After decades working in a suit, it is getting his hands muddy and getting outdoors that keeps Alistair Scott happy, a philosophy he is now sharing to readers of Nub News, with a monthly gardening column. From a few sunflower seeds on a window sill, through to vast vegetable beds, with every plot in between, there are many levels of gardening and he wants everyone to enjoy them.

We caught up with him, in the rain, at his still-colourful plot at the Muriel Jones' allotment field on Birchill Lane in Frome, and asked him about sowing the seeds of gardening passion.

So every plant has a name - or even two - what would you like your gardening title to be ?

Alistair told us : " I would like to be known as the gardener with a difference...There are a lot of gardeners about, but we approach everything we do with a difference. What I want to do is get people to think differently about gardening. What they can do, how they can do it, in perhaps a new way. But most of all I want to encourage people to enjoy themselves and give anything a go."

Tell us about yourself ?

" I have always enjoyed gardening. I was gardening from a young age, it was probably my grandmother who first taught me about the pleasure you can get from a garden. I am now in my mid 50's and I've been lucky to be able to combine my enjoyment for gardening with a successful and ever growing business. That means that I am now able to spread and share that enjoyment and ideas with other people.

"Here at the allotment I try and do things which are different, in terms of how I go about growing, from my vegetables, fruit and flowers , to my sheds, to how I catch my rainwater, and from that I share my knowledge with anyone else who is interested in doing anything similar.

You have not always been a paid-up gardener?

"No, gardening has always been a joy, but it has not always been my employment. I spent about 30 odd years working in financial services, keeping my passion as a hobby. That time in the garden made up for the monotony of wearing a suit for all those years and working in a commercial environment.

"But it wasn't always a bad job. I spent a wonderful four or five years working for Lloyds Agriculture. I looked after farmers and that to some extent brought me to Frome, where I have been living for the past 16 years. That was a good time in my life not least because I was able to get rid of my suit and wear my moleskin trousers and my tweeds and get out of the office and meet and talk to people but as it also coincided with the birth of two of my three children.

"I am very lucky man as I can now do what I enjoy most both personally and for my children – The Truglets as they've become known - who help out with the business either at the allotment or with the radio show. Sometimes they even get their hands dirty! At times it doesn't seem anything like a job although as such it enables me to help and share my passion and experience with my gardening customers."

So what it is about gardening ? How is it changing ?

" I think gardening is getting more and more important, perhaps to some extent because of that it has become more and more fashionable. Unfortunately that fashion element may make people think they are excluded from it. But honestly gardening does NOT need to be expensive, it doesn't need to be about galvanised planters and costly plants or climbers. Nor do you need to have a massive garden – you can grow plants in a pot on a windowsill, on a balcony or in a courtyard.

"On the allotment we have a cheap and cheerful barrel, which we found by the side of the road. We cut it in half, filled it with soil and last year used to grow some rather sweet and tasty purple carrots.

"You can spend as much as you like when it comes to a garden, or you can spend as little as investing in a packet of seeds and some compost and giving it a go!

"If you follow what we say on the radio, or on our web site, before you know it you will soon be looking in awe at your sunflowers or neatly pruned roses, or harvesting your own crop of carrots. courgettes or tomatoes. It is all possible. You just need some time, some attention and of course some love."

Why is gardening such a lovely thing for people to take up?

" Well I think it is because it gets you outdoors, " says Alistair. " You can hear the birds, you can get a little bit of exercise and it is great for your mental health and well being. I met a yoga expert through a gardening fund raising initiative I organised last year and from that she now provides yoga advice on our radio show. I've tried some of that here at the allotment and it's been really good for stiff backs, arms and legs.

"But to be honest it is up to you to decide how to take your gardening - you can do what you want, how you want. But please do give it a go. There is nothing like getting outside, enjoying the fresh air, feeling the soil under your nails and getting down on your hands and knees and rummaging around in the earth.

"To grow something is amazing, but most of all it is something to enjoy."

So if someone is a complete novice, what is the one starter plant or seed that Trug and Lettuce recommends?

" Sunflowers are easy to grow. You can get miniatures ones that look great in pots by your front door or you can get the tall ones that we're all familiar with. Get them in soon and later in the summer we'll all have something bright and yellow to look forward to.

"Broad beans are also quite easy to grow. You can grow them in a bottle if you want to see the effects of roots and how the shoots start to grow up, or if you want to actually eat them then you can sow a few in a couple of pots. They are easy to grow and taste wonderful. I enjoy growing them! Ours will be transplanted to the allotment shortly, and there is nothing I like more than sitting outside in the sunshine, shelling broad beans, and eating them raw. Or just gently steam them with some sun-dried tomatoes, with some nice herby sausages and some pasta and olive oil. Yummy.

"Or carrots are also relatively easy to do, just make sure the soil you grow them in is stone-free so like all root vegetables, they can grow down. And of course everyone can grow a tomato. Start them in a pot and then get them out into the sunshine, then just watch them."

It still seems like hard work. How can we make gardening more easy?

" Tune in to Frome FM the community radio site

every fourth Sunday... and I will make it a thing of joy, I promise. And I also get to play some loosely related music. Each show is seasonal and we try to follow a theme! Or follow us on Instagram or Facebook or get in touch on our web site, click HERE : the Trug and Lettuce site

" I promise it will be easy peasy. There is something for every gardener, from sowing a few seeds, growing those broad beans, or getting sweet peas or sunflowers going, or popping some garlic or potatoes into a pot or a plot! Or if you want something more of a gardening challenge we can offer advice on how to prune your fruit bushes or roses, or how to plant a tree. Anything and everything you need to know. Gardening is all we do. There's not much that we do that we've either not done before or haven't done in our own garden or allotment"