Garden centres around Britain are enjoying bumper sales of topiary products.

Alison Patel writes: Topiary can add interest to any garden and the Times has suggested that there are aplenty of great examples at public gardens across the country.

Alison Patel writes: Gardeners looking for a plant that will capture their imagination and provide an attractive focal point during winter could consider the Prunus lusitanica.

Alison Patel writes: Gardeners who are struggling to think of ways to improve their garden over the winter may want to consider the advantages of clipped hedging and topiary.

Alison Patel writes: Hedges provide privacy and are a great way to block out unwanted sound, whether it is noisy neighbours or traffic.

Elderly gardeners who are concerned for the security of their property are being advised to cultivate tall, prickly hedges to put would-be burglars off from breaking in.

Late spring is the ideal time to empty the garden shed of loppers and hedge-trimmers and lightly prune any evergreen hedges surrounding your garden, according to the BBC's gardening experts.

Conservation group the Woodland Trust is appealing to gardeners to investigate and report any significant changes in their garden's ecosystem which could have been caused by climate change.