Rare words and swear words, Good words and bad words. What are words worth? (Tom-Tom Club “Wordy Rappinghood” 1982) Words

Designing a parking space may not be the most glamorous job in the world, but look on it as a way of extending your garden and it takes on a whole new dimension.

At their best benches should represent the perfect fusion of form and function – not only somewhere to sit and while away an hour or two, but also sculptural pieces in their own right.

Rock-garden maestro Peter Berg regards each stone as an instrument with its own song to sing, and in this steeply sloping garden in Luxembourg he orchestrates those rocks with a chorus of plants in magnificent harmony.

Domestic hedges are more than just dividing lines;they can be ornamental in their own right. James Alexander-Sinclair considers the options, depending on your taste and situation.

When is a vegetable garden not a vegetable garden? When it’s a potager of course. But does the distinction come down to anything more than pretension or French good taste?

Whether it crosses a grand lake or moat, or simply links two paths across a border, a bridge can make a stylish statement and persuade busy gardeners to pause and enjoy the view.

From a perfectly executed slice of landscape to the contrast between big rocks and small alpine plants, James Alexander-Sinclair delights in rockeries.

Nothing beats the romance of a beautiful meadow, as countless poets, scriptwriters and even chocolate manufacturers will testify. But it’s notoriously difficult to create one yourself.

There’s an organic garden in Oxfordshire that James Alexander-Sinclair doesn’t want anyone to know about. But he’ll let you into the secret, provided you don’t tell a soul.

Julian and Isabel Bannerman might be the most unfamous famous garden designers in Britain.

Why waste precious gardening space with roofing felt and asphalt? James Alexander-Sinclair examines the pleasures and pitfalls of topping part of your home with a green roof.

Historically steel has not been widely used in gardens, but, argues James Alexander-Sinclair, the contrast of the man-made against the natural can work surprisingly well.