Search - Articles

bit of gardening. I've just had another look at the RSPB Homes for Wildlife web pages and see that September is the best month for clearing some blanket weed off of the garden pond. How apposite, I'd noticed the pond was looking rather green and cloudy

.Although we've had frogs and toads in the garden for years, they've never bred successfully, and we've never had tadpoles in our small pond. I'm hoping the newts will have better luck. Since I re-made the pond after its leak last year, we've not had much else

We have recently been greatly entertained by the cacophony of frogs as they splash about in the ditch and ponds. The loud croaking is the male frog calling for a mate or possibly warning other males away from his territory.Later on that same day

. It didn't move, other than the odd belch and my 2½-year-old son looked at it askance, not completely convinced it was a living creature. I could hear his mind working - it was much more likely to be a curiously sculpted rock, or a stunted plant root. We

), aided by 13-year-old. The 11-year-old swept up and the 3-year-old ate biscuits.And you'll be pleased to know that no wildlife was inconvenienced by the tree's removal. I knocked a Jersey tiger moth from the small cherry tree as I entered the garden area

A heron was morosely inspecting the murky green water of Peckham Rye pond. It stood slightly away from the path, so ignored the passing dogs and my children throwing breadcrumbs to the ducks. I wondered what it could possibly be fishing for in what

that had, until recently, held the squirrels' peanuts. Everyone thought this was pretty cool until 12-year-old held it and remarked "what's this wormy thing?" It was a tiny leech, only about 15mm long, squirming over her hand. I was fascinated and tried

uncamouflaged against the white. It does not need to be hidden, its bright colours are a warning that it is revoltingly poisonous should anything be foolhardy enough to try and eat it.My garden pond has got a puncture. We were really proud of the original design

to chalk up 15 of my 124 target actions. These are mostly by the simple expedient of not cutting the grass, not winter deadheading, clearing out the pond when I repaired it and by having more than my fair share of thickets.The thickets are obviously paying

.There'll be about 20 large show gardens at the show this year, each one costing around £250,000 each. The main criticism one hears is that this kind of thing is completely unrealistic and bears no relation whatsoever to most peoples' gardens. On one level