Leading article: This blessed plot

Did someone say green growth? It turns out we're already well on the way. Hundreds of thousands of us have contacted the Royal Horticultural Society in recent years for information about growing fruit and vegetables. And the Chelsea Flower Show is launching a smartphone "app" designed to help amateur gardeners with useful tips on getting the best from their patches of land.

This resurgence of green-fingered activity is being put down to the harsh economic climate, as people seek to keep their food bills down by growing their own. This goes to show that a hefty quantity of fertiliser can indeed help roses grow. But all those neophyte planters must be prepared to sweat if they are to reap the benefits.

As Kipling put it: "Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made/By singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade". Or to put it more bluntly: Dig for Victory.