Birds are incredibly important to any garden, adding movement and interest as well as pest control and natural fertiliser. Growing plants with berries and seeds; avoiding chemical pest control, providing feeders at times when natural food is in short supply, putting up nest boxes and insect hotels and growing shrubs and trees as cover will all help to encourage birds into the garden. There are plenty of nest boxes available to buy, in all sorts of shapes and designs to suit a

Lonicera is of course well known as an evening-perfumed climbing plant which climbs by twining woody stems. There are many varieties of climbing honeysuckles with a range of flowering seasons from early summer through to autumn. Flower colours range from white and cream ( Lonicera Halliana) to yellows ( Lonicera x heckrottii 'Goldflame': below left), orange ( Lonicera 'Dropmore Scarlet') and bicolours such as 'Rhubarb and Custard' (below right), and leaves may be semi everg

Whatever your soil, it will probably benefit from the addition of compost and it is really easy to make it at home, recycling your old...