I overdosed on rhubarb as a child, unlike my hubby who gets quite emotional at the promise of a rhubarb tart. So if I was kind, I would purchase this rhubarb forcer from those knowledgeable people at Greenfingers . It's currently reduced from £59 to £49 and can apparently work miracles on chicory, asparagus and other things too. Gardener’s World reckoned it was one of their best buys for this year - I might save it's purchase till a big apology/grovel is required.

Posted by Carole

Planters fall into my cushion thinking - need a change - so buy a selection of these and the whole room is transformed. These zinc planters have the look of stainless steel and a price to match my pocket. They're available from John Lewis in 4 sizes and prices, from £10 to £30. Once you've purchased your tall sweeping grasses, then you've got the look.

Posted by Carole

Can't think what to get that relation who seems to have everything? Then get them some plants or shrubs from Dobies in Chester. They've been spreading their seeds since 1880 and now have a very reliable and trusted reputation throughout the UK. This juicy Raspberry Polka costs £11.95 for 5 plants and could have you in berry heaven from July to October.

Posted by Carole

If like me you’d rather have pink fingers than green ones then this charming gardening set from SandEdge.com is for you. The essentials are included, but the little extra inclusions are what make this a gardening set with style. You get two cute pairs of gloves (one suede, one cotton) some pink daisy seeds, some pink plant pot labels and a tube of hand crème all for £33.

It’s almost as if it was plucked straight off the set of Stepford Wives – I love it!

Posted by Kerry

Time to grab an Autumnal bargain of 50% off these dwarf wallflower plants. The glossy green foliage and profusion of scented flowers come in a range of carmine cream, yellow and scarlet/red shades and will bring welcome winter colour to any patio or border. There are plenty of other inspiring Autumn plants and bulbs to choose from at Gardening Direct just make sure you get your order in by October 6th.

Posted by Carole

There's only so much bamboo you can take - our garden currently looks like we should have a panda roaming in it. So take a look at the fantastic range of palms and grasses at The Palm Centre. They're a lot more colourful and promise things like will 'move and whisper seductively in the breeze' - now that's a plant worth buying.

Posted by Carole

Since I've been away the slugs have had a midnight rocket feast with a fair amount of chives and basil for dessert. So this 'live' indoor spice rack is a perfect purchase for my next attempt at growing herbs. It's a great creation from newly graduated/2006 New Designer award winner Mike Moran . Bad news is there's no price for it yet, unlike his eye-catching £20 pop-off planters. Someone to keep an eye on.

Posted by Carole

Just when you thought that life couldn't get any more floral and up pops this fabby garden kneeler from that busy lady Cath Kidston . It's made of oilcloth with a waterproof backing, measures 48 x 36cm and costs £25.00. In truth I'm feeling so autumnal that when I look outdoors all I can think about is weeding and sorting the plants out for Winter - is the summer really over?

Posted by Carole

This potting table is great to have lurking outside for all your plants, pots and odd balls of string. It costs £199 from Odd Limited, a gardening and interiors company set up by Bridgette and Robin Buchanan. Their trademark is upholstered swinging seats, but what I really like is the fact that their site is presented as a series of snap shots, which gives you a real feel of the products in use.

Posted by Carole

Are you looking for a special garden gift? Then how about this Dovecote style perch which has room for up to 8 furry friends to visit. It costs £29.95 and is available from Scotts of Stow .

They also do these great personalised pots, you could put your house number or name on it or your own message - like 'Marry Me'! The pots are available in dark blue, jade green or dark red, and can be etched with up to 11 letters/spaces on each of 3 lines. The bell pot comes in green or blue and can be inscribed with 1-3 numbers. They cost £29.95 and as they are hand-finished take up to 6 weeks for delivery. Not for the spontaneous amongst you.

I don't know much about flowers, but I do know I love passion flowers. They appear delicate and tropical yet are hardy and very canny in the way they shut down over Winter and re-emerge in the Spring. We used to have them in our Brixton garden and I miss them enough to want to see them re-appear in Hackney. I'm going to order mine from Gardening Express as they have a good reputation for the quality and variety of plants. Not sure I'll be planting them right now, as I'm wilting, so a plant would never thrive in this heat.

