Search - Articles

My 2010 garden tally of butterfly species is now up to six. We've had single visits from large white, comma, peacock and small tortoiseshell. They obviously didn't find much of interest in my garden, so dipped down, bustled about one circuit

Last winter, when I went to great trouble to feed the birds in my garden, my offerings were largely ignored. This winter, I'm trying again, leaving seeds, chopped apples and suet pellets for ground-feeding birds such as robins, blackbirds

in East Dulwich. But no, it was a grey squirrel. It was singing.Sitting in the crook of the large, rather gangly, elder tree in a neighbour's garden, the squirrel was staring into space, bleating out its miieeeoorrrl, call over and over again. I’ve never

I seem to have created the perfect habitat for my frogs. It's not a large garden, marsh or meadow, but a tatty grow bag from last year, screened by willow edging and topped with dead foliage. It's an absolute eyesore and I hate it, but to my frogs

Walking back from the Horniman Museum last week took me past a large oaktree growing just inside a front garden. The tree looks like an old pollardand must pre-date the early 20th century houses hereabouts. What caught myattention were all

and roost in your garden. If you're lucky, they may even give birth and raise their young there, so make sure you site it in a sheltered spot.Plank of rough-sawn untreated wood 120cm x 20cm x 2cm19cm x 4cm long nails and hammer1 x metal eyelet with a 1cm

in a tree or building away from predators, strong sunlight and wind. A north-east facing spot is best.1.5m x 15cm x 1.25cm piece of untreated, sawn timber20cm x 2.5cm nails, 3cm x 2.5cm self-tapping screwsDrill and 25mm, 28mm or 32mm wood drill bit (see

SoilCraft knifeall year round1 hourUse a craft knife to make holes about 3 cm across in the sides and base of the bucket.Choose an area of your garden that will not be disturbed and dig a hole to bury the bucket so that its rim is just below soil level. Loosely fill

into the back of your box and fix it on to a fence or arch using the self-tapping screw.AdamPlace the bug box in a sheltered spot in your garden, but don't hide it too well or the insects won't find it.Attracting insects and wildlife to your garden

.Wooden wine crate1.2m length of 15cm x 2cm untreated timber25mm galvanised nails1m length of hosepipeJig saw, drill and hammer25mm drill bitall year roundA couple of hoursStart by making the tunnel for the hedgehog house. Cut the timber into four 30cm lengths