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Since I bought my shed, I've been itching to put a green roof on it, but I’ve always been put off by how difficult the task looks. Luckily, a friend asked if she could do the job for me, for a book she's writing. So last weekend, she turned up

gratuitous vandalism on allotments remains horribly common. Thefts range from handfuls of fresh fruit and veg to expensive garden tools, while whole sheds are reported to have been torn down and burned for 'fun'. As gardens and allotments are quieter now than

it's five-star accommodation.Last July, I responded to a Freecycle email from someone who'd filled in her established pond and razed her entire garden to the ground, prior to a redesign. It was no longer a safe habitat for frogs, and those she'd found

stubbing - I couldn't move my foot. Comforting myself with the knowledge that most people who think they've broken a toe actually haven't, I cycled the 15 miles home and had a bath.The next morning my foot was so swollen I couldn't walk. I managed to drag

or beneath sheds, while the common carder generally chooses thickets of long grass or compost heaps to nest in. But bumblebees will nest anywhere they deem 'suitable', including bird boxes, lawnmowers, concrete paths and old duvets.I’ve yet to encourage

(apart from the human, of course). In the south of the UK it's estimated that around 80% of bumblebee nests in gardens are predated by wax moth* - perhaps because nests under sheds, in compost bins and bird boxes are easier to find than those hidden

In the 1950s, the UK was home to some 30 million hedgehogs. Now it's estimated that there are just one million, according to a recent report published by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). It’s not known exactly why hedgehogs

delicious soup). Before I know it I'm dodging blackberries, pears and plums on the towpath instead of ice and snow.Just last night my girlfriend came home with a bag of cherries she'd plucked from a tree in our local park. They were delicious and sweet

); friends whose indoor plants 'got bugs so I threw them in the bin' (I give up) and my poor friend Eli, whose plants flowered and fruited but the tomatoes kept splitting as they ripened (no amount of arguing convinced me she'd been watering them enough

. Foxglove14. Heather15. Honeysuckle16. Lavender17. Poppy18. Pussy willow19. Raspberry20. Red Campion21. Rosemary22. Scabious23. Sea Holly24. Sunflower25. Teasel26. Thistles27. Viper's bugloss28. WisteriaI'm growing 21 of the above plants in my garden