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just wrap their wormeries with insulation, such as bubble polythene, to keep out the cold.I've always added small quantities of newspaper to my worm bins, usually by wrapping peelings in a few pages before adding them to the bin. However, cardboard egg

and to bathe. Keeping their feathers clean is essential, especially in winter, as damp feathers are easier to preen. Preening spreads oil and waterproofs feathers, insulating them from the cold.BirdsDragonflies breed in water and need submerged plants

transfer coefficients, thermal insulance and heat conductivity. And, of course, newts and other pond critters survive much worse weather than is thrown at them in South London.Part of me, however, feels very sorry for the poor beast (perhaps several of them

, letting plants use up moisture until the compost has dried up and they die down. Then I leave the dormant tubers in their dry compost over winter, which I hope insulates them from cold.Memo to myself: Remember to start the gloriosa tubers into growth

the densely populated 12eme arrondissement?Something occurs to me. Are the houses of south-east London no longer attractive for nesting in the eaves? What with roof insulation and loft conversions, perhaps the birds are being edged out? Ironically, the five

’re dead, but just that their tops will have been knocked back. Hopefully roots in fairly dry compost, and insulated from cold, will survive and start growing next spring when conditions warm-up.My colleague Lucy on Gardeners' World magazine looked very fed

the top to provide additional insulation.I’m not dismissing summer bulbs with a shorter season of interest like lilies, galtonia and liatris. They all have a place to provide a real ‘hit’ of colour for a short period, but then need to be replaced

an occasional watering to keep them going.My gladioli produced lots of cut flowers during August, and I lifted their fat corms at the weekend. They should store well, nestled cosily in a box of dry, insulating vermiculite to keep them frost free. Hopefully they

in wide birch forests, as those of you who have seen Dr Zhivago will know. Willows are fine, as are limes, hazel, oaks and most pines.Snow is actually good insulation and many herbaceous plants and bulbs are quite happy snuggled up under a snowy duvet

interest and an instant snack for birds.Install a bird bath, where birds can drink and clean their feathers - essential for insulationBirdsFrogs, toads and newts overwinter in log and leaf piles, or beneath stones and plant pots. Some rest in the mud