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home for their offspring. Every summer a leaf cutter bee spots the hollow canes, and uses them as a nursery to lay its eggs. Each egg is cocooned in a layer of carefully cut leaf discs. I'll spot where these have come from as I garden, where neat discs

18 April 2010. Brogdale is home to the National Fruit Collections, with 150 acres of orchard filled with 2,200 varieties of apple, plus much more: a breathtaking sight!

moments our gardens they don't last for long; like blooms that open for just one day; scent filling the air; the antics of a bee quenching its thirst on a nectar-rich flower.You just need to be there and treasure that moment. Sometimes others are around

.Types to sow now include crimson clover, fenugreek, field lupins - even broad beans. They germinate and grow quickly and reduce weed growth. Flowering varieties even attract bees and beneficial insects.Nothing could be simpler, and the green manures help break

displays, and fruit to enjoy later this year. It's essential to prune wisteria twice a year. Once in the summer, shortening long, wispy new shoots to about 20cm (8in), and again in winter, pruning the same shoots further to roughly 5-7.5cm (2-3in

. bonariensis too, with bees and butterflies flitting from flower to flower all summer.I've spotted several local authorities using V. bonariensis in flower displays on roundabouts, so that's a sure endorsement of its reliability and performance

spread!Earlier today I watched as a dozen or more bees eagerly flitted here and there, visiting the clover flowers. Far from being a weedy embarrassment my lawn is actually a wildlife haven.Earlier in the day my daughter commented on the numerous

and cooking crops. Do let us know in the comments section of this blog if there are any harvesting tips you'd like us to cover.Finally, do join me and a host of other experts on the ‘Grow Your Own’ Garden at BBC Gardeners' World Live (15-19 June 2011) for more