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two triangles for the sides of the bat box.Place the backboard on a flat surface and cut ridges into it, 2mm deep every 0.5cm, to make a 'ladder' for the bats to climb up.Take one of the side triangles and measure 12.5cm from the acute angle along

, bamboo canes or old flower stemsWood saw, drill, screws and secateursA mirror fixing for hanging the hotelAll year round1 hourCut the plank into four pieces to make a rectangular frame for the bee hotel. Drill guide holes for the screws and assemble

did find a busy bee completely defoliating a passion flower in my greenhouse a few summer's ago, and creating its leafy cocoons in the compost of the same pot. Nice to know my garden is appreciated by local wildlife as much as my family.

. And yet it is precisely this shelter which is most in danger of being tidied away, cut down, mulched, shredded, composted or otherwise removed to make way for next year's grand displays.If you want wildlife to feel at home in your garden, let it make a

the bees making their cuts with such speed and precision.Despite the depredations of all these insects, the rose goes from strength to strength and gives a drift of hearty flowers each summer.

intensive farming, as grazing becomes heavier and cutting for silage replaces hay meadows and their associated wild flowers. There is plenty of farming hereabouts, but the land is emptier and the grip of agriculture is less tight. It's perhaps as the Weald

.Wooden wine crate1.2m length of 15cm x 2cm untreated timber25mm galvanised nails1m length of hosepipeJig saw, drill and hammer25mm drill bitall year roundA couple of hoursStart by making the tunnel for the hedgehog house. Cut the timber into four 30cm lengths

timber approximately 2cm thick. You will need four pieces of wood of equal length for the sides and one square piece for the back. Nail them together, leaving the front end open.Cut hollow canes such as bamboo into short lengths to fit in your bug box

, and therefore a must for every garden.Designing your wildlife gardenWhen planting a nectar border or any selection of flowers to attract insects, think first of what's best for them and second, of what you want to look at. The two are not remotely exclusive

nest underground in old mouse or vole burrows - which this project mimics.Flowerpot, 20cm in diameterTube or piping, 30cm length x 1.8cm diameterChicken wireSlate or tileNesting materialall year round30 minutesSelect a generous amount of nesting