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queens and males emerge en masse and fly in the air to mate, before the females drop their wings and search for new digs and the males crawl off to die. The day, usually in late-July, is timed perfectly to ensure optimum weather conditions for the event

Ask any seed company to name their Top 10 bestselling flowers and you'll regularly find sweet peas in first place.Sweet peas are the gardeners’ favourite for climbing colour and delicious fragrance, bringing a touch of cottage garden nostalgia

's crucial the soil is free draining. Dig a trench 45cm wide and 23cm deep. Enrich the soil with compost and fork back in. Leave for a month, then plant your raspberries, feeding them with a potash-rich fertiliser.Space raspberry canes 35-45cm apart

of those from the local Chinese takeaway; I also use them for 'show and tell' sessions. They've found a 'lizardy' thing whilst digging up the end of the garden, and wonder what it is.Inside the chow mein box, curled up in some soil is a tiny newtlet

allotment and the bees did very well after their traumatic experience. I even witnessed a mated queen digging into the ground to hibernate.Luckily there was no duvet involved in last week's Operation Bumblebee. I went round just before dusk, so I could see

In the 1950s, the UK was home to some 30 million hedgehogs. Now it's estimated that there are just one million, according to a recent report published by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). It’s not known exactly why hedgehogs

Alys Fowler's top 10 veg plantsWith increased awareness of organic farming, food miles and healthy eating, many more people are trying their hand at growing vegetables. We caught up with Alys Fowler at the Chelsea Flower Show for some tips

nutritious for both other plants and humans.Follow our tips on putting nettles to good use - but be sure to wear gloves at all times when handling them.For a basic soup you'll need about 200g of fresh nettle tips. Add 450g of potatoes, peeled and cubed, a

before lighting them, preferably making the pile on the day you intend to light it. If you find a baby hedgehog in autumn, take it in and keep it warm. Feed it with cat or dog food and water, but don't release it until it weighs at least 450g (1lb). Visit