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, including gold- and light-centred alpines, green-edged fancies and a few selfs. We're not fussy about choosing particular named varieties, but we tend to steer clear of doubles. Auriculas, part of the primula family, make great hobby plants. There are so

’t have to just take my word for it, though, it’s one of Alan Titchmarsh's favourite tomatoes too.There are dozens, possibly hundreds, of tomato varieties available, and other experts will have their own favourites. Do try them before making up your mind

successionally – little and often – making sure that while one area or pot is being picked over there's another developing nicely to replace it.There's a nice range of oriental mustards to choose from, each with their own warm, peppery flavour. Many look gorgeous

hiding amongst piles of debris.Try making a slug deterrent by crushing two bulbs of garlic and boiling them in a litre of water for a few minutes. Add a tablespoonful of this to five litres of water and sprinkle on the leaves every couple of weeks

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

year, they’re as regular as clockwork.The birds usually arrive in the first week of May, and carry out a recce of the garden to make sure it can still meet their needs (i.e. that it has a good supply of caterpillars and sunflower hearts). Then I see one

of the patio plants. A mouse nibbles seed heads in one of the borders. There is a Mediterranean bouquet garnis smell in the hot air. Lots of garden thyme in tonight's risotto.Thursday 12th A nuthatch visits the breakfast patio, but I cannot make out what

for this simple fact, and I was very quick to put them straight on it. [Technically, bumblebees do make an extremely small store (a few millilitres) of thin nectar regurgitation, but this is nothing like the huge stocks of thick, sterile, sweet gloop stored

when the wooden beams are more hole and beetle droppings than supporting timber, and the sponge-like shell finally gives way. At 5-7mm long, death-watch dwarf other woodworms and make considerable galleries in the wood. But in the meantime examine

, shady etc). Then, either take a list of plants you want to buy to a specialist nursery or garden centre, and make sure what you're buying is native, non-invasive, and sourced in a sustainable fashion, or try one of the following suppliers:Beaver Water