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stride and fill my lungs with fresh air.One of the great things about visiting arboreta is seeing plants that would never fit into an average domestic garden. Winkworth has a magnificent collection of more than 1,000 mature trees and shrubs, including

the remaining leaves have now been stripped from the trees and shrubs, so hopefully they can be raked up in one go.

. It was with a big gang of long-tailed tits that darted one by one between the shrubs with a little “deet deet deet”. I love long-tailed tits, and stood watching them for a while, when these tiny mouse-sized birds appeared. Their behaviour, shape and size were so

garden. Unlike climbing varieties, including Lonicera periclymenum and Lonicera japonica, it’s not a climber but a shrub, bearing honey-scented white flowers along its branches. If you do invest in winter-flowering plans, grow them where you can take

: The wood anemone. You don’t have to have a wood to grow this little plant. Underneath deciduous shrubs or in a shady corner will do fine. Also comes in white and a sort of washy pink. But I would stick with the first two.

of gutters, windows, and so on, it's a valuable evergreen plant. Research now shows that in addition to its aesthetic and wildlife value, ivy and plants trained against buildings help screen and insulate them from the cooling effect of cold wind.Shrubs

Last week, Butterfly Conservation published a report called The State of Britain's Larger Moths 2013. It makes a depressing read, demonstrating a marked decline in the number of our larger moths over the last 40 years. The survey, conducted

, such as lavender and viper’s bugloss. Then there are the trees and shrubs that have been too big to consider until now. And perhaps I’ll have room for a hedge or mini meadow (who am I kidding?).And then there’s the wildlife. Which species can I lure into my garden

such as camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris and more.And do remember that any bulbs, bedding or shrubs planted in pots on your patio can get waterlogged unless the water can drain away freely. Before planting, make sure your pots have adequate holes