Gardening: CUTTINGS

Barbara Grant-Adamson of Sunningdale thinks that I was wimpish in my response to the possibilities of the Newton-Goldings' 30yd x 20yd concrete filled front garden (Independent, Workshop,13 January). Concrete can be fun, says Ms Grant-Adamson, and she seems to be serious. Her problem was rather smaller than the Newton-Goldings - a decaying 1930s hard tennis court - but no less intractable. "I covered the whole area with three tons of gravel", she writes. "In a trice we went from black to gold. Under the gravel in haphazard spots, I strewed the innards of old Grow-bags and sowed alpine seeds, and lately added some low growing, spreading thyme. In the middle I constructed a large, raised bed with carved stone from a dismantled church and placed a lovely old urn on a stone pillar in the centre. Miraculously, stonecrop (Sedum acre) began to appear and over the years has conquered everything before it. In June it is spectacular. But it does not last long and the eye needs things with more height. I bought old hand ploughs and box seeders, tin baths, mangles, butter churns, copper boilers, chicken troughs. Then I planted them up, or put pots of plants in and around them.

"Drawbacks? It has been and continues to be a lot of work [which the Newton-Goldings didn't want]. With the self-seeded stonecrop came self- seeded dandelions. In the hot weather, the containers needed constant watering. Weeding the gravel can be daunting, but I try and pick at it daily for half an hour."

Gardens open this weekend include Richard and Jennifer Wood's garden at Bowbridge House, Mackworth, Derbyshire, opening this year for the first time: Magnolia campbelli, rhododendrons and three conservatories in a four-acre garden laid out originally in 1762 by William Eames, a landscape designer who worked in the style of Capability Brown. The garden is open tomorrow (2-6pm), admission pounds 1.50. In Devon, where spring is already well entrenched, the Morts are opening their garden at Fast Rabbit Farm, Ash Cross, nr Dartmouth tomorrow (11am-5pm), admission pounds 1.50. Explore the new woodland plantings and the ponds in this sheltered valley. Rhododendrons and early bulbs are the spring features at Olivers, nr Colchester, Essex where the Edwards have replanted lakes, meadows and woodland. Open today and tomorrow (11am-5pm), admission pounds 1.50.

Yellow hanging sticky traps are one of the easiest ways of keeping on top of pests including whitefly, leaf miners and thrips in greenhouses and conservatories. Laid horizontally, with only one sticky side uncovered, they also trap a certain number of aphids. Agralan sells small traps (15cm x 7.7cm) at pounds 1.25 for two or larger traps (24.5cm x 10cm) at pounds 3.45 for five. They also sell a very fine colourless mesh netting called Enviromesh, which, draped over fruit and vegetable crops keeps out small irritations such as carrot root flies, but also protects against birds and rabbits. The material should last for at least six years. A piece 2.1m x 4.5m costs pounds 14.75. A larger piece 3.6m x 6.6m costs pounds 28.75. Agralan products are available at garden centres, but you can also order direct from them at The Old Brickyard, Ashton Keynes, Swindon, Wiltshire SN6 6QR (01285 860015). Add 75p for postage and packing.