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Birds love fat cakes and at this time of year they are just what they need to give them energy and keep warm. But the feeding balls needn't be shop bought; you can use all sorts of kitchen scraps such as cheese and dry porridge oats. Just mix

Make a compost bin to achieve the satisfaction of turning kitchen and garden waste, into rich, crumbly compost. This will make your plants and crops thrive - so keep them, and your local landfill site, happy.Spade or rake4 strong wooden pallets6

and moisture, and you'll soon enjoy statuesque plants heavy with cobs.Give wooden furniture a faceliftCut back climbing plants that are hanging down Empty, mix and refill compost bins Around the gardenPlant out tender summer-bedding plantsLook out for aphids

piles of flowerpots and debrisRaise patio containers on feet or bricksAvoid walking on lawns covered with heavy frostAround the gardenCut back ornamental miscanthus grassTrim back ivy and Virginia creeper Clear away dead foliage from perennials

, and sometimes better.SecateursKitchen towelPlastic or terracotta potGritty loam-based compostSieve (optional)autumn and early winter30 minutesChoose a healthy plant, such as sorbus, holly, cotoneaster or rowan, and check the berries are ripe by squeezing them

, the moment the symptoms appear. Wait a minimum of two weeks after spraying before using leaves in the kitchen.bay leavesmid- and late-springKeeping garden pests at bayWhiteflyMealybugsScale insectsRed spider mites

, and is able to colonise new areas by producing seed.Spreading perennial plant that produces mats of foliage. Easily recognised by pretty, small, white-petalled flowers with a round yellow centre.Dig or grub out daisies from lawns using an old kitchen knife

I'm not overly fond of grey squirrels. Compared to the reds, which the greys have replaced, they are great lumbering brutes. But I suppose I'm lucky that they do little damage in my garden other than digging up a few tulip bulbs, so I can appreciate

must be the swift snatching up a flying insect. The last few evenings have been very good for insects bumping up against the lighted windows of the kitchen. Monday saw a female stag beetle, upturned, legs in the air, as she bumped into the wall

months later, and go on doing so for years. My kitchen windowsill now boasts six moth orchids in various colours, so at least two or three of them are always in bloom. The oldest is probably five years old, so must have produced 15 or more flower spikes