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imported topsoil, then tried (and failed) to sow a lawn from seed.I watched the evolution of the plot from courtyard to garden as more and more creatures visited it - blue tits and great tits, a robin, blackbird, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, slugs

.Tackle weeds quicklyGrass and weeds will soon spread across a path that's been laid through a lawn, so cut the grass back to a neat edge to keep it under control. Use a stiff, sharp blade, such as a hand-weeding knife or lawn-edging tool. Use a long wooden

anythingearly spring, summerMore common garden pestsLeatherjackets on lawns, brassicas, strawberries and ornamental plantsElephant hawk moth on fuschia plantsWhitefly on greenhouse plantsMullein moth - affecting verbascum, buddleja and figworts.

dug up. Keep digging them out. It isn't an easy job, as you need to get every last bit - any remaining fragments of root will re-sprout. Use a fork to avoid breaking up the root. Regular close mowing will keep most lawn infestations in check

or ruining your display, it might not be worth fighting it. This grass can make itself at home all around the garden, particularly in beds, borders, the lawn and paving. It has fluffy flowerheads that disperse seed and keep the weed coming.Use a handfork

in no time. The best organic control is digging the plant out and trimming it to keep it in check if you don't want to remove it altogether. If it spreads onto the lawn it can be controlled by mowing. If you don't want to dig it out, you can spot

with yellow sorrel organically is to hoe it before it flowers and set seed, then remove it or leave it on soil surface on hot day to wither and die, to dig it out or smother it with mulch or a deep layer of soil. In lawns, vigorously rake the patch with a wire

compost to dig in over winter, or pile onto the soil for the worms to drag underCut down marginal plants surrounding pondsSend off for mail-order seed and perennials cataloguesMow your lawn on a dry day with the blades set highWrap outside taps

.Plan your seed-sowing year Trim lawn edges to keep the area neat and tidy Apply residual path weedkillers Around the gardenPlant lilies in large patio pots for summer displaysPrune shrub roses to low new shootsCut overgrown honeysuckle stems close

to early summer for best results. Remove winter grime from patios with a pressure washerSow new lawnsSnip plain green shoots off variegated shrubsAround the gardenPlant out perennials in groups of three, five or seven Sprinkle fertiliser around clumps