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grow for the sole purpose of attracting the speckled wood, which breeds in long grass.When the news broke that sales of artificial grass are soaring, it struck me that a fake lawn might have been a better option for my small patch (roughly 4m²). I

I'm not one for manicured lawns. I think lawn weeds are pretty. I'd really like clumps of bird's foot trefoil, dandelions, daisies, creeping buttercup and self-heal growing among the grass in my garden. In fact, I've just planted some clover

, the birds have been gathering grass, moss and dead leaves for the last fortnight, sneaking them through a gap above the shed door and constructing their nest within. The gap is too small for any marauding predators, and Chris, my mother-in-law, has vowed

plants (such as peas and beans, clover, vetches and bird's foot trefoil) to provides bees with the best quality pollen and give them the greatest start in life. Mow your lawn less often to encourage white clover and birds’ foot trefoil to grow and provide

to silently observe them.Barn owls aren't the only birds making use of the garden. The nests of tiny, ground-nesting owls, Lechucita vizcachera, are dotted all over the lawn, flamingos and wild ducks also visit. We also saw plenty of hummingbirds, and small

the absence of humans, another is areas of long grass, which provide shelter and breeding opportunities. Bare earth and piles of rubble provide warm spots for insects to bask and burrow, while 'weeds' (many of which are native larval food plants

of long grass around the edges of the lawn (which has no straight lines or clipped edges). I’m also far too soft with my frogs. When I cut down my tomato haulms the other week, I found five frogs snuggled together in the grow bag. I couldn’t bear to turf

, and you can also buy plastic grids, under which grass and other low-growing plants can grow. Any paved areas can be sloped gently to direct water into a border, lawn, hedge or tree, and you can also use materials that allow rainwater to penetrate

.Some plants need moving, some need supporting, some need feeding, some need pruning. Many just need sowing.I need to cut the lawn (we don't have a mower so we do this on our hands and knees with shears.) Luckily it's full of dead patches so it shouldn't take