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for wildlife: "move any debris to a corner of the garden out of sight, but where it can still benefit insects and mammals."My garden is just 4m² and less than a year old, but I’ve managed to attract a host of wild creatures, including blue tits and great tits

After last week's excitement about the ladybird party on the BBC allotment, I was delighted to learn that the UK Ladybird Survey had a stand at this year’s Gardeners' World Live.There’s always a few wildlife charities at the show and each year I

range of designs in my flat. I’ve erected a blue tit box in my garden and one each for blue tits and great tits in the communal area of my block of flats. I’m hoping the eaves of my mum’s house can attract sparrows, while my dad has the perfect

feeding, nesting and hibernation preferences. Tongue lengths determine which flowers the bees can feed on, so grow flowers with long corollas like red clover, honeysuckle and foxgloves to attract long-tongued bumblebees like the commmon carder (Bombus

this frustration got me thinking about bedding.I admit to not being a huge fan of annual bedding plants, but I can see their attraction. For the gardener, they provide instant results - quick-fix solutions to gaps in borders, a tired corner, a dreary patio

’s extremely successful at propagating itself. Seeds develop in capsules that burst open when ripe, hurling their contents far and wide. It’s also thought that the seeds are attractive to ants, which may unwittingly help to disperse them too.Weed or not, to me

at the edge of the water in total darkness with bats swirling around me.Like so much of our wildlife, bats are having a hard time. This is mostly due to the widespread use of pesticides in agriculture. British bats feed exclusively on insects, so spraying

, restaurants, and - ahem - bird tables.I'm not sure how I'd feel if I attracted rats to my garden. I don't mind them (that is to say, I'm not offended by their existence) and I'd never kill one, but I wouldn't like them in my garden (it's only 4m², after all

I recently visited the community orchard at Haggerston Park. It makes a lovely little wildlife sanctuary amidst the concrete of built-up Hackney: all fruit trees, wildflowers and long grass. It's also home to a few ornamental plants, including pot

an important role in the lifecycle of bumblebees. Many species of bumblebee nest in old mouse holes. It's thought that they’re attracted by the smell, and the strong whiff of mouse could even deter wax moths from finding and laying eggs inside the nest. So I