How we can make our investments bloom

Long before anyone had heard of “green” funds or shares, City wags joked that investing in the stock market was like growing asparagus; you should always have started five years ago. Fortunately for those of us who cannot travel backwards through time, the Chelsea Flower Show, which begins on Tuesday, offers more helpful tips to make our money grow.

First, there is the fact that investment — like gardening — needn’t be tedious or technical but can be fascinating and fruitful. It’s fun to plant the seed of an idea, possibly opposing conventional wisdom, mulch it with our money, and find out who is right.

For example, this shareholder in the agricultural commodities giant Archer Daniels Midland (stock market ticker: ADM) was shocked to see