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Some of my earliest memories are of going to stay with my grandparents in Scotland. Every afternoon my grandfather would wander off to sit on a bench and feed the birds. He had a tin filled with peanuts in his waistcoat pocket, and robins and tits

concern ourselves with the slugs that eat our plants. But look inside your compost bin and you might find their yellow cousins, Limax flavus. Yellow slugs are a gardener’s friend, as they feed almost exclusively on decaying matter. I have only once seen

was put up nearby, a few days before the demolition. Until then, I doubt many people had noticed the hornets going about their daily activity of bringing back dead insects to feed to their grubs.I don’t know whether it was panic from the public

startled in Dorset was probably a slow worm or grass snake (pictured above). These benign species often turn up in gardens, mostly in the south of England, and very rarely in the north. They bask in rockeries, feed in ponds and breed in compost heaps

parsley and sorrel will sulk if the compost dries out in hot sun, so place the container in partial shade. Feed weekly with seaweed extract until early autumn, to encourage leaf production, and to keep plants sweet and succulent.Cut off the faded flower

flavour. Lemon thyme is also a favourite for poultry - add a handful to the cavity with half an onion, cook and let the aromas fill your kitchen.Stand the pot in partial shade and feed weekly with seaweed extract, until early autumn. Deadhead the sage

, water in the plants to settle compost around the roots. Remove the rose from the watering can and gently water around the plants, not over them. If any gaps appear between the roots of the plants, simply add a little more compost, then water again.AdamFeed

'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

attractive to butterflies and moths. If left to seed, it will naturalise all over the garden.Verbena bonariensisThis climbing evergreen provides a supply of nectar and pollen until late November. Holly blue caterpillars also feed on its leaves, while many

are unlikely to nest a busy location (for example if the box is too near a feeding station), or anywhere with strong sunlight or a prevailing wind. It’s generally advised to place the box in a north-easterly direction, but if shadows are provided by tall