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't forego the delights of fresh peas.I can turn this lapse into a virtue, though, by participating in an online seed trial conducted by the RHS. They're testing mangetout and sugar snap peas, and are looking for people to grow the trial varieties

should go about storing my herbs and, so far, the BBC Food website has the most comprehensive and straightforward guide.I'm definitely going to try drying - the most tried and tested method - and I might do some herbs in ice cubes too as that seems such a

and runner beans, dahlias and Philadelphus - all my favourites!With large infestations I resort to my tried and tested weapon of choice - a plant sprayer bottle filled with water and household detergent. The detergent covers the aphids' breathing holes

out with a kettle of boiling water to melt the snow and give birds some fresh water to drink. Peanut and seed feeders have been replenished, too, so food and water are available to all my regular feathered friends.Cold weather tests the hardiness

spout, front legs testing the vibrations passing from the outer webbing, ready to dash out to dispatch its unsuspecting prey.The ones in the bath are usually males, victims of their own wanderlust as they wander looking for the more sedentary females

and our resident vole have also had their fair share. The vole does test my patience, as it harvests more than it actually eats and makes a series of ‘larders’ – small mounds of neatly cut fruit! I’m too soft to do anything about it, though, and I’m quite

.Remove the canes and string line before using the hedge-trimmer to tidy up the top edges. Hold the cutting bar at a 45-degree angle.AdamTest any ladders and platforms to make sure they are stable before getting on them with a hedge-trimmer. Make them more secure

to the general public. Great effort was made to prevent people getting electrocuted or being struck by trains. Before I was even allowed through the padlocked gate I had to attend a day of awareness training, pass a safety test and have a medical examination

and saw some wonderful melons growing outside. The experts at T&M were putting some new seed selections to the test, and the results looked very promising. Visiting the trials in August, I could see that some of the plants growing in quite an exposed site

' that form part of my garden every year, such as coriander, salad leaves, dwarf sunflowers and 'Gardeners' Delight' tomatoes. I can't cut back on any of these, but then there are new varieties to try, as they all look so much better than my tried and tested