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, but hates the shade of my current plot.A crab apple, in the hope that I can cultivate mistletoe on it.A large patch of nettles, for butterflies and ladybirds.Hawthorn, for its spring blossom, hedging potential and autumn berries. The fruits not only feed

.We feed the plants with a little diluted comfrey solution during the growing season, and top-dress them with fresh compost (and gravel) in autumn. To prevent disease, we remove yellowing leaves as soon as we see them, and to promote further flowering we

of each bird at a time taking food from the feeders. Suddenly the garden explodes in a flurry of activity, as both pairs of birds race around the garden, finding caterpillars and other morsels to feed their young. It’s all over by the end of June, although

I've just thrown a 'plant party', as part of 'Grow Your Own' Week. This involved my friends coming to my flat and learning how to sow tomatoes and chillies. We also discussed pricking out, transplanting, feeding and watering. It reminded me of my

visiting my plot. I put seed out for them which the pigeons couldn't reach (they had their own), and fashioned a snow-proof feeding station using an umbrella, which sheltered the birds and seed from snow. I left chopped apples in the borders. Everything

.Some plants need moving, some need supporting, some need feeding, some need pruning. Many just need sowing.I need to cut the lawn (we don't have a mower so we do this on our hands and knees with shears.) Luckily it's full of dead patches so it shouldn't take

in polystyrene or plastic packaging, fed with artificial fertiliser and sprayed with artificial pesticides. They're rarely selected for their usefulness to wildlife, and they require as much watering and feeding as home-grown veg. I can't see how they're worth it

to a cuckoo in the trees. What a beautiful sound, I thought. Then my granny told me that they lay eggs in other birds’ nests and the hatchling kicks out its adopted siblings while the parents continue to feed this monster, oblivious to the fact it