When Barack Obama was having a particularly trying day, he would apparently often fantasise about abandoning the White House for Hawaii, where he would open a T-shirt shack that only sold white T-shirts in size medium. I have little in common with the former US President, but I too entertain a T-shirt-based fantasy: making a small run of ethically produced shirts that read: 'Colour schemes are for Monty.
Is it the ultimate gardening in-joke? I think so. It's not of my own creation. A couple of summers ago, while despairing at the motley collection of orange, yellow and pink flowers that appeared in the first bed I'd ever planted, a friend sympathised. "Don't fret about it," she said. "Colour schemes are for Monty."
Monty, of course, being Don, the Gardeners' World host and custodian of a couple of acres filled with a dozen different gardens, each with their own meticulous colour scheme. In this instance he's a by-word for Proper Gardeners: ones whose beds and pots are an elegant cohesion of carefully chosen tones, who never get distracted by a lurid impulse purchase or find a rogue red poppy standing tall among a sea of violet blooms.
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Field of Dreams - The naturalistic gem Hans Gieszen has created in former meadowlands near Utrecht in the Netherlands is the culmination of a lifelong passion
Ever since his mother gave him seeds as a small boy, gardening has been a passion for Hans Gieszen. He is completely self-taught, relying on garden visits and books for instruction, with one book in particular, Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf, influencing his style. “It was fascinating,” says Hans, remembering his first encounter with the book. “All those photos – pictures with mists and these tall and low plants and grasses. I realised I couldn’t do it in my small garden, but I kept dreaming and reading about it.”
WORLD OF POSSIBILITY
This superb tour of the world's botanical gardens highlights their vital role in saving the planet's flora, says Claire Masset
THE FEMININE TOUCH?
Does your garden have masculine or feminine style, and does it even matter? Head gardener Benjamin Pope unpicks gardening's gender stereotypes
'If you emulate nature, you're on to a winner'
Gardener, television presenter and author Carol Klein talks about her new book, the books she loves, her current challenges and what she's up to next
FRIENDLY ADVICE
When tasked with creating a garden for her friends, designer Neive Tierney found the project came with challenges - not least the need to include a wheelchair ramp and squeeze in a saltwater swimming pool
Passing the baton
The celebrated nursery and garden at Marchants Hardy Plants in East Sussex is now being managed by a new team, who continue to inspire visitors with innovative planting
My sweet gourd
Clark Lawrence, an American living in the heart of Italy's pumpkin province, loves growing different cultivars of pumpkins and ornamental gourds for their sweet flavours and fabulous looks
ANDY JASPER
The new CEO of the Eden Project on his excitement about a new chapter, the legacy he's left at the National Trust and his joy at heading home to Cornwall
Bedding in
In just under nine years, the owners of Arvensis Nursery in Wiltshire have created a mature garden that displays their high-quality perennials
Late summer dreams
From cool pastels and foliage to hot colours, designer Jo Thompson creates three stylish container combinations for autumn
