“Gardening can be a battle against adversity, a tough environment that kills off all but the most brutal specimens. It’s a primal war in which every worn pair of gardening gloves is a badge of honor, each soil-stained nail testifies to a campaign fought with remorseless determination. But a garden tamed becomes a perfect paradise, an oasis of color amid chaos, an Eden of fragrance and respite. And to achieve this state, some serious gardening is required. Nothing gentle is created in the war zone. In particular, aggressive plants are needed; they signal intent by the vigor of their allure. Red peonies, dark hellebores, tulips in fire-engine red.” - Monty Don