Search - Articles

, but I can never quite see where it goes, or what flowers it might be visiting.In fact, this isn't the first bumblebee I've seen this year, just the first living one. Twice now, we've found dead ones crushed on the pavement on the way to school

kestrel off in the distance once, but it gave itself away by its distinctive fluttering hover. Anyway, the kestrel is a small, dainty bird, easily able to perch on a stout flower-head that would bow down under the hefty weight of a sparrowhawk

of pale, blousy flowers for the last 10 years.The rest of the garden has matured a bit since then, so we can afford a bit of bare wood before we decide what to do next. And, in removing the tangled stems, we uncovered a series of pale opalescent pearls

, the feather or flower balls swung on strings by Polynesian dancers. For nearly three minutes, they circled round and round each other, always keeping about 10-15 cm apart, as if they were connected by some invisible, but unbreakable, thread.It's difficult

of plots on your street, in your town, and up and down the country.But do we do enough to attract wildlife to our gardens? To find out, Gardeners' World Magazine got together with the RSPB and came up with an audit, published in the November issue. Broken

sunning itself on one of the flower pots just inside the front gate.

in the long grass and herbage (away from flowers) for moth caterpillars in which to lay its eggs. This is the first time I've seen it in the garden. It sunned itself for a few seconds, then it was off.

I don't really do birds. I'm usually too busy peering down at insects on flowers or running across leaves. Or I'm on hands and knees, bum in the air, turning stones over looking for ground beetles or grubbing at plant roots for weevils

the bees making their cuts with such speed and precision.Despite the depredations of all these insects, the rose goes from strength to strength and gives a drift of hearty flowers each summer.

- is an apt descriptor here), but I've also seen 'hairy-footed bee' and 'flower bee'.Only the males have the feathery feet - the middle pair - but I've never been able to find out what they use them for. The sexes are easy to tell apart without having