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Clean out bird boxesLevel out dips in lawns with loam-based compost and sow fresh grass seedClear away debris that could be sheltering slugs and snailsCheck bonfires before lighting, in case they are sheltering sleeping hedgehogsSend off for seed

with slugs and snailsProtect pot plants from slugsControlling snails in your gardenChoosing plants that slugs don't like

about eryngiums in the ‘We love’ pages of the July 2011 edition. I would like, if I may, to expand on that a bit and introduce you to a few more.I love eryngiums: they are about the only plants that manage to be architectural, delicate, pretty

violets; they'll bloom all spring in sun or shade and any type of soil.March - AprilApril - May20 minutesHosta, e.g. Hosta 'Royal Golden Jubilee'Male fern, Dryopteris filix-masJapanese painted fern, Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'Violet, such as 'Freckles

Viburnum beetle was named as the number one pest by the RHS in 2010, stealing the crown from slugs and snails. It's native to the UK, but is becoming more widespread. Most of the leaf damage is caused by the stripey, beige-coloured larvae, though

couple of days to set before being positioned in the garden. Spread a layer of manure or compost around shrubsPrepare areas for laying new lawns in springBe on the look out for slugs and snailsAround the gardenPrune summer-flowering clematisCut out dead

nigrescens, pictured above, looks stately and structural — a simple feature anyone could replicate.Growing hostas in pots is also great for anyone troubled by slugs and snails — and who isn't? In addition to H. nigrescens, I grow a host of other hostas

by slugs and snails, and I spent many hours watching blackbirds foraging among the debris.In spring I tackled the garden in one go, removing leaves spiked on emerging bulbs, clearing spent stems and staking perennials. Only the still-sleeping frogs

the plants will catch up, but I might not get a harvest until August. My spinach hasn't fared any better - that was eaten by snails.It's not all bad news. My tomatoes and chillies in pots are doing well and the cut-and-come-again lettuce leaves have already

As soon as your strawberry plants have finished fruiting it's time to clear away all the straw or matting to discourage slugs and snails from nibbling at the plants. It's also a good time to raise some new plants from their abundant runners