I am interested. I have vigna caracalla, variegated KMOTGG, and other things you might be interested; please look at my list, I have a lot of items. Kate

That would be fantastic! The crocosmia's are great plants. They have great looking flowers. I have them planted next to some neon sedum and hydrangea and I think the effect is nice. I have a lot of crocosmia seeds so I'll send a good amount. If there is anything else on my list you want we can trade for other things too. Give me your address and I'll send them out today. Thanks again!

hi Melissa. Shade, ha. For years, my tiny garden was permanently cowering in the lee of a massive mature chestnut. 2m high brick walls ensured that no sun found its way into the garden apart from 2 hours at noon. But, the same walls did provide structure for the climbing roses I planted all round the edges. Unfortunately, having teenagers and numerous pets, I had little money and inclination to investigate the many woodland plants I might have considered. My knowledge really was limited to hostas, a plant I dislike intensely since one hailstorm or snail infestation results in scarred and holey leaves for the entire rest of the season - not a pretty sight. The cheap and cheerful annual daisies were hopeless, so sighing despairingly, I planted a few tough shrubs and had done with. I thought I would reclaim the pavement outside the house instead - a ruse which worked so well I now have 96 pots, taking up a 4mx6m swathe of hard-standing. Even so, as my gardening knowledge grew, so did my love of foliage and the shady area began to flourish with primroses, epimediums, kirengoshoma, hardy geraniums, anemones, erythroniums, many, many bulbs, heucheras and tiarella, ramondas, haberleas and ferns. However, a few years ago, phytopthera struck the chestnut and it was felled, causing a surprising amount of sorrow but letting an extra 4 hours of sun into the garden. Oh dear - my woodland treasures were in danger of frizzling. The roses, which had previously been pruned within an inch of their lives were now encouraged to arch overhead. A beautiful tetrapanax provided a parasol of green shade and fortunately, the lush and verdant (if chaotic and crowded) jungle remains but I guess we should be careful what we wish for since all things go in cycles and everything will pass. Oh yeah, I also leased an allotment - an enormous space in FULL relentless sun - how lucky am I now I can finally indulge myself with osteospermums, ursinias, daylilies, flax, helianthemums.....the list goes on....and on but weeds! I didn't know the meaning of the word till I took on the allotment. Hours and hours are spent on my knees with a daisy grubber. Somewhere, I read that a true gardener does not have green fingers but brown knees - how true.

Brenda - please try to make it. I won't allow anyone to comment on your offerings. I need my Brenda fix for the year. By the way, the deer have started to damage the 7.5 foot tall net fence I installed. So far they haven't done anything inside the garden but I'm spending way too much time patching the fence. This winter I'm putting up wire and going all the way to 8 feet!!!