IT'S not until you spend time away anywhere that you realise just how localised the floral landscape can be.

There are just so many influential factors that can have an effect on growing conditions.

The first one is location. Even here, in a relatively small country, there are great differences in the weather patterns between relatively close places. We all know that here in the North-East, we are likely to get cooler air in the winter thanks to the bitterly cold Siberian fronts coming in over the North Sea. This means that we tend to suffer more frosts and cold winds than other parts of England.

There were many hours lost during my schooldays thanks to the snow. Living out in the countryside, we used to get 'tannoyed' to meet the school bus outside the front of the building as soon as the first flakes fell on the moors roads. The tall hedges on either side of the roads added to the problems, as they quickly filled up, especially in blizzard conditions, making passing completely impossible. You would often find that the snow was of the sticky variety and would cling to every bare branch on the trees, giving them a ghostly, statuesque appearance.

It's not all bad, though, because we don't get the really bad wet weather during the rest of the year. That tends to get dumped over on the west as the clouds roll in from the Atlantic.

I had first-hand experience of this on a recent visit to the Lake District. I am quite used to walking in the rain, but here the rain was heavy. It seeped and penetrated, making the countryside ooze water. It sprang out of any crevice and gushed down every vertical step. The trees and shrubs were lush and green and absolutely covered in thick, spongy moss. Ferns grew out of everything, at all heights. Luckily, there were plenty of local hostelries with large open log fires to help dry the wet walker out.

In the south west, the warm Gulf Stream laps at the shores, and that keeps the land down there several degrees hotter that elsewhere. It also receives plenty of rain, and this warm but moist atmosphere provides the perfect growing conditions for just about all floras. Here, you will find an abundance of semi-tropical plants, such as cordalines, phormium, palms, hibiscus and even the brightly-coloured bougainvillea. The disadvantage is that they all grow so quickly that no sooner have you chopped back an overgrown camellia, than it has outgrown its position again. The rhododendrons that we splash out large sums of money on and tend with love and care are virtually considered to be weeds, and are regularly culled.

The south-east probably gets the most sedate conditions. It is relatively warm, doesn't get too many windy, cold fronts, and is at the end of the cloud runs. Sounds good for growing, but they have had to adapt to cultivating the more Mediterranean-type plants that need less water.

I remember laying a lawn in Kent in the drought of '76. The soil was composed entirely of virgin builder's rubble and 100 per cent clay. We had to attack every lump with a sledgehammer to get it flat and then run the grey water off from the bathroom straight into water tubs.

The lawn got laid, with a lot of sweat and tears spent (well, with a hosepipe ban you had to make use of every available drop of moisture) and then we moved.

This is what makes England such a unique place in which to garden and appreciate gardens. You don't have to travel far to see a completely different scenery with its own problems and advantages. It keeps the interest alive and prevents planters' boredom.

JOBS THIS WEEK

* Cut the standard roses back a bit

Once they have finished flowering, chop the tall stemmed roses down by about one third. This isn't a shaping prune, but just enough to prevent the winter winds from getting hold and ripping the plant out of the soil.

* Check your stored bulbs and tubers

Dahlias, begonias and gladioli should have been lifted and placed in storage for a few weeks now. Go through them and check for any signs of decay or disease. Throw out anything suspicious before it spreads to the others.

* Tidy and protect figs

Small fruit may have formed on the fig. These should be removed as there will not be sufficient warmth for them to ripen, and all they will do is sap the energy from the plant. Place a protective layer of straw around the base of the shrub.

GARDENERS' QUESTIONS

Mrs Stuart from Great Ayton is trying to plant her garden with shrubs and perennials but the rabbits are eating anything she puts in. She asks if there are any rabbit-proof plants that she can try.

THERE is very little that a rabbit won't eat, but there are some plants that they seem to like less than others. As far as shrubs go, they seem to avoid box, spirea, viburnum, holly and skimmia. This gives you scope for leafy coverage. As far as flowers go, I would recommend trying day lilies, sedums, tulips, dahlias, delphiniums, verbena, geraniums and foxgloves.

POST SCRIPT

For further horticultural chat, tune in to 'Ask about Gardening' every Sunday on BBC Radio Cleveland 95FM, presented by Brigid Press and Tim Ellingford.

Published: 06/12/2003