HOW does your garden grow? Do you stick to the traditional methods of water and good soil or do you give your plants a good talking to?Research suggests Suffolk's affections for our gardens are reaching new extremes.

HOW does your garden grow?

Do you stick to the traditional methods of water and good soil or do you give your plants a good talking to?

Research suggests Suffolk's affections for our gardens are reaching new extremes.

A quarter of all women admit to talking to their rose bushes, more than a quarter of people say they give their plants names and five per cent of us have even taken to tree hugging in an attempt to stimulate plant growth.

A new report claims British gardeners are adopting plants as part of their extended family as we begin to spend more time in our gardens.

Evening Star allotment columnist Meyrem Hussein said: "I must admit I was so excited when I saw my first aubergine growing that I gave it some words of encouragement to grow bigger.

"I also begged my sweetcorn to survive as I planted them out so late they will probably die.

"I don't think I will ever go as far as naming my plants. I might sing to them though."

Nick Bugden, manager of Notcutts Garden Centre in Woodbridge, who also writes a regular gardening column for the Star, said: "I do talk to them, particularly if they are not doing very well.

"I give them some words of encouragement, but I have also been known to threaten them with being moved to the back of the garden or to a duller spot if they are not doing very well.

"I don't name them and I assure you the plants would not to hear me warble.

"I don't actually make them a cup of tea but I have put out some tea leaves – there is thought to be some good in the leaves.

"If people talk close up to their plants, it could help. We breathe out carbon dioxide and they take it in, so it could help them."

HRH the Prince of Wales famously admitted giving his plants cups of tea and now it seems the nation has followed suit.

Nearly 40 per cent of the over 55s give their plants a cuppa, the report by Focus DIY says.

Jill Gater, from Focus, said: "It is interesting to see just how many gardeners are increasingly looking for quick and easy techniques to help improve and maximise their gardens - be it the regular methods of water and plant food or the less conventional form of naming the fuchsias Fred and Freda."

Do you think plants benefit from a little TLC? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN and tell us your top tips or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Giving tea to plants – 29.1pc of gardeners

Naming plants – 26.2pc of gardeners

Talking to plants – 20.1pc of gardeners

Providing extra light at night – 9.5pc of gardeners

Hugging plants – 5.1pc of gardeners

Playing music to plants – 3.3pc of gardeners