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doubt, as wrongly identified plants can be poisonous.150g fresh or 60g dried comfrey leaves500g petroleum jelly or soft paraffin waxSmall saucepanChina bowl to fit on top of the saucepanWooden spoonMuslin or jelly bagContainer with a lidA pair of rubber

Old stone sinks make perfect containers for alpines, but they're hard to come by. You can easily make your own concrete lookalike; all you need are two strong cardboard boxes. One should fit inside the other, leaving a gap of around 5cm. Simply make

leavesChoose plants for autumn colourHow to build a compost binPractical guide to making garden compostRead Kate Bradbury's blog on autumn tidying in the garden

These pretty outdoor tea light holders are made from birch logs, which you can often obtain from tree surgeons. The best size to go for is around 10cm in diameter, which is ideal for holding a tea light. Choose different heights for your tea light

This heart-shaped frame will create instant impact for Valentine's day without breaking the bank. You can make your topiary frame with a metal coat hanger, a cane and some garden wire. Ivy plantTerracotta potWire coat hangerThin garden wire25cm

end.To make an arch, push each end of the tied whips 15cm into the soil. Overlap the arches as you go. Five arches will cover about 1.8m, depending on how far they overlap.AdamLiving willow can be used to make all kinds of garden sculptures

When the weather is too vile to spend time outside, it's time to get creative. And a wet weekend is perfect for making some seriously funky grass- and cress-heads with the children. The results look great and entertain the kids for weeks to come

the plastic after you've finished spraying.Glass jarsCardSticky-backed plasticGlass-frosting sprayTea lightsall year round20 minutesMake a template out of card and use it to draw on the reverse side of the sticky-backed plastic. Cut out the plastic shapes

high x 15cm wide x 5cm deep for the baseSix 1 metre-long, 8mm diameter zinc thread rods 30m of 1.5mm galvanised garden wire5m of 1mm galvanised garden wirePliers to cut the wireDrill and 8mm drill bitall year round1 afternoonMark a circle of 14cm

, ladybirds, lacewings and bees.Untreated timberHollow canes such as bambooPieces of branch or other woodWood saw2.5cm nails and hammerDrill and wood drill bitScrewdriver and self-tapping screwall year round2 hoursMake a simple box using scraps of untreated