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It comes as no surprise to me that slugs and snails have been voted the most-hated garden pests in the Gardeners' World Awards. Surely no garden in the country can be immune from their devastating activities, unless it's a garden covered in concrete

, but venture into the garden and you'll see another side to this menace.Get outside early on cold mornings with camera in hand and you might be lucky enough to capture images of the ephemeral ice crystal patterns and designs left by Jack Frost. They

A friend recently showed me a photograph (left) of his rotting plum tree, with woodlice crawling around the affected area. Were the woodlice a pest, and how should he get rid of them? This reminded me of a plum tree in my own family garden when I

and there were numerous opportunities to talk garden design. I had a great time chatting about pests and pathogens in the potting shed. It was amazing just how many people were happy to queue in the hot sun to talk about their problems (it got so hot that we

surprise guests joining us too.Fighting pests is one theme we'll cover, as many people are hesitant about using pesticides around the garden, particularly on things they're going to eat. One way to combat greenfly and aphids is to encourage beneficial

My annual pilgrimage to Gardeners' World Live has arrived, and what a week it will be. Although I'll be up at the NEC early to help put the finishing touches to our plans, the show officially opens its doors to gardeners at 9.00am on Wednesday 10th

In early spring, there were a lot of discussions in the garden media over whether the harsh winter would have reduced numbers of garden pests.The slugs and snails were slow to appear after the cold, dry April. But most other critters, good and bad

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

Do dogs and gardening mix? I'd have to say yes, despite the state of my lawn! Magic, our miniature poodle, is a great companion, offering the unconditional love only dogs can give. She's most often observed at this time of year belly-up on the lawn

and (hopefully) entertaining shows with great gardeners like Pippa Greenwood, Anne Swithinbank, Alys Fowler and Kevin Smith on far ranging topics like orchids, pest control, thrifty tips and wildlife gardening.What a mix. In one show we could be describing