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, in the churchyard at Fortinghall, Perthshire, is estimated to be around 2000 years old, making it one of the oldest trees in Europe.Yew makes a fine hedge, which is how I plan to use my plants. It grows well on old wood, so you can keep your hedge in shape

If you're bearing a grudge against your neighbours, one way to exact revenge is plant a leylandii hedge in your garden. Left unclipped, it could grow to up to 35m high and 5m wide. It will be a haven for garden birds, insects and even the odd mammal

crucial time of year for wildlife? And it's not just ponds. In February I witnessed the clearing of shrubs and ivy by some councils - which were surely providing shelter for numerous hibernating creatures - and I've also seen contractors trimming hedges

, garden gnomes, stone ornaments, expensive bonsais and even whole ponds, hedges and fences are just some of the items regularly reported as stolen. A friend of mine had one of two box cones stolen from outside her front door. Apart from ruining

, such as lavender and viper’s bugloss. Then there are the trees and shrubs that have been too big to consider until now. And perhaps I’ll have room for a hedge or mini meadow (who am I kidding?).And then there’s the wildlife. Which species can I lure into my garden

. There was also a gorgeous sculpture of two boxing hares.Even more traditional ornamental gardens featured relaxed, wildlife-friendly planting. Cleve West's Daily Telegraph Garden was made using reclaimed Cotswold stone and yew hedging, along with nectar

flowers from March to May and is traditionally found in woodland habitats. It also grows at the base of hedges, in grassland and, of course, in gardens.  In fact, the dog violet is often regarded as a weed, and I can see why. Like many other weeds, it

sited under a hedge and dutifully packed with fallen leaves and hay.Attracting wildlife to your garden can be a bit hit and miss. Bumblebees and butterflies, for example, will happily come to our gardens to forage for food, but often choose to breed

to birth and raise their young, while cooler sites are used for hibernation. They navigate around using echolocation, so need linear corridors along which to travel. If you have the space, why not a plant long, straight hedge for them?If you do have bats

by fences and hedges – things that make it easy to travel between them. It backs on to a cycle path, has walls on either side and is surrounded by concrete. Yet here it is, a mouse, living in my compost bin.The great thing about mice is that they have