Posted by Carole

I really like the look of this distressed-look garden planter from The Garden Factory. It's made of robust, fibre enforced resin and is UV treated to help it withstand the elements. It costs £34.95 and measures 21 x 27 x 60cms and would look really good with some sculptural style plants or topiary. If distressed is not your thing, then there's lots of contemporary aluminium pots to consider too.

Posted by Carole

What a clever idea from the witty Aram store, a flowerpot which doubles as a light. The size of the Bloom pot makes it suitable not only for flowers and plants, but you could also fill it with ice for that summer party. It's made of tough plastic and has two 11W energy-saving light bulbs that can be connected to both indoor and outdoor lighting systems. You need to email the store to find out the price, why don't they put them online! A bit early to mention it would also be the perfect pot for your Christmas tree.

Posted by Carole

If you are completely stuck as to what to plant in your beds and borders - then log on now to crocus . They offer a design service which is simple and effective. You download their grid, fill in your garden details, answer a few questions and hey presto they, (or rather Helen) sends you a list of plant recommendations. It does cost £30 an hour, so I would want to know how the average cost works out - but this could save you a lot of heartache, anguish and dead plants.

Posted by Carole

What a perfect pair of Rosemary pots for the front of your house, an entrance point or maybe to celebrate the birth of twins? They cost £45 for the pair or £29 for a single plant and pot from Marks and Spencers . What's really neat is that if you order before 5pm, they'll deliver the next day and there is no charge - sounds almost too good to be true.

Posted by Carole

Roots and Shoots is a great place to drop by if you're in Lambeth. It's a charity which was founded in 1982 and is devoted to training disadvantaged young people, environmental education and urban conservation.

A lot of love, care, training and learning has gone into their plant, vegetable and herb offerings. They also make and sell funiture on site like this Rose arch seat which costs £150. To finish your visit, you can stroll through their half acre wild life garden and feel good about where you've shopped, while smelling the flowers and tasting their home-made honey.

Posted by Carole

From this Thursday 22nd you can get up to 40% off at the The White Company, which although aimed at people with no mucky children and live by the sea, have some very neat and well, very white, goods. These cube planters are finished in a textured rustic finish, have a removable plug and are £20 for the small (20 x 20) or £35 for the big (30 x 30).

When you've finished all that digging and planting, treat your hands to a heady rub of thyme and sunflower oil essences with this hand cream. Then relax and pour yourself a drink.

Posted by Carole

Natural Collection have just been voted 'Retailer of the Year by the readers of The Observer in their Ethical Awards, and what a good choice they've turned out to be. Husband-and wife-team Julian & Jo Spencer have applied an ethical and ecological approach to everyday household and outdoor goods we need and purchase on a daily basis. The gardening section is stuffed with feeders, planters, solar lights, potions that don't kill the cat next door, some neat butts and composting bins.. you get the idea. I've chosen this natural hemp string which costs £4.95 - £12.95 as a small but practical place to begin turning my garden greener. It's part of their vast hemp range, t-shirts, weighing scales, bicycle? It's a one - stop ethical shop, time for me to chuck out the last remaining chemicals lurking in the potting shed.

Posted by Carole

Are you faced with a lawn which is dying before your eyes and wondering what you can do? Then log onto the love the garden site. It's quite blatantly dedicated to promoting 5 well know garden brands, but in the midst of this has some great advice and tips. And if this wonderful (but boy is it hot) sunshine continues, then our plants are going to need some serious resuscitation without the use of water or a miracle. What I want to know is has anyone tried to siphon the water out of their bath into a water butt below? Let me know.

Posted by Carole

The sun has finally come out and you've noticed you need a bit of colour in your garden. Then Head for the Fulham Palace Garden Centre near Putney Bridge. Not only can you purchase a great selection of plants, from African Violets to 10 ft palms, but all the profits will go to the Fairbridge. charity, which helps disaffected inner city youths. While you're at it why not join the garden centre society for £20 per year and attend a series of garden events to inform you about what's new and happening in the plant world. Alternatively roll up with your empty planters or window boxes and they'll plant them up for you. Not bad for a days trip to a garden centre.

