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the ground at speed. It is now upright, though it has acquired a worrying wobble. Interestingly, the birds were still feeding from it when it was still flat on the ground. I wonder if they were the usual locals, or were they looters?We also had some

I’ve just been outside picking strawberries. Despite the colder nights my plants are still fruiting away and I hope they’ll have enough energy left to fruit again at the right time next year.None of the fruits have been damaged by birds – perhaps

Tiny sap-sucking scale insects. They are 1-6mm long, and their whitish, grey-brown shells are covered by protective, waxy scales. The insects don't cause too much damage unless they are present in huge numbers, but some excrete an unsightly, sticky

Walking back from the Horniman Museum last week took me past a large oaktree growing just inside a front garden. The tree looks like an old pollardand must pre-date the early 20th century houses hereabouts. What caught myattention were all

by the tendency of these little birds to strip yellow flowers, such as crocus, but so what? And don't forget that the adults not only eat weed seeds, but they also feed their young with insects and their larvae. All-in-all, sparrows are a delight and a help

flowers (the bees just can't get to the goods).Here's a list of some of my favourite plants for bees:1. Allium2. Aquilegia3. Birds-foot trefoil4. Borage5. Campanula6. Cardoon7. Catmint8. Chives9. Clover10. Comfrey11. Cornflower12. Cranesbill geranium13

the National Bat Helpline first for advice on 0845 1300 228.

With all this talk of feeding the birds lately, it would be wrong not to mention the potential unhappy consequence of such a good deed: rats.Rats are everywhere, and some say there is one rat for every human in the UK. They used to spread the plague

). For now, the important thing to remember is that frogs, toads, hedgehogs and birds can all help the gardener in the battle against slugs and snails, but if you don't have pests to feed these welcome predators they're not going to take up residence

and watch. As soon as I spot a robin I try to stand motionless (well, it does provide a break from digging and leaf gathering). Hopefully the robin knows I'm not a threat. They are such trusting birds, unlike so many others. Perhaps it's simply their need