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This has been the best year I have ever known for wildlife. The local owl population has trebled and we've spent many a happy evening crouching by the upstairs window or sometimes sitting on the dining room table in early evening watching

I hope you had a good Christmas and a break from your normal routine - maybe a little extra sleep and a lot of extra time in the garden or greenhouse. I’m enjoying the post-Christmas peace and quiet, and the chance to spot some winter birdlife. At this time of year, I make sure t...

the critters time to find alternative accommodation.But it's great to see my windows are serving such a useful purpose - the PVC frames barely attracted any wildlife. It looks like there will be plenty of beneficial predatory insects and arachnids in my garden

as if the outbreak described  last year really will become a reality in my garden this year. Meanwhile, I await the hatching with more than a little interest!UPDATE: Our wildlife blogger Richard Jones has kindly supplied some images of ladybird larvae and pupae

It's really exciting! Now the sunshine has finally arrived and we're having our lunches outside. Bliss: open air, sun on my back… and no table to wipe down nor carpet to vacuum afterwards (the birds take over external chores and get a free snack as payment!!). But that's not all....

, not exactly a job I lust after!) I am starting to think there could be a market for entire garden shelters which allow natural light through, permit adequate air circulation and wind movement, access to birds and other wildlife... but keep out the rain

It's almost as if the squirrels had read my blog about the damage they'd caused to my Brussels sprouts. Although the damage was inconvenient, our meals weren't ruined. So now, they've moved on to my bulbs. Like many people, I've done a fair amount of late bulb and corm planting ...

The mullein moth caterpillars in my garden are still small, but they're guaranteed to increase in size by the day. These little critters - welcomed by wildlife enthusiasts and hated by gardeners - munch their way through verbascum, figwort

I always get a real thrill when I find the telltale marks of the leafcutter bee on the leaves of my roses and wisteria. Sometimes I catch them in action, cutting out a circle of leaf, or flying around carrying it. It doesn't bother me to find plants full of holes - leafcutter bee...

previously (which we'd assumed were male) have got a fair smattering of bright red, waxy fruits, proving their femininity at long last! They look great and they're a very useful source of food for local wildlife. But I want some too. The only way to stop