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Make a bug box for insects and give nature a helping hand within your garden. Using easy-to-find scraps of timber, old bamboo canes and old branches, it will cost you very little and provide the perfect habitat for beneficial insects such as spiders

nest underground in old mouse or vole burrows - which this project mimics.Flowerpot, 20cm in diameterTube or piping, 30cm length x 1.8cm diameterChicken wireSlate or tileNesting materialall year round30 minutesSelect a generous amount of nesting

SoilCraft knifeall year round1 hourUse a craft knife to make holes about 3 cm across in the sides and base of the bucket.Choose an area of your garden that will not be disturbed and dig a hole to bury the bucket so that its rim is just below soil level. Loosely fill

and algae.Water insectsNewts lay their eggs on pond plants. Good varieties to include are water forget-me-nots, watercress and reeds.NewtsMore on garden pondsHow to build a garden pond.Make a mini-pond.Top 10 pond plantsHow to maintain a Garden pond

Find out how to identify the six species of bumblebee likely to visit gardens, by using our easy-to-follow guide.In recent years, bumblebeeshave suffered massive declines, leaving two of the UK's 27 native species extinct. Loss of habitat

Watch Monty Don planting up a sandbox for displaying alpine plants, in our step-by-step video project - with tips for keeping plants cool, and retaining moisture.springMore advice on growing alpinesMaking an alpine pathPlanting alpines in a potMaking an alpine container displayCr...

Carol Klein and Joe Swift demonstrate how to create a raised bed at Berryfields, using local stone and alpine planting, with tips on compost mixes and plant suggestions.springMore advice on growing alpinesVideo advice on planting alpines in a potWatch our video guide to making an...

Monty Don explains how to attract bats to roost in your garden by adding a number of bat boxes around the garden. He demonstrates how to build your own boxes and where to locate them for the best chance of success.all-year-roundAttracting wildlife

PostWindow feederBird seedall year round20 minutesSet up a bird table close to the house, then screw the window feeder to a separate pole in the ground so birds get used to feeding from it.Each week move the pole and feeder a little closer to the house. Keep

the roots of your fruit bush.Tip plenty of garden compost into the hole and fork it deep into the soil.Sprinkle a handful of fertiliser in the hole and fork it into the soil.Spread the roots of the blackcurrant bush out evenly across the hole area, teasing