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or polytunnel, and cooler conditions outside. It is used to harden off seedlings and young plants by opening the lid on warm days.Cold frameGreenhouses are easily fitted with guttering for rainwater collection, providing a convenient water source. Where possible

Birds not only use water to drink, but they also bathe in it, helping them fluff up their feathers to insulate themselves against the cold. Experts have also found that clean birds are more streamlined, so can escape from predators quickly. Our bird

in winter. When water trapped inside freezes it expands and cracks them. I mistakenly thought in the past that metal ones would be robust enough to withstand the cold, only to find them completely split open by ice! Bring all irrigation equipment under cover

Two years, I felt the need to grow a local, native plant in my garden. I gathered rosehips from a field rose at the edge of a nearby canal, soaked them in water and sowed the seed in coarse compost.The pots sat in a corner of my patio, doing nothing

and often.When crops fail, it's usually for one of three reasons: because they've been smothered by weeds; they've gone short of water and feed (which makes them tough, stunted or run to seed); or been infested by pests or disease.The big mistake that many

certainly in trouble and will need help. Pick the hedgehog up using an old towel or a pair of thick gardening gloves. Keep it warm by placing it on a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, in a high-sided box lined with newspaper, and then place another towel

surround my beds with timber edges so the soil surface can be raised by the action of digging and adding organic matter. These raised beds drain more quickly after heavy rain and keep plant roots above the water-saturated ground below. Raised beds also warm

planting out, watering in plants naturally.However, I did put cloches to good use to provide extra protection from battering rain until some delicate seedlings were established. The main plants that suffered were sweetcorn, with every seedling being bent

Happy new year – may 2013 be better for veg growers than its predecessor. I can’t say 2012 was my favourite year, and it was undoubtedly the worst I’ve known on my veg plot.I’m starting January with my customary clear out. I always clean

, the dodgy walnuts, the last of the Christmas pudding… in fact, most food scraps (except turkey, goose or chicken remains, or anything too salty or sugary). Every little really does help. And, finally, don’t forget to provide a regular supply of fresh water.