Shopping: THE ULTIMATE

Tame the excesses of summer and create order in your garden by neatly labelling herbs and vegetables. If you don't have a vegetable patch, use them to fool yourself that you will become a real vegetable- growing gardener. Herb markers, pounds 10.50 for eight and vegetable markers, pounds 10.50 for eight, both Bombay Duck (0181 749 7000 for mail order).

Feet need protecting from the weather and from over-enthusiastic garden machinery so, when wellies just won't do, stylish toes can step into these plastic clogs with removable plastic gingham liners. They come in red, blue or green and cost pounds 17.95 per pair from The Traditional Garden Supply Company (0870 600 3366 for mail order).

Even if the rain is here to stay no self-respecting gardener should miss out a watering can from their tool collection. This Aquae blue metal watering can costs pounds 15 from Habitat (0645 334433 for nearest store) and is essential kit.

Make life easy and buy one of these aluminium Garden Tool Sets in a cotton pouch. Strong and durable, the belt loops let you wear it round your waist so there's no need for boring trips back and forth to the garden shed, especially since there are extra pockets for storage. Kits cost pounds 24.95 from Ocean Home Shopping (0800 132985).

Look after the emotional side of your garden and prepare for the hardships of winter with a Heart bird house from Shaker (0171 724 7672). For pounds 19.95 you can rest assured that the mornings will remain a chorus of tiny voices - as long as you remember to stock up on bird seed to fill it - and that your garden will continue to look pretty.

Protect your clothes and your green fingers with a strong denim gardener's apron, pounds 28 from RK Alliston (0171 731 8100), and tough leather gloves, pounds 19.95 from the Traditional Garden Supply Company (0870 600 3366 for mail order)

One of the pleasures of gardening is that you can relax after all the hard work and you don't have to feel even a bit guilty. Pamper yourself with the Gardeners Hand Scrub with pumice, pounds 10.50, Gardeners Carrot Soap, pounds 3.50, Gardeners Hand Therapy, pounds 8.95, and Gardeners Skin Soothing Bath Soak, pounds 8.50, all from Crabtree and Evelyn (01235 862244).

If gardening really is the new sex then it's no wonder that Neals Yard Remedies (0171 379 7222) has brought out a brand new box of goodies just for gardeners. With a nail brush, soap, warming massage oil, hand softener and seaweed and arnica foaming bath, the Gardener's Box costs pounds 24.95 and is definitely worth doing a spot of gardening for.

Don't find yourself a secateur short of a garden tool shed - it is a gardener's job to make sure he has the right equipment for the job. These secateurs cost pounds 10.95 and the dibber, pounds 3.50, both from RK Alliston (0171 731 8100).