Wing this
Early autumn is the perfect time for bat-watching. Pick a warm, dry night and head out half an hour before sunset. See bats near lakes and ponds, close to wooded areas and around old buildings. Visit bats.org.uk to find out how to make your garden bat-friendly, and to find a bat walk near you.
Read this
Flowers are important – we know this – but if you want to dig deeper into their role in agriculture, art and medicine, get The Reason For Flowers, a new book by pollination ecologist Stephen Buchmann (Simon & Schuster, £18.99). Don’t worry, it’s nothing like a botany textbook: this captivating read will renew respect for your blooms.
Plant this
If you would love a tree fern in your garden but don’t have the space, the dwarf Brazilian tree fern (Blechnum ‘Volcano’) is a compact lookalike. It’s happy in partial or full shade and will grow well in a patio pot, surviving down to -5C in winter once mature: but protect it in winter, particularly while it’s young. Eventual height and spread: 90cm x 70cm. To order one 9cm potted plant for £12.99 or two for £19.98 (prices include free UK mainland p&p), call 0330 333 6856 quoting ref GU390, or go to our Readers’ offers page. Dispatched September-October.
