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at the back of our flat. I couldn't let them stay there, so filled a large trug with water, placed an upturned plant pot in the centre, added some watercress and stones to let them get in and out easily, and transported the frogs. At first, they were a little

Exeter, who fed his plants using liquid manure and water from his washing up bowl due to the drought). Wouldn't it be lovely if we brought the record back home?We're all joining in at Gardeners' World magazine, and I'm keen to beat the likes of Adam Pasco

I'm not sure I like moth orchids. They're pretty to look at when in flower, but a bit of a pain to care for if you want them to bloom again. And I think it's a bit sad that these beautiful plants, which should be growing in the canopy of an exotic

of the orange sat in my gloomy east London flat.My orange tree has been beset by problems since I received it as a gift six years ago. First it had mealybugs. For six months I regularly used soapy water to remove the bugs, their sticky secretions and resulting

In last week's Observer Magazine, Dan Pearson wrote about collecting berries from hedgerows near him, so he could grow plants with local provenance. This is a subject I've been thinking about a lot recently, so I read on with interest.Put simply, a

I've just thrown a 'plant party', as part of 'Grow Your Own' Week. This involved my friends coming to my flat and learning how to sow tomatoes and chillies. We also discussed pricking out, transplanting, feeding and watering. It reminded me of my

Last week I spotted a speckled wood butterfly sunning itself on one of my plant pots. It was fresh and new looking, like it was drying its wings after emerging from a chrysalis. I was proud to think it might have come from a patch of turf I'd let

in the top of each mound.Keep the plants well watered, then feed every two weeks with a high potash fertiliser, such as tomato fertiliser or comfrey solution once the fruits have started to swell. Pinch out the tips of the main shoots of trailing varieties

I am not to have any plants yet in my garden. While a thick layer of snow can insulate plants from extremely low temperatures, its weight can cause branches to break. Then frozen ground prevents roots from taking up water, and plants can die from

the top layer of soil, replace it with fresh, home-made compost and give all the plants a good water. Any vine weevil grubs will be dispatched to the blackbird, and the thyme replaced with some garlic chives, which I'm ready to plant out. I'll prune out