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and roost in your garden. If you're lucky, they may even give birth and raise their young there, so make sure you site it in a sheltered spot.Plank of rough-sawn untreated wood 120cm x 20cm x 2cm19cm x 4cm long nails and hammer1 x metal eyelet with a 1cm

-powered rotary mower, and finally, for the armchair gardener, a computerised, electric-powered, rechargeable mower.all year roundMore lawn care adviceMonty Don gives advice on renovating a lawnHow to mow a lawnAdvice on lawn mower maintenanceCutting a clean lawn

Salad leaves can be grown on a cut-and-come-again basis; harvesting the larger leaves by cutting them, allowing the smaller leaves to grow for a second crop. If you make successional sowings of seeds every three weeks, you will have a constant

Plum trees can be prone to silver leaf disease if pruned in winter, so cut them back in summer to encourage the development of bushy growth, which stops them becoming too large and unmanageable. Plum treeSecateurs June - July 20 minutesUse secateurs

Raise new mint plantsIf you're already dreaming about sipping a cool mint julep in your summer garden, now's the time to get your mint plants ready for the job. Take cuttings from established mint plants to keep the drinks tray supplied all summer

in the garden before you leave them out.Feed fast-growing plants with fertiliser Thin out congested pond plantsHand flower beds to prevent weeds establishing Around the gardenPlant out dahlias into well-prepared soil Regularly tie tall stems of delphiniums

and family.Collect leaves as they fall to make leaf-mould Leave out sunflower seed heads for the birds to feed onCollect up all watering kit to store in the shedAround the gardenTake cuttings of your favourite rosesTidy borders by cutting down perennials past

.Clean and sharpen knives and secateursPut up nesting boxes for birds on suitable treesMove shrubs growing in the wrong placeAround the gardenCut down willows and dogwoods to their baseFinish taking hardwood cuttingsPlant bare-root roses, hedging, trees and shrubs

off shrubs and conifersPlace rabbit guards around trees to protect barkFirm down plants lifted by frost or wind rockAround the gardenDeadhead winter-flowering pansies and bedding plantsDivide congested herbaceous perennialsPrune winter jasmine to cut

of newspaper on to the balloon, leaving its neck unpapered. Build up to four or five layers, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next.When the papier-mâché is dry, burst the balloon and peel it away. Cut the dome in half to make two nest boxes