I took a step back and admired the latest addition to my garden, a Trillium erectum. It stood straight and proud amongst my small semi-shaded woodland border. It did look lonely, but one was all I could afford. I have been after this particular plant for about three years now. It's not that it's a very rare plant - it can be found in various specialist nurseries or on the Internet - but I have found it hard to justify splashing out a fair sum of money for three leaves on a six-inch stem. Yes, it will eventually flower, a deep chocolate-red with contrasting yellow stamens, and it will probably multiply and spread out over the years. I have bought it as an investment, and it will give me pleasure watching it grow.

I bought this one at the recent Harrogate Spring Fair. I made several trips to the stall that was selling it, but it wasn't till late in the afternoon, when there was only one left on the bench that I plucked up the courage to buy it.

This was, in fact, the only plant I bought all day. This doesn't mean that I came home empty-handed. Oh no, gardening is much more than just plants nowadays. The trend at the moment seems to be to extend the amount of time you can spend outside in the garden and improve the quality of that time.

Big summerhouses are a must. The most fabulous ones this year at the Spring Fair wouldn't have looked out of place on a luxury safari in deepest Africa. They were expertly made out of poles, canvas and thatch. The other creation that caught my eye was an adult barbecue house. This was a purpose-built hut with an in-built barbecue and seating area. I bet it also had a fridge. I suppose the children have the run of the real house while the adults are entertaining 'outdoors'.

What if you can't afford the luxury of a summerhouse? You can still stay outside, even on cooler evenings, if you have something warm to sit by. There is a wide choice of 'chimeneas', in all sorts of materials and colours. These not only give you heat, but can be used to cook your barbecue food on as well, which sounds very sociable.

So, you have all this time to sit out in your sheltered spot in the garden but you don't actually have the time to do any real gardening. No problem - there's a whole array of metal, stone and recycled artwork features that you can put in the borders instead. I have to confess that I have a few dotted around in my garden, the odd cast-iron bug amongst the prairie grasses and an old metal crow overlooking the pond. They blend in to the planting schemes and add a bit of fun. I don't know, however, whether the stone crocodiles or metalwork chameleons also for sale at Harrogate could ever be successfully naturalised into the garden. Well, not my garden anyway.

In the plant world there seem to be two main trends on display this year. One for semi-woodland type flowers, and in particular, Solomon's seal, bleeding heart (white variety) and the good old hosta. The other popular theme was for semi-hardy tropical plants such as palms, bamboos, and bananas. I saw many people gleefully hauling along giant tree fern trunks.

The biggest star of the show however had to be the Gunnera. They are slightly harder to get started up here in the North, but once established, they really do impress.

So, whether you're sitting out under the shelter of your summerhouse, thatched jungle hut, gas burner or umbrella plant, just remember that your garden will never be truly finished. There will always be a 'latest trend' to squeeze in somewhere.

Jobs to do this week

* Get a grip on the weeds

Make sure you don't get overrun with weeds this year. Make a point of going out on a regular basis and pulling out the most obvious ones. It may be that you sit out with a cup of tea at the end of the day and pull up a handful of weeds as you sit supping.

* Sow something exotic

If you would like to try growing something a bit different in the vegetable patch this year then start sowing in the greenhouse now. It should be warm enough now to encourage the germination of plants such as sweetcorn, chillies, okra, Chinese lanterns. Sow the seeds now so that by the end of June, they have grown into sturdy plants and can be planted out in the garden.

* Check your pots

If you grow perennial plants in pots outside, now is a good time to check on them. Some may have become too crowded and will need splitting. Empty out the whole pot, tease or cut the root system to separate the plant and re-pot with new soil. Also, make sure that none of the pots have cracked or broken over winter.

If you have any questions, tips or want horticultural advice then ring Brigid on the Radio Cleveland garden hour on Sundays between 11am and midday.

Published: 11/05/2002