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2cm between the top of the compost and the basket's rim. Water in well and leave it to drain before hanging in position.AdamGive your plants a regular once-over for pests such as aphids, and beware of snails, which can sometimes sneak in too

CanesChicken wire meshFebruary - April10 minutes to sow the seedsJune - AugustFor early crops, sow seed indoors now in pots or cells. Transplant into the garden when the seedlings are about 12-15cm high. This helps reduce damage from slugs, snails and pigeons

holders if sowing indoorsPea sticksProtective nettingFebruary (sowing) to August (harvesting)Peas sown directly in the soil can be eaten by slugs, snails and mice. For better results, raise them indoors in individual pots 8cm (3in) deep or root trainers

). For now, the important thing to remember is that frogs, toads, hedgehogs and birds can all help the gardener in the battle against slugs and snails, but if you don't have pests to feed these welcome predators they're not going to take up residence

snail' but I just cannot learn to 'love a forsythia'.Please dig them out and plant something else. If you must have a yellow shrub flowering now, then try Chimonanthus praecox; it bears pale, lemon meringue-yellow flowers and a scent that reminds one

, snails and froghoppers - and, of course, I watched the plants grow. I'm trying to cover the walls and fence with climbers, and seeing these scramble over new territory has been a delight. I wonder how much they'll grow in 2011.Many of my plants came from

.Encourage climbers onto the support by tying stems with soft twine to the willow, leaving some give in the twine so that the stems don't break in the wind and have space to grow.AdamSnails like hiding in the willow and dense foliage, so get into the habit

for the frogs, slugs, snails and other frog food. I'll let my borders rot down into themselves.Following Richard's advice I've also ‘created’ a jumbled pile of pots (it looks hideous), I’ve left straggly clematis stems unclipped and there are plenty of patches

of dead foliage makes it even better, as it attracts other creatures eaten by frogs, such as slugs, snails and beetles.Seemingly, my grow bag habitat is so good, the frogs still haven't emerged. They're awake now (I checked), and I can hear them thumping

, which open to pinky-white flowers in spring.Skimmia japonica 'Rubella'I love this hosta, with its flashes of creamy white on dark-green undulating foliage. Planting hostas in pots helps to protect them from slug and snail attack.Hosta 'Night Before