Gardening can be a mixture of pleasure and frustration, as even the most green-fingered individuals will testify.

It is always satisfying to watch plants grow and prosper but annoying when the opposite happens, and you are left scratching your head for reasons why.

Amateur gardeners are constantly looking for answers and there is always an element of guesswork. Of course, endless books have been written about gardening but finding the relevant information quickly can be time consuming.

But with the help of a little basic technology and a lot of painstaking research, help is at hand, thanks to the efforts of Oxford-based Neil Bromhall, pictured right.

Mr Bromhall, of Davenant Road, north Oxford, has devised the Complete Gardens CD-ROM which is a mine of information on plants and plant care.

In the last four years, updated versions have seen the directory of plants grow from 1,500 plants to 3,000 and he is currently working on a 3,500 version.

He said: "I enjoy making it, improving it, listening to what people want on it. That is what generates my interest."

Despite the subject matter, Mr Bromhall admits to being a garden novice himself. That is because he concentrates on the photography and the design of the CD, while he relies on experts, such as Radio Oxford's Paul Williams and fomer Oxford Botanical Gardens staff Matt Jackson and Adam Standing, to do the research.

He added: "I use real people with mud under their fingernails."

The CD is really only scratching the surface with about 70,000 different varieties of plants to choose from. But what Mr Bromhall hopes to do is to give out some basic advice which can be taken on board by the user of the CD-ROM, who can then explore their interest using the knowledge they have gleaned.

He explained: "I don't have every climbing rose but I do have examples of them and if people want to add more, then they can."

Each plant is cross-referenced with the name and contact details of a supplier, as well as a link to the website.

"You might find a plant that a garden centre will not stock. For example, there are four rose specialists listed which I know will offer good quality plants and service."

Mr Bromhall previously worked as a cameraman with David Attenborough on the TV series, The Private Life of Plants for which he received an Emmy award and The Life of Mammals for which he received a BAFTA nomination.

It was during this time that he came up with the idea for Complete Gardens.

He said: "We filmed in places ranging from jungle to desert, and I became very interested in plants. I would often sit for days waiting for something to walk through a frame and it was then that I decided to make the CD."

Mr Bromhall also had a need to find a less demanding career, as he had broken both legs and an arm in a fall, which had resulted in him developing arthritis, and he was no longer suited to the demands of filming in unforgiving environments.

The project rapidly became full-time as he co-ordinated authors and took the photographs, which amount to more than 7,000 images.

The CD allows the user to find plants quickly and easily by name, colour, height, aspect or soil type. As a result, even if you do not know the name or even type of plant you want for a particular area of the garden, suitable examples can be located.

Pruning guides for clematis, shrubs, trees and fruit bushes are also available, as well as ways to control pests. A selection of key products is also available for sale on the website, where there is also an active gardening forum.

Mr Bromhall added: "Because of my interest in wildlife, I do not endorse chemical products. I advocate natural pest control and the use of nest boxes, for example.

"I also want to encourage youngsters into gardening."

Now the CD is on sale in places ranging from Boswells to Kew Gardens and recently won the Best New Product Award in the Home and Gift Section at the Glee gardening and leisure exhibition at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre.

Now Mr Bromhall is looking to develop a CD for Australia and has also attracted interest from the United States.

These would be major projects ,as he would start again virtually from scratch, but projects he would relish.

Like gardening itself, there are always new avenues to explore.

Contact: Complete Gardens CD-ROM 018665 512561 or visit www.complete-gardens.co.uk