Posted by Carole

If like me you've found that the rain has brought out all the slugs to play and eat your entire garden contents, then you need a dose of Nemaslug killer. Your killer pest control is biological (using one living organism to control another) and offers a 6 week protection during those initial tender plant growing days. It costs £9.95 and is available from Harrod Horticultural a site for all you serious (or aspiring) gardeners out there.

As well as being expert bug killers, Harrod's also stock great furniture, lights, labels etc and an extensive range of organic seeds, plants, feeds and fertilisers. These onion shaped squash costs £1.50 for a pack of ten and are one of several unique varieties on offer. Can't beat the satisfying feeling of eating something you have grown yourself.

Posted by Carole

There's not much that Suttons don't know about their onions and seeds. Established in 1806 by John Sutton they have gone onto being one of the most recognisable names and providers in the world of plant, vegetable, bulb, bush and horticultural products for amateur gardeners.

With over 1,500 products to choose from, you could start with this Wild flower seed collection that will entice the seed- eating and hoverflies into the garden. There are lots of choices and prices, for every packet sold they will also donate 5p to the Wildlife trusts, so good growth for everyone involved.

Posted by Carole

Sarah Raven's Cutting Garden offers a really clean, simple and informed choice of plant and herbs to purchase. I suppose not surprising given that she lectures, appears on the telly, runs food & garden courses and when she has five minutes actually grows things too! These Alpine strawberries are large and very fruity, plus have the added delight of providing a huge amount of fruit in their first year. They cost £1.95 for 300 seeds.

If you fancy a day out combined with some plant, herb or seed gift shopping, then they are holding an 'Open Day & Food Fair' for £4 on June £17th at Perch Hill Farm (one hour from London). If that's too much of a faff then they are having an online clearance sale right now, with a lot of items reduced by 50%. Worth logging on if only to gaze at all the wonderful shrubs.

Posted by Carole,

I just had to show you this planter as it caught my eye a few weeks back and then I noticed it pop up in Living etc and The Independents '50 Best Garden Buys'. This planters having it's little moment of fame - so why stop it now.

This roof tile planter is really rather special. It's made in France from - yes -original French terracoota roof tiles and measures 45cm by 25 cm wide. They cost £95 each and are 45cm high by 25cm wide from that lovely R K Alliston shop.

Meanwhile my planter dilemma has led me into the comforting arms of John Lewis where you can buy this Garden Sculpture planter for £22 and fill it with green foliage for a dramatic window look. You should also check out their vivid Green Resin planters too.

If like me you're just not sure, then throw caution to the wind and spend £1.99 on this attractive non rust, 3-pot set from Ikea. Who knows you might even be able to recycle it once you've finally made your mind up.

Posted by Carole

The best seller at Capital Gardens at the moment is cabbage. The new F1 Cabbage Kilaxy from Suttons Seeds is so resistant to the dreaded club root disease that it will produce a crop of healthy cabbages even on infected ground where other varieties of cabbage would fail. And cabbage is so very good for you. At £3.25 for a packet of seeds what are you waiting for?

Posted by Ros

I really like the look of these weathered utility crates. I did think, well I could do that, but then realised that this would require actually finding the crate and stencils. By then, it would become a task to be added to the already out-of-control 'To Do' list. Plantabox is therefore a neat idea.
They have sourced a load of Baltic pine boxes, stained them in 3 different water based stains, popped a stencil on and well, there you have it. Well almost, the added touch is being able to request a personalised stencil on the front of herb, lavender or geranium or whatever you fancy crate. Empty the boxes are £24.90 or filled would be £39.90 - great for a gift with a twist.

When I think of Crocus, I think of a series of bright mini-catalogues which I flcik through when having a 'must do something about the garden' moment. I then proceed to gawp and drool at all the spectacular and beautiful plants on offer to me. This ritual is finished when said catalogue is put down and I then head to a nearby diy store to purchase a selection of plants which I will then undoubtedly malnourish and eventually kill.

