Gardening / Cuttings: In support of prunings

ARTHUR MIXER writes from Norwich to add a coda to one of my 'slash it back' pieces. He recycles all his prunings as plant supports. 'Gardening preciousness may be given full rein in matching various coloured stems to each plant,' he says. 'I can hardly wait to stake Geranium cinereum with prunings from Cornus 'Kesselringii' . . .'

I foresee a productive new area of anxiety here. Should the delphinium have the yellow prunings of a willow or the black stems of cherry to support it? Will we ever again be content with plain buff bamboo canes for the runner beans? But, as Mr Mixer points out, prunings have the overwhelming advantage of being free.