We have praised fire boxes before – and expect to do so again. The smell of wood smoke is delicious, providing it is not blowing into your face, and on a chilly evening it is great to sit round a garden fire – perhaps with the accompaniment of folk songs and beer. And if you ever tire of these pleasures the fire box can be used as a planter.

Here is a good, cheap and sustainable way to make a feature and a divider for gardens: keep your old logs and place them, artistically, in a line. They are great for conservation – the wild life advisory bodies are always telling us to let old timber rot. The dead wood creates ideal living space for insects – and birds love eating insects.