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Despite the weather's attempts at snow over the Easter weekend, everything is now on the move in my garden. The rhubarb and peony are vying with each other to produce the longest and reddest shoots. A wren seems to be taking special interest

cabbage white butterfly. These are easily confused with the smaller, bright green (and far less attractive) caterpillars of the small cabbage butterfly. I have those too.It's been a rotten year for butterflies, except the cabbage whites, which seem to have

Gardeners (like opposition politicians) quite enjoy a bit of a moan. In the case of politicians then almost any excuse will do: for gardeners it is usually the weather. It's seldom perfect and in recent weeks all of us have had more rain than

't worked out a use for them in the garden. Perhaps this engraving of a snail dragging a cart (pictured, left) will enthuse someone to put snails to work, instead of just letting them devour plants in the herbaceous border. In case you can't read the small

Nettles, like midges, are one of those things for which it is difficult to feel much affection. Never welcome, they grow everywhere and, to the gardener at least, seem to have little purpose beyond stinging our children. The sting comes from

In East Dulwich, this year, the garden ornament of choice is ... the animal skull. Now this might seem a little macabre, but I find something rather aesthetically pleasing in the form, shape and texture of old bones.It all started several years ago

in some secluded bank or hedge and make her nest away from any more human interference.At home the cats were molesting something in the long grass around the pond. A small toad was marching up the garden. We sometimes find them hiding under the sandpit

Spring is here, although nobody seems to have told the weather department yet. This week's biting easterly wind felt more like standing at a Siberian bus stop than April in an English country garden.However, the evidence of spring is out

Despite persevering with growing beefsteak tomatoes last summer, I was once again severely disappointed with the results. I've grown them several times over the past few years but always found their yields really small compared to normal

My two compost bins are being very productive. As well as yielding their first crop of usable compost, now spread over back and front gardens to great effect, they are also home to a heaving mass of wildlife. Every time I open the lids a great cloud