Spike this
As vegetable beds empty, expanses of bare soil are a magnet for cats seeking an al fresco litter tray. There are sensors, granules and sprays designed to shoo them off, but the only 100% successful method I’ve found is to lay spiky branches over the area. Holly, rose boughs and freshly cut bamboo canes are perfect: cats don’t like the feel and stay away. If you’re sowing seed, lay the branches gently on top and check regularly as seedlings emerge.
Join this
Heritage veg is on every gastropub menu these days, thanks in part to the work of the Heritage Seed Library, a collection of unusual seeds maintained by the charity Garden Organic. Members get the chance to order six packets of seed from the annual catalogue issued in December.
Plant this
The forget-me-not-like flowers of Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ aren’t bad, but the heart-shaped, silvery leaves steal the show in spring and summer. Height and spread: 45cm x 60cm. Buy one three-litre potted plant for £11.99 or two for £18.98 (including free p&p). To order, call 0330 333 6856, quoting ref GU395, or go to our Readers’ Offers page. Dispatched October to November.
