Cheap way to lick the garden into shape

A celebrity gardener has advised those who love to spend time in their greenhouse and garden that they can upgrade the area quickly and inexpensively by painting walls or fences.

Joe Swift is a regular on Gardeners World and co-presents the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower show.

He recently wrote in the Times that a quick lick of paint in the right colour can do wonders for the garden, creating a "different mood and feel".

"Painted backdrops such as walls will intensify the hues of the plants in front, especially mid and dark greens, but of course will also set off flower colours too, opening up a wider range of combinations, whether subtle or madly zingy," he wrote.

"Flat planes of colour can look wonderful when cast in shadow by strong sunlight."

He advises that gardeners avoid primary colours as the UKs sunlight is not strong enough to work properly with them.

The RHS Chelsea Flower show runs from May 19th until May 23rd.