Spring is a perfect time to blow away the cobwebs and venture outdoors - so any Mother's Day presents with an emphasis on the garden will be welcomed by green-fingered enthusiasts.

As 'grow your own' campaigns have gathered momentum in the last few years, many people have had a go at growing their own veg, even if they've just had time and space to sow a few lettuces in a window box.

The landmark events of 2012 - namely the Queen's 60-year reign, followed by the Olympics - are set to prompt patriotic gardeners to fly the flag for Britain this year in the form of red, white and blue designs in their beds, borders and containers.

Urban alleyways in this country have often been seen as threatening places - dark, lined with brick walls or fences, with no colour and plenty of possibilities for crime.

Not flowers and chocolates again! Surely the way to a green-fingered person's heart on Valentine's Day is to make the most of the great outdoors, do some spectacular planting and wallow in luxury at the end of a hard day's digging.

This year's mild winter may lead to reduced fruit crops this autumn with a subsequent rise in prices, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

The news that hundreds of twitchers have descended on a quiet, coastal village in Hampshire to catch a glimpse of an incredibly rare Spanish sparrow may prompt some of us to dust off our binoculars to look out for unusual birds in our own gardens.

If your New Year's resolutions to lose weight and take up exercise are proving hard to sustain, a few hours a week in the garden will not only give you a head start to spring but may help as part of a fitness programme too.

As the ideal gardens ambassador for this year's Ideal Home Show, TV gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh needs to stay ahead of the times.

If your borders lack colour, texture and depth, then it's an ideal time to plan a new one to give you all-year-round colour, beautifully matched plants and a few surprises along the way.

If the deep red leaves of the poinsettia you bought for Christmas are already drooping or the fragrant hyacinths you hoped would last beyond Boxing Day have fallen over, you may think that you simply don't have the magic touch with houseplants.

If you're already huddled up by the fire with some mince pies and a glass of mulled wined, it's a great time to plan new garden designs, beds, borders and patio plantings from the comfort of your armchair.