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The mullein moth caterpillars in my garden are still small, but they're guaranteed to increase in size by the day. These little critters - welcomed by wildlife enthusiasts and hated by gardeners - munch their way through verbascum, figwort

're the size of a small postage stamp, or a sprawling country estate. Like many gardeners in January, I'm thinking about the things I'd like to change. These plans are known around here as mummy's 'New Year revolutions' — because like most resolutions, they get

, the sparrowhawks move in too. We've moved the bird feeders and stopped using those that seem to leave the small birds exposed to predators. But what's the answer? It looks as if we're going to have to build a sort of Eden Project-esque mini-dome of chicken wire

've already eaten and given away pretty much an entire row of one of our early varieties, but it's the maincrop potatoes that are worrying me (yes, I'm thinking ahead to Christmas lunch already).Small brown patches have appeared on the foliage and early signs

, winter hardiness. In particular, what should be sold as a suitable ingredient for a winter container or bedding display and what should not? Take the cyclamen. Often for sale at this time of year as a small potted plant, it's generally labelled 'winter

am sad to see the back of summer (what summer?!!). But there is something else I am pleased about, in a perverse, time-saving sort of a way.Snails - not the small ones or the medium sized ones, just the large vegetable and ornamental plant

not actually cut when his small hand came across the glass, I just wish that compost quality had not declined so much and so quickly. I even sieve out the chunks of wood and use them for drainage in the bottom of pots, but that is not the point!

of late bulb and corm planting - crocus, daffodils and tulips. I'm incapable of resisting a 'reduced-for-clearance' bargain bulb.Months after the theoretical planting date I was out, small daughter at my elbow, cramming crocus and other favourites

, and the children are always impressed by how both male and female parents feed their young. Sparrows may be small, brown and not particularly exciting to look at, but I love them. They melt my heart, they really do. I know some gardeners are driven crazy

did when I lifted the crops with my mother more than forty years ago. The addition of one and sometimes two small helpers makes the job even more of a pleasure and this year's crop of 'Desiree' had particularly high entertainment value.The variation