Jacki Cammidge

I've been a gardener from the time I was a young child - my Dad was a gardener from a long line of vegetable growers and loved Dahlias. It's true what they say, that fragrance is the most evocative of anything - I still have great memories linked to the smell of Dahlias, roses and lavender.

When I was eleven, I used to go to craft fairs with my Dad who was a potter, and one of the most fascinating booths to me was the one with the little pots of succulent plants. Pretty soon, I had a collection on the windowsill in the kitchen, and I've never looked back.

I grow many succulents in containers displayed on the patio or in the big greenhouse for the summer and then for the winter they go into the back bedroom under fluorescent lights. My extensive collection of Sedum, Sempervivum, Jovibarba and other hardy succulent plants go dormant under the snow, to emerge refreshed when spring comes around again.

I hope you can join me in the exploration of these fascinating plants - their likes and dislikes, how to make more, and how to use them to add that other dimension to your xeric garden.