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, such as clover. Many pesticides just kill them.Our gardens are fast becoming refuges for bees - especially some species of bumblebee, which are happy to nest in wild corners, bird boxes and under sheds. Many also come into our gardens to feed. Sadly some species

.Deep rooted plants such as buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) bring nutrients from the subsoil, while leguminous manures like clover (Trifolium sp.) carry nodules on their roots, which fix nitrogen in the earth. In spring, a couple of weeks before you start

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

on, so I hardened them off quite abruptly by putting them outside.Against all odds, my chillies burst into new life and vigour. I repotted them in fresh compost and sowed seeds of red clover around the base of their stems, to act as a green manure. I

acquired a 'mixed bag' of salad leaves in a trough I filled with soil last summer to see what weeds I could 'catch'. So far there's some orache, clover and fat hen. Yum.Nothing says 'spring' like the first nettle soup of the year. A small clump of nettles

I'm not one for manicured lawns. I think lawn weeds are pretty. I'd really like clumps of bird's foot trefoil, dandelions, daisies, creeping buttercup and self-heal growing among the grass in my garden. In fact, I've just planted some clover

a short flight to the raspberries, comfrey and clover he grows.If you want wildlife nesting in your garden, then build log and leaf piles, start a compost heap, leave a messy area, plant nectar-rich flowers and dig a pond. You could also use an old

? If I grow buckthorn, maybe the brimstone butterfly will come in to breed. Or perhaps a patch of red clover will attract rare bumblebees.To avoid getting carried away, I’m narrowing the list down. Here are my Top 10 plants for a dream garden:Big cushions

get up earlier than usual just to watch them forage on red clover, alliums, poppies and viper's bugloss before setting off for work.The only slight problem was that I found a wax moth in the nest when I moved it, but that's a blog for another day.