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There are so few plants that do well in my small, shady garden, but those that do thrive deserve a medal. This week, honesty is taking centre stage, with its tall spires of brilliant white flowers, towering above more subtle spring blooms.I love

, but the discovery in 2011 that small tortoiseshell numbers had gone down by 68% in 10 years was pretty shocking. It has always been received wisdom that common generalist ‘garden’ species, like the small tort, were protected from some of the frightening declines

to silently observe them.Barn owls aren't the only birds making use of the garden. The nests of tiny, ground-nesting owls, Lechucita vizcachera, are dotted all over the lawn, flamingos and wild ducks also visit. We also saw plenty of hummingbirds, and small

for varieties that produce all-female flowers, such as ‘Bella’ F1, ‘Baribal’ F1 or ‘Saturn’ F1. These varieties will form fruits without you having to pollinate the flowers by hand.Good quality compostSmall potsWatering canPlant labelsApril - May10 - 15 minutes

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

There are many hardy and half-hardy annuals that can be grown for cut flowers. Many attract bees and butterflies and some species can be dried, for use in long-lasting displays.Sow hardy and half-hardy annuals between March and April in small pots

most apples for instance, it doesn’t need neighbouring plums for cross-pollination. Provided bees visit my single plum tree, I will hopefully get a good crop of fruit.Last year, a couple of pears started to form on my small 'Concorde' tree, but nothing