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, to give it its full name, is a beautiful bird - sleek, handsome, well-groomed, elegant, silky (Bombyx, after which it takes its scientific name, is the silk moth). It is also a rare visitor to Britain.A native of higher latitudes, it only visits us when

.Over the 25-odd years of my life as a gardener I have planted thousands and thousands of trees (many, but by no means all of them, with my own hands), in many places, from Scotland to Cornwall. Some of those trees are 20 years old now and I confess that

for an indulgent autumn, provided I can keep birds and wasps away.Just one more job for the week ahead: sprinkle sulphate of potash fertiliser over the soil around my fruit trees and bushes. Potash is the nutrient plants need to encourage good flowering

Nettles have a bad reputation among gardeners. Although they sting and are invasive if left unchecked, there are numerous ways they can be put to positive use in both your garden and kitchen. Learn more, below.Nettles are a magnet for beneficial

The April 2011 issue of Gardeners' World magazine comes with two packets of free seeds: sweet peas and sunflowers. The sunflower variety, 'Russian Giant' promises to reach a height of around 2m, but we think it can do a little better than that

of the patio plants. A mouse nibbles seed heads in one of the borders. There is a Mediterranean bouquet garnis smell in the hot air. Lots of garden thyme in tonight's risotto.Thursday 12th A nuthatch visits the breakfast patio, but I cannot make out what

remove healthy trees" was their initial answer.The environmental and wildlife grounds for getting rid of it were overwhelming. The tree was not large enough to be of much benefit to nesting birds. Leyland cypress is a foodplant for next-to no

(apart from the human, of course). In the south of the UK it's estimated that around 80% of bumblebee nests in gardens are predated by wax moth* - perhaps because nests under sheds, in compost bins and bird boxes are easier to find than those hidden

always gives me trugs-full of raspberries to take home to turn into jam. Regular as clockwork, John turns up at the plot Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Sunday mornings he is also there. On Saturday he never fails to clean out his bird cages. It won