Garden Shed

In seat-high raised beds, put plants with scented and rough, smooth and furry leaves, which will stimulate the senses. Avoid plants with prickles or toxic sap, such as euphorbia and rue, which can give an allergic reaction. Sow nightscented stock in 11cm-diameter pots in a cold frame. In about seven weeks, when they’re just about to flower, drop them in among your other plants in a sunny border and they’ll fill the air with their spicy, sweet scent.

Using sharp shears, clip evergreen hedges as soon as the new growth starts to turn a darker green. For a neat finish, use a string guide to achieve a level top by simply placing a bamboo stake at either end of the hedgerow, and stringing a line between the two at the desired height of the finished hedge.