So given my appalling plant parenting history, I have decided that online plant shopping is the way forward to me. At least if I order these 6 litre pots of mint, sage, thyme, rosemary and flat and curly parsley for £11.95, I also get a patients care pack thrown in.

Crocus like many online sites is also a mini plant surgery, where help, advice and plant likes, dislikes and behaviour information are at hand. If all else fails you could always take advantage of their design service by sending them a sketch of your garden and from £30, they will send you a planting list. If all else fails, forget waiting for Summer and treat yourself to a stunning bouquet, then sit down, inhale the scent and dream on.

Now I need to find my staple coriander, basil and rocket plants to replace the ones I killed last year.

I had to select this product because it has seriously never occurred to me that I could design my own lawn. Yes, you read that correctly. Gone Gardening has lots of really practical garden things but this is what we must all surely have.

Mohon designer grass seeds comes in two varieties and colour, so you can create your own stripes, circles or swirls when you sow the seeds. Maybe you could sow a marriage proposal or even shorter, 'Go Away'. Mind you you'd have to plan your message well in advance.

Having just made the conversion to the concept of indoor wallpaper I hear it's now outdoors too. You can see why Susan Bradley won the Graduate of the Year award in design and decoration in 2005 because her work is seriously different.

Her outdoor wallpaper can be used as a garden trellis as shown above or as screening for your balcony/ walll front or can be pure decoration.

You can choose your wallpaper material from brushed aluminium to acrylics in various colours, the size, depending on your space and the price - well you have to contact Susan for that.

Ok so it was only a matter of time before we got the pop us greenhouse (£17.95) but it had to be Lakeland who did it. I forgot how mad but useful this shop and online store are till this weekend. My sister whipped out her Lakeland silver apple corer which like magic sliced and cored a Bramley. This was followed by a demonstration of the wine/mark rubber which actually does exactly as it says - shame it wouldn't work on my very stained wine brain. You can also get a grow bag greenhouse ( £14.95) if this is too large.

If keeping your plants alive is enough of a challenge then maybe like me you could do with a self watering spike. It's ingenious and probably a better gardener than me, not that this is very difficult. Not only can it take care of your plants for 3 weeks, but can also sense when the temperature hots up so will release extra water. For £6.45 this could save you and me an awful lot of dead shrubbery.

For once I hope the weather people are seriously wrong about the water situation because we've just laid a new lawn. If, like us, a water butt is an essential item for this Summer, then why not make it a recycled plastic one. This one from even greener holds 190 litres and comes with a stand, rain diverter kit and lid - it costs £35. If this looks hideously big then why not opt for a mini butt which holds 100 litres and costs £30.

While David Cameron and Gordon Brown battle it out to see who is the greenest and fairest of them of them all - get your water butts from the recycle now site along with your wormery and recycled garden trug for all those nasty weeds. The site also allows you to enter your post code and do a quick check on what your council collects and when. Maybe like ours in Hackney, they've just introduced a waste food collection scheme which thankfully removes the need and guilt of a compost bin.

There is something fresh and clean and well wholesome about the plant connection website. It specialises in bedding, young, organic and herb plants - all delivered to your door for free. I like the fact that they have an environmental impact section where they reassure you that they are seriously attempting to minimize their energy and chemical use.
Plus you have a selection of pictures to let you know what they are up to in the greenhouses. It's simple and clean and should I order from their site, then I will undoubtedly feel a slight sense of worthiness. To date I have killed every herb I have tried to cultivate, so maybe; just maybe, theirs will have a superior green quality.

I want to order so much from Primrose London it hurts. Should I go for the flower screen, a bargain in my mind at £49.95 or maybe it should be the tranquilty corner arbour? Don't make the mistake I did and think Primrose London meant Primrose Hill and therefore very chic and very very expensive.

This family run company are based in Reading and have a well sourced and priced collection of beautiful and well crafted furniture, gazeboes, fencing, lighting, woven willow.... I defy you not to find something to bring some Spring cheer to your garden or balcony. If in doubt you can always call them and arrange a visit to their warehouse - just to check the goods are for real.