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What a spring we're having. Provisional Met Office reports suggest April was the warmest on record. It was also the 11th driest, based on average rainfall across the UK. Scotland's rainfall has been 110% above normal levels, while the South-East has

As someone who is potty about wildlife gardening, I was more than a little happy to learn that biodiversity was the central theme at this year's Malvern Spring Gardening Show. Between now and Sunday there's plenty to keep gardeners and wildlife

myself to A&E for an X-ray (it wasn't broken, but I had torn some ligaments, apparently). I'm not the only one who's ended up in A&E after a garden injury: the Telegraph reports that in spring visits to injury clinics with gardening-related injuries

this invasion to be extremely unfair.So what to do? Pesticides applied every spring and autumn will kill the larvae. But I worry that the active ingredient (thiacloprid - a nicotinoid compound related to imidacloprid) also kills bees and other wildlife (you can

removing the wild plants, perhaps the gardeners could have planted the tulips among them. Rather than tulips, spring bulbs such as crocus, snake's head fritillary and snowdrops, could have been planted to provide a much-needed early source of nectar

is full. Hurry up spring. My compost bin fills up every winter. It’s a lovely wooden beehive type that looks perfect in our tiny garden. It’s sited against the south-facing wall and gets really hot and steamy in summer. The frogs love it and it’s full

with the look of the garden, and wonder if I ever will be. And it will certainly never win any awards, but it's mine and it makes me happy. I can't wait to get my hands on it in spring.I'd love to know about your gardening year. What has worked for you and what

, elderflowers, blackberries and cherries.I cycle to and from work along a canal towpath. It's a lovely way to travel, and I feel somehow part of the seasonal shift throughout the year. I know spring has arrived when I see the first dandelions push through

In 1985, Chris Baines created the first ever wildlife garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Apparently it caused quite a stir - wildflowers in those days were often dismissed as 'weeds' - and his medal was mistakenly inscribed "Chris Baines, for a

, leading to flooding. If every building had a green roof - be it an office block or garden bin store - much of this water would be absorbed before it even hit the ground.My shed has a tiny, steep roof, so we needed to make sure any soil that was added