In the garden this week: Chrysanths and shallots

Defending chrysanths Chrysanthemums have a naff image, mainly because of the dull spray types used to bulk up cheap garage-forecourt bunches. But a vase of five or seven of the big, mop-headed single blooms is as glamorous as a bunch of peonies (yes, OK, without the smell) at a time when a bunch of peonies would require some serious flower miles. Grow outdoors or in a greenhouse, and they'll flower into November. See the Exmoor collection, the Regal Collection and the Broadway Collection at woolmans.com for outdoor growing. In praise of shallots Shallots: so much more tasty and expensive than onions, so identical in planting and cultivation needs. They take up the same amount of space and need the same care (essentially: push into the ground and water occasionally), yet add a gourmet flourish to your cooking. Look at 'Red Sun' and 'Longor' from thompson-morgan.com .