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, and the children are always impressed by how both male and female parents feed their young. Sparrows may be small, brown and not particularly exciting to look at, but I love them. They melt my heart, they really do. I know some gardeners are driven crazy

I'm really loving this freezing weather. My hands and feet aren't very happy, though, despite my recent investment in 'serious' socks. What's making me so happy is the thought of all those garden pests perishing during the frosty nights.I'm hoping

earlier.We regularly get a pair in the garden, or sitting on the fence. There were four earlier this year, and I’m guessing this represented two generations. We don’t have large enough trees in our garden, so the nest must be in one of the Lombardy poplars

If I had to describe myself, I'd say I was a nature lover. I'm forever taking the side of birds, insects, amphibians and mammals, and can argue the case for just about any creature, even pests. But at this time of year there is one exception

Last year I wrote a blog about cuckoo spit, in which I documented the fauna that had appeared in my garden after I had transformed it from a paved courtyard. I celebrated the arrival of butterflies, birds, froghopper nymphs and moths, but was less

overwinter in the pot. Cut back the verbascums and the fennel in late winter or early spring (see Adam's tips).AdamDon't be too quick to deadhead the verbascums at the end of the summer, as birds will feast on the seed-heads and the spikes will look dramatic

buy scaffolding planks from a builders' merchant or a timber yard.More garden DIY projectsBuild a raised bed from concreteVideo advice on making a raised bedMake a slate planterMake willow plant supportsMake a bird boxCreate a bat boxHow to fit

-grown seedlings, spring and early summer is the time to plant them out. Raising them from seed is cheaper but adds a few weeks to the process - so if this is for you, it's time to get sowing!Young brassica plantsGarden line or string and canesTrowelSeed trays

.Plants are infested with tiny, sap-feeding, scale-like insects packed around the stems and leaves.First try to remove them with your thumbnail. If there are too many, use an insecticidal soap spray. Alternatively, leave them for the birds to pick off. In a greenhouse

and air from reaching the leaves.Black or greyish-green mould spreads across sticky honeydew deposited on pepper plants by aphidsThere's no control for sooty mould, but you can control the aphids. Outside, natural predators such as birds and ladybirds