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for up to six months.I spoke to David Morris from Bayer, which makes Provado Vine Weevil Killer 2. He said there was no evidence to suggest that thiacloprid killed bees. But I choose not to use pesticides in my small garden, so have opted for alternatives

once you've finished with them.My blog on recycling in the garden last spring brought a wealth of great ideas from our blogging community, highlighting just how useful many items classed as waste can be. Cardboard items can be used as pots, while

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

: I was told it by Kim Hurst from the Cottage Herbery at the Malvern Spring Show last year (the 2009 show, by the way, runs from 7-10 May; I hope to see you there) . Those of you sensible enough not to let mint run loose in your flower beds will have

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

I've had a great gardening year. It's hard to imagine my garden now as it was a year ago - a building site, with a huge pile of sand at one end and 200 paving stones and builders' rubble at the other. Then there was an awful lot of mud as we

-munching sort - are disappearing. They have started to slow down and go off for their winter hibernation (presumably so that they can save energy ready to attack my plants again next spring with an increased fervour!).Now I may be a fool, but not fool enough

. If any one knows any anti-rain dances, please get dancing.'It's my garden and I'll whinge if I want to, whinge if I want to' springs to mind, sung of course to the tune of 'It's my party and I'll cry if I want to'!

has exacerbated the problem, especially on areas that we've walked over. It now resembles something like chocolate sauce!When we next have reasonably good weather, I'll be out there with a garden fork, attempting to drive holes into the ground

to look a little perkier  - but it didn’t put on any new growth. Eventually, with a little TLC, and extra watering, my cherished magnolia did eventually grow up and outwards. Eventually, every spring it bore (and still bears) masses of beautiful flowers