Dimmock also advises urban gardeners to plant mixed hedges to keep out noise and pollution and attract wildlife. Ideal varieties include hawthorn, yew and field maple, which will absorb some of the noise.
Another great shrub is ceanothus, whose purple flowers are high in nectar and rich in colour and it can be clipped back easily.
Hardy annuals also provide a good burst of colour and when they have finished can then be thrown on to the compost heap. Direct-sow love-in-a-mist, poppies, poached egg plants and cornflowers for a beautiful display.
If you have a small area, use the vertical space by growing climbing veg such as runner beans up a fence, raspberries or spineless blackberries, which can grow to a reasonable height and provide shelter and food for birds and insects.
If you live in an area where traffic fumes and dust are a problem, plant a variety of evergreens to absorb dirt. They may look a little dusty on the road side but will withstand a lot of grime and act as a filter and windbreak. Aucuba, eleagnus and butcher’s broom make solid hedges, and variegated holly can also be used.
"Only evergreens with shiny, thick leaves will put up with a lot, because the leaves are protected with a thick cuticle," Dimmock said.
Scented plants can also offset the smell of traffic fumes. Try growing night-scented stocks or old fashioned nicotiana in a pot for evening scent. Trachelospermum jasminoides, commonly known as star jasmine, a woody, evergreen climber with rich, dark green leaves which turn bronze in winter, produces fragrant white flowers from mid to late summer.
"Urban gardens can be wonderful wildlife hubs if you do the right planting to ensure they have food and shelter," says Dimmock.
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