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of wildlife. They're also much better adapted at dealing with our soils and climate, being able to withstand long periods of dry weather, and will grow in difficult areas of the garden.I've just lifted the concrete slabs of my back yard, in a bid to transform

for up to six months.I spoke to David Morris from Bayer, which makes Provado Vine Weevil Killer 2. He said there was no evidence to suggest that thiacloprid killed bees. But I choose not to use pesticides in my small garden, so have opted for alternatives

Last spring I found a foxglove seedling in a pot, which had presumably self-seeded from a neighbour's garden. Excited, I potted it on and nurtured it in anticipation of seeing it flower this year. (Foxgloves are biennial, so flower in their second

with all the nutrients they need, and as the waste breaks down they'll get a fair amount of water too (saving me a job).My garden is far too small to grow pumpkins really, but I won't let that deter me. I'll drape the long, winding stems up and over

in the waste below.It's remarkable how much life a compost bin can attract. Books will tell you that a compost heap is one of the best garden features to attract wildlife but, somehow, this 'life' inside the bin can go unnoticed.We gardeners normally only

wreath virtually impossible). I realised this as I ventured into my garden and settled for hanging my creation on the wall, rather than risk someone stealing it from my front gate. It doesn’t really say ‘Christmas’ in the way I had hoped.Having never made

as effective. You don't have to build a huge habitat – a small pile or rocks or logs in a sunny part of the garden will suffice. If you can, try to create the habitat alongside an area of long grass, so there are plenty of insects to eat, and further places

Like many gardeners up and down the country, I'll be indulging in a spot of gardening this bank holiday weekend. And the next, and the one after that. The truth is, I'm really far behind and if I don't catch up soon, I'll miss this year's boat to a

are declining so alarmingly, but the usual factors are likely to blame: in rural areas, there are fewer hedgerows to provide shelter, while use of pesticides removes a vital source of their food. In towns and cities, small, over-tidy and paved gardens reduce

I don’t think my garden could look any worse. The borders I left to rot into themselves have tumbled all over the lawn, the patio is covered in pigeon poo, and there’s now a temporary cardboard compost bin outside my back door because the real bin