundcover plant called mind-yourown-business (Soleirolia soleirolii).

This was part of a Japanese garden, and it was complemented with some large bamboo canes to make a stunning feature.

We went with a random pattern in this instance, which gives that feeling random sequencing to mimic the asymmetrical way nature works its way into a space over time.

Go for an old cobblestone look using Bradstone Carpet Stones, which are incredibly easy to lay. The trick to getting a natural feel is to seed the grass or groundcover plants between the stones, but not to spread it evenly.

Have it working its way in from the edges, with random spots further in, as it would naturally. And then perhaps lose the odd stone here or there to give it a real aged look.

You can even blur the line between a path and a lawn completely by using long stones that are widely spaced and randomly placed.

Planting in the gaps between paving stones and paths –whether on a grand or small scale – effectively softens what is essentially a hard landscape feature in the most stunning way. It isn’t difficult and will add a new dimension to paths.

Adding fragrant plants between the stones of your path or patio will give off an incredible scent when you walk over them. Ideally, they will help create a nice tapestry effect when combined with the paving.

Where you have gaps between stones or around the edges of the slabs, fill the spaces with plants and allow them to grow over all the sides. Camomile, citrus thyme – which has the most wonderful lemony scent – and regular thyme are ideal. Another favourite is Corsican mint.

All are robust enough to survive being walked over and will spread naturally in the cracks.

With “crazy paving” remove one or two smaller slabs to make room for some planting. If there is concrete underneath, try to remove it to allow the plant to send roots down.

Water well while they are bedding in and they’ll soon look like they’ve been there for ever.

Fragrant plants will give off an incredible scent among stones