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The long chilly winter evenings are ideal for looking back on the year and reflecting on its triumphs and disasters. Some triumphs are of my own making - my carrots were fantastic thanks to my sowing the seeds at the right time, unlike last year

dappled ash. So in order to sharpen your winter brains I thought that a short quiz would be interesting. Can you identify the following trees from their bark? I have given hints for some...A simple tree to start with.This tree bark looks quite like

People are always banging on about summer salads, but it's the winter months when I crave fresh, green leaves. Even now in April, there's still not enough fresh greenery about, despite the fact that spring is well and truly here. Just the other

The loose bark on old logs is one of the most important hibernating sites for all manner of insects. Here they can remain sheltered from predators, and also from their main enemies during winter: frost and damp. This week they will be sorely tested

I've always been a great fan of bulbs, in all their shapes and sizes. I couldn't get through the winter without snowdrops, and the prospect of daffodils, heralding spring. But right now, in (a rather cold and wet) May, alliums are centre stage

end.In addition to dicing with death in the middle of the road in rush hour, ‘Killie’ the hedgehog faced another danger: winter. He was far too small to hibernate (which is probably why he was still out when most hedgehogs have already entered

!Now I'm busily into planting up all the winter and spring crops - all my brassicas including kale, cabbages and purple-sprouting broccoli. My young purple-sprouting looks glorious - really well grown and leafy, though I do say so myself. But I always

Spring is in the air, and plants are beginning to shake off their winter dormancy. The birds and bees are making a cautious appearance, along with my fellow allotmenteers.My neighbours Ron and Mrs Ron were hard at it last weekend - they've got three

I used to see foxes all the time. Whenever I looked out of the window there was almost certainly one sniffing about in the garden or strolling nonchalantly down the street. Winter nights were alive with the unearthly yelps and screams of the males

I really love Christmas - it's the only thing that cheers up winter for me (except snowdrops, which give me something to smile about in February). 'Bah humbug' is simply not in my vocabulary. And the kitschier and more traditional Christmas