Pitch this
There’s no better way of getting to know your garden intimately than sleeping in it. And the RSPB’s Big Wild Sleepout this weekend is a perfect opportunity to break out the sleeping bags and set up camp. It’s a chance to spot bats wheeling overhead, set up a moth trap and finally find out what’s been munching on your seedlings.
Trap this
I bet the answer to the above question is slugs. Try placing old tiles on the soil around vulnerable plants, because not only will slugs take refuge there (meaning you can pick them off and dispose of them, or move them elsewhere, if you wish), such spots also encourage one of the finest natural slug predators, the ground beetle.
Plant offer
Coneflowers are perfect for prairie planting, able to cope with poor soils and hot days. The deep red flowers of half-hardy annual Rudbeckia hirta ‘Cherry Brandy’ keep coming from July to October, and look good in a patio pot. Height and spread: 60cm x 40cm. Buy 36 plug plants for £12.99, or 72 for £17.99 (plus £4.95 p&p per order). Call 0330 333 6790, quoting ref GU550, or go to our Readers’ offers page. Dispatched within four to six weeks.
