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the blackbird dug them up, looking for grubs. The second batch of seeds I sowed suffered the same assault. Sid then mysteriously disappeared - has another frustrated gardener taken revenge?The third batch of beans is barely past seedling stage. I'm sure

Yesterday I discovered cuckoo spit on my red valerian (Centranthus ruber). It's considered a pest by many gardeners, but, for me, it's a symbol of great achievement: I've successfully converted a barren, paved courtyard into a lush, green (albeit

, where birds such as sparrows can hunt for caterpillars and garden pests. A clean bird bath provides them with water to drink and clean their feathers (which enables them to insulate themselves against the cold).There’s nothing like that in my garden

, wild pear and buckthorn should cater for a wide range of species. A patch of long grass may encourage some species to breed, while a more relaxed attitude to 'pests' will go a long way to boosting caterpillar numbers in your garden.Moths, like bees

crops to kill 'pests' dramatically reduces the amount of food available to them.Luckily, there's a lot gardeners can do to help. If you garden for amphibians, birds, bees and butterflies, you will have already created a fantastic bat habitat. You can

For the last couple weeks I've been on something of a 'grand tour' of South America. Along the way, I've visited many gardens and seen some interesting horticultural practices. This is the first in a series of four blogs, documenting the fascinating

I found a winged, black ant in the garden last week. The child inside me said "Flying Ants Day!" but there was no sign of any others. Perhaps it had just left the nest prematurely to test the atmospheric humidity, or was impatiently hoping to find

to pests and diseases, and (most importantly) much quicker to crop.This is where they become exciting: aubergines are normally quite tricky to grow. They're best raised in a warm greenhouse, and if you sow seed later than March, you’re in danger of losing

Every autumn, Gardeners' World magazine Editor Adam Pasco and Deputy Editor Lucy Hall bring their surplus of home-grown apples into the office. Adam shares a number of dessert varieties, while Lucy delivers the cooker, 'Bramley'. They are all very