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-nesting bees and wasps (I'll drill ready-made nest holes for them). I'm slightly surprised that there is no action "prevent ponds from becoming overshadowed by nearby trees and shrubs" on the website. I've always taken this as one of the cardinal rules of pond

, 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 loganberries have been alive with bees helping to pollinate an abundance of bloom. Desperately dry conditions in my area of the East Midlands have forced me to water regularly to support new canes development, as these new canes will carry the crop next year

. 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

frost-free, but often that's still only just above zero. My little rudbeckias and antirrhinums – both from the Seed Club 'Blooms for Bees' pack – have been so unhappy they simply stopped growing. Worse, the tomato seedlings turned an ominous shade

-petalled Nigella 'Miss Jekyll', with fiery Calendula 'Princess Orange Black' woven in for a sizzling contrast (both from the Blooms for Bees pack).To make your drifts, all you need is a small drinks bottle and some silver sand (available from most garden centres

-leaved Virginia-type creeper (not sure what kind) covering the large west-facing wall is rattling as if sand grains were raining down it. Yesterday it was abuzz, positively humming, with bees and wasps visiting the flowers, all of which are hidden under the leaves