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'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

to look forward to, and get me through this cold winter.In addition to all these jobs, there are still more leaves to rake up, old crops to clear and compost, veg beds to dig over, and then winter pruning to start...Now, what have I missed?

to be weaving down the garden like a drunk at closing time.Dig your post holes deep enough, at least 60cm for a 1.8m-high fence. Make sure the concrete is well tamped down all around the posts.Try not to use too much concrete. Bear in mind, if you have too much

.To grow good veg you need a sheltered site that gets full sun for at least half the day, with deep, fertile, well-drained soil that has been enriched with organic matter. Deep beds – the original no-dig technique – are perfect for small gardens; by working

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

for hedgehogs. Like all wild creatures, they need food, shelter and breeding opportunities. First, they need access to gardens, so dig holes under your fences (or take out the bottom of one panel on either side) to help them travel between plots. Leave

potatoes can be harvested in July, before the hot, humid weather increases the threat of potato blight. Wait for the flowers to die down and poke around the base of the haulms, then dig out the golf-ball-sized tubers with a blunt-ended fork.Early potatoes

Nettles are actually quite fussy about the soil in which they will grow. They require a soil rich in phosphates and nitrogen to thrive. If you see a patch, grow plants alongside that thrive in similar conditions. Dig up nettles at the end of each season to prevent

britishhedgehogs.org.uk for further information on how to help them.HedgehogsInsects readily hibernate in gardens. Bumblebees dig holes in the ground or rest in leaf litter, butterflies sleep in garages, sheds and between folds of curtains. Wasps, ladybirds