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Due to the wet weather of the past week, I haven't been out in the garden much. The snails, however, have been very active; I can barely walk to the front gate without the familiar sound of snails crunching underfoot. Most of the plants we grow

off and I went out to have a look. Nothing. All very curious until I went out again on Tuesday and had a look around. There, sheltering against the recesses of the bars and grills are several small garden snails and amongst them are some garden spiders

snails, or perhaps a dew-encrusted millipede huddled down into the thatch. What I saw, was a succulent plump emerald gem - the chrysalis of a speckled wood butterfly.It took me some while to recognize exactly which butterfly species it belonged to

' guinea pigs and one escaped. Even with neighbours flood-lighting the gardens from their balcony we could not find the dratted animal. All I could hear was snails eating the nasturtiums. I slept fitfully that night. The calling foxes were louder than ever

are out in force this morning, especially on the rough ground behind the tennis court. Their shells vary from almost pure white to streaked mid-brown. To my eyes, used to our common garden snails Helix aspersa, they look huge. I've collected some empty