When her peach tree was strangled by a vicious weed, Deborah Ross fought back

U IS FOR UGLINESS; Reach for disguise: our `Really Small Gardens' extract explains how flowers bloom shed the

Removing weeds is the bane of every seasoned gardeners' life. Is there a less back-breaking option? Our panellists take to the borders

Giving to charity is not meant to be some kind of financial self- flagellation. We need to find ways to make it rewarding to be generous to the poor

Gardener's workshop: Anna Pavord adds a purple patch to a potted garden

A-Z OF REALLY SMALL GARDENS: Use colour and layers for more impact. This week's extract from Jill Billington's `Really Small Gardens' shows you how

JUDGING by the weighty pack of slides David Thomas unveiled at Whitbread's press conference yesterday, you would have thought the group's chief executive planned to unveil news aplenty. But, polished as his maiden annual results performance was, the presentation produced little to keep the expectant press pack enthralled.

Praised for his inovation, Dutch gardener Piet Oudolf is the talk of the contemporary pros. Mary Keen wasn't convinced - until she payed him a visit

RUNNING a restaurant is a delicate balancing act: a "high-risk, high-return" affair. One of the main reasons that dining out in London has improved so much over the past 10 years is that restaurateurs have become much more sophisticated business people: by keeping an eye on the bread and butter of finance, they are able to offer customers a better deal.

Next year, the British Tourist Authority will publish The Rock and Pop Map of Great Britain. The map will contain thousands of entries and is part of a strategy to attract young visitors.

Michaelmas daisy

Royal Albert Hall, London

Mary Keen's Late Summer Flowers 1: Dahlias & Salvias; When summer peaks, many gardens lose their looks. In the first of a three- part series, Mary Keen finds flowers to keep the borders fresh

Edinburgh Festival: International