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the bumblebee nest and hangs around outside for a few days to pick up its scent. Once she has done this, she enters the nest undetected to lay her eggs. These hatch into caterpillars, which start off by eating the nest debris before moving to the wax pots

are particularly vulnerable in late-spring, and young bats in late-summer. Innocent and inexperienced, these babies are ripe for being picked off by waiting moggies. Amphibian expert Jules Howard suggests that creating more hiding places for frogs

for a dash of colour.Top climbers for potsClematis x cartmanii 'Joe'Ivies are one of the most useful and attractive of all plants for pots. This one has dark-green, shiny leaves with curled edges.Hedera helix 'Ivalace'Variegated foliage is a real pick

There's such a huge range of daffodils available in bulbs catalogues it's often hard to know which varieties to choose. Browse our pick of 10 beautiful cultivars for inspiration.Daffodils are some of the most reliable spring bulbs, coping well

on the best vegetables to grow for beginners.How to... grow fruit and vegetablesAlys Fowler has picked out her top ten vegetables for beginners to grow. These plants require minimum maintenance, suffer from few pests and diseasesand will produce a decent yield

Sempervivum and jovibarbaSempervivums, or houseleeks, are hardy, succulent, alpine plants that grow in the wild between rocks in mountainous regions. We picked out ten of the best varieties at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2009.Sempervivum means 'always

regularly, particularly during the summer, make sure it’s easy to get to and as near to the house as possible. Whether your visits are for daily watering, opening and shutting doors and vents, or just nipping in to pick a few tomatoes for your lunch, you

in a trench. Keep the plastic taut when fitting. Cut it to fit the doors by making a v-shaped flap.Cover the frameJust in case the wind picks up overnight, it’s best to fit the doors on the same day as the cover. start by making the frames for all

-prepared ground. Choose bush varieties and let them ramble over a mulch to eliminate weeding. One or two plants produce plentiful crops and stay productive for weeks (providing you keep picking).Four time-saving veg cropsCourgettes, squashes and patty pansSow seed

of hedgehogs, fox attacks are relatively new. It’s thought that foxes don’t tend to eat hogs, but instead pick them up in their mouths and puncture their skin with their teeth. The initial attack doesn’t kill the hogs, but (please don’t read on if you’re eating