Hue and cry over blue grass

10.07.13: THE GRASS was blue, the roses smelled of lemons and strawberries and the bed of lilies was phosphorescent.

Not an hallucination but one of the entries in the controversial Engineered category at the Royal Horticultural Show.

Early use of genetic engineering in the garden tended to concentrate on improvements ? better yields, bigger flowers, less need for watering. But recently a new generation of garden designers, calling themselves the Phytopainters, have begun creating bizarre plant combinations for the fun of it. 'I'm rather fond of these reverse daffodils,' says exhibitor John Dribben, pointing at the plants with green flowers and yellow leaves. The flowers are being used to promote the latest Calvin Klein scent, Daffodil ? just bury your nose in the blooms and breathe in the new perfume. JB