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, froghoppers, moths, butterflies and bees. (The frogs I rescued and brought in.) I’m determined to make sure my garden provides the perfect home for wildlife over winter, and if I have to compromise a little on aesthetics, so be it. I've already made

wildlife, such as overwintering frogs, bees and other insects use compost heaps too. And take care if you have decking. The space beneath decking is the perfect environment for a family of rats - it's sheltered, warm, hard to get to, and food scraps can

plant debris over the top, for extra shelter. In January I added the branches of the Christmas tree I used to make my bee hotel. Then in March, when I'd had quite enough of looking at it and was convinced the frogs had taken shelter elsewhere, I set

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

. They're reliable and trouble-free plants.Phlox paniculataFor a zing of blood-orange, there's little to beat heleniums, whose daisy-like flowers are loved by bees for their nectar. After flowering, the seedheads are attractive well into autumn

and more sky than I can take in even with both eyes. There is just too much wildlife to look at in detail, so here is a mélange from the first week of our stay.Saturday 7th August 2010 Everything is much greener than England so they've obviously had more