In one of the most eloquent letters in my postbag over the past few months, Martine Garbacz says it breaks her heart to see that almost all the huge gardens in the street where she lives are laid down to grass.

"Flower borders are beautiful and attract far more wildlife than lawns, from birds enjoying the ground cover, to bees and butterflies," she writes. "My garden was laid out to lawn when I moved in but last year I reclaimed two areas and turned them into mixed

borders. The explosion in wildlife has been amazing. Please remind people of the beauty of flowers and shrubs."

It's not often that a gardener gets a chance to set out a new flower border. Tearing off a strip of lawn can provide that opportunity and it doesn't have to involve major earthworks. It can be as simple as laying down mulch over the grass and planting into it.

If it is to be a summer border, full of foliage and flower in a sunny and sheltered spot, the world is your oyster. You can sit down with a list of plants and indulge your fancy. If low maintenance is a requirement you can choose from among the many perennials that basically look after themselves.

If the aim is for an architectural feature for all seasons, perhaps in a semi-shaded, fairly exposed position, the choice of plants will be more crucial.

The answer will take into account factors as colour, scent, plant heights, and the encouragement of wildlife.

I'd love to make a daisy border. To plan a border from the thousands of varieties available, from the dainty gems of the grass verge to the giants of my herbaceous borders is a tempting idea. I love rudbeckias of all sizes, shastas similarly, colourful chrysanthemums and coreopsis, marguerites, ox-eyes, osteospermums; the list is almost endless.

My daisy theme would be balanced by carefully chosen foliage plants such as ferns and hostas, with room also for shrubs that offer year-round interest.

By Jim Roberts