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I recently visited the home of Sue Kidger, a hedgehog carer from Twickenham. As far as I’m aware she’s the only hedgehog carer in the south London area. Sue’s transformed the top floor of her house into a rehabilitation centre-cum-hog hospital, which has 20 cages full of sick, in...

It takes quite a lot to tempt me outside in December, but once I’m coated, booted and scarved and do get outside, I suddenly realise quite how much there is to do. With my (rather unflattering) beanie hat snugly pulled down, it’s time to work through my Seasonal Checklist…1. Wrap...

It was only to be expected at this time of year, parent talk in the playground turns to frogs and toads. I haven’t seen any yet — too blistering cold, either for them to be moving or for me to out rootling in the garden — but I have just been shown photos of one on someone’s phon...

Last week, Butterfly Conservation published a report called The State of Britain's Larger Moths 2013. It makes a depressing read, demonstrating a marked decline in the number of our larger moths over the last 40 years. The survey, conducted in association with Rothamstead Researc...

Sometimes the best things are the subtle or quiet things. A little rustle of wind through a tree, the distant knock-knocking of a thrush beating seven bells out of a snail or, in this case, a modest wildflower lurking among the rough grass beside a ditch.I always smile when I see...

Learn how to turn clumps of stinging nettles to your advantage, by turning them into nitrogen-rich, liquid plant food, in Rachel de Thame's video guide.sping-summerMore tips on nettles and feeding plantsRemoving stinging nettles from your gardenRead James Alexander-Sinclair's blo...

I don’t like waste, so digging dandelions from the lawn last week got me thinking about the value of weeds. Dandelions are hardly the master of disguise, revealing their position in the lawn with brilliant yellow flowers. I used a long-bladed, old knife to loosen the roots of eac...

Create a haven and nesting area for garden birds, by watching Monty's guide to making a bird raft for the Berryfields pond.all year roundAttracting birds and wildlife into your gardenHow to make a bird boxInstalling a window bird feederMaking fat

Dog violets, Viola riviniana, appeared almost as soon as I laid the topsoil of my new garden. They’ve been here for three years now, slowly bulking up in corners where nothing else grows.They thrive in the shadiest parts of my garden, flowering just after the snowdrops and before...

This traditional water feature made out of bamboo will conjure up the spirit of a tranquil Eastern garden. You can buy a bamboo water hammer kit from garden centres or water garden specialists. You'll often find them called by their Japanese name of Shishi Odoshi, or Deer Scare. ...