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will send the leaves tumbling to the ground.Slow-growing Japanese maples, particularly those with dissected leaves, make perfect small trees for patio pots. I've grown acers in pots on my patio for about six years now, using large, heavy terracotta pots

Nearly back to normal now, after Christmas and New Year. Sunday saw us with 3-year-old scooting in Dulwich Park. Thankfully there was no wind, because it was blisteringly cold, and the ground was still covered in frost. So when I saw a small bird

On holiday in northern France last week I was struck by the similarities in the landscape, but very subtle differences in the wildlife.With its gently rolling hills, hedges, grazing meadows, small woods, narrow lanes and winding streams, I could

had an operation on my foot, preventing me from doing anything for three weeks except keep my foot up. This is very frustrating, especially as I keep looking down the garden and imagining the pots and compost on the greenhouse bench just waiting for me

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

Blue bulbsBlue is one of my favourite colours in the garden. Every year, I eagerly scour catalogues and flower-show exhibits for new varieties of blue-flowering bulbs. Plan ahead so you can enjoy a sea of blue in February, before the daffodils

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

it was more of a slug hunt rather than a bug hunt, as the cold drizzle set in for most of the day. So when a local gardener brought out her bottle of beetles, she was just joining in the fun of it all. Of course, they were rosemary leaf beetles, Chrysolina

trees for a small garden. The current wave of interest in 'grow your own' should see even more people including fruit trees in their gardens, and the coming months are a perfect time to plant them. Last winter I made space for a 'family' apple tree

in hurtling after him on one of the girl's chrome scooters. There are two reasons to go down to the park: one is to wear out small boy fuelled by roast lunch and too many home-made buns, and the other is to have a look and see what I can find in the way