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, finding a fasciated marsh thistle, Cirsium palustre, somewhere in the flood plain of the River Cuckmere, near Alfriston, Sussex, when I was aged 12 or 13. I thought I had found some exciting new plant, or strange metamorphic phenomenon. I was amazed how

with some wood, landscape fabric and pond liner, and transformed the dead space on my shed into a wildlife oasis.High up above our cities, green roofs provide a refuge for endangered black redstarts, wild bees, butterflies and other insects, giving them a

(Joe-pye weed)Useful websites for wildlife gardeningGardeners' World wildlife blogsMake a bee hotelMore plants for beesWildlife gardening tipsButterfly Conservation Trust

Stand the log for the boot scraper upright and saw off a third, cutting vertically down to make a flat surface.Stand the larger piece of wood on its flat side and saw two parallel lines about 10cm deep along its length. They should be a few millimetres apart

Saving seed from your favourite tomatoes is a simple process and could save you money on buying seeds next year. If you grow more than one variety it's likely bees will have cross-pollinated them, so you could be growing your own brand new variety

AphidsLeaf cutter beesScale insects

with purple stripes.Pick off the adult beetles and larvae by hand and destroy.Spray with an insecticide - thiocloprid or imidacloprid - between late summer and spring. Avoid using insecticide when the plants are in flower as bees may also be killed

by seeds from its flowers (June to November) which are loved by butterflies and bees. However, it is an aggressive weed in lawns and will quickly establish itself and compete with the grass. Plant spreads by seed in late summer/autumn, restricting growth

of nectar for bees. However, once it is established in your garden it will quickly spread, causing particular problems when it appears in the lawn. Plant spreads by underground stems and seeds and produces large drought-resistant patches in lawns, so grass

It feels like spring is on its way down here in the balmy southern slopes of Bath. The daffodils are in full bud, the birds are twittering away and there are more than a few dozy bumble bees blundering about. It's bound to go horribly wrong