Cuckoo Spit: What the White Froth Is
That white froth on your lavender is cuckoo spit, made by a harmless froghopper nymph. What it is, why it does no harm and why you can leave it be.
Open guideWildlife ponds, meadows, log piles, and composting — build the habitats that bring your garden to life.
That white froth on your lavender is cuckoo spit, made by a harmless froghopper nymph. What it is, why it does no harm and why you can leave it be.
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Where to put a bird bath, how deep to fill it and how to keep it clean and ice-free, so birds use it all year without spreading disease.
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Build a hibernaculum where frogs, toads, newts and slow worms can sit out winter. Where to put it, what to fill it with and how to build it, step by step.
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How to attract house martins to your UK home with grouped nest cups and a spring mud patch, plus living happily and legally with an active colony.
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How to attract robins to your garden: soaked mealworms on a low tray, an open-fronted nest box in cover, shallow water and a freshly dug border.
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Squirrel proof bird feeders that work: weight-activated and caged feeders, where to hang a baffle, the tricks that fail, and the law on grey squirrels.
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How to make a bee house for solitary bees from a hardwood block or hollow stems, where to put it in a UK garden and how to keep it clean each year.
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Meet seven rare UK woodland butterflies, from the Purple Emperor to the Duke of Burgundy, and the realistic ways your garden can help them.
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Good bugs vs bad bugs in UK gardens: a quick friend-or-foe table, the helpful larvae people squash by mistake and how to let predators do the work.
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Wildlife garden design that starts with habitats: where to put the pond, log pile, long grass and hedge, then fit the patio and borders around them.
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Build a wildlife log pile in an afternoon: which logs to use, where to put it, how big to make it and who will move in, from beetles to hedgehogs.
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How to attract wrens to your garden with thick low cover, ivy, log piles and leaf litter, plus the right nest box and how to help them in winter.
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Fourteen plants that feed bees and butterflies from February to April, when queen bumblebees wake hungry, plus where to plant them and which to avoid.
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How to attract house sparrows to your UK garden. Thick hedges, grouped 32mm nest boxes, insects for chicks, seed in winter, water and a dust bath.
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When to cut a wildflower meadow in the UK: why late summer beats June, first-year cuts, the best tools, raking off hay and what to do if you miss a cut.
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How to make a wildflower meadow that feeds bees, butterflies and birds. Pick the right spot and seed mix for your soil, then manage it for wildlife.
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A friendly guide to rewilding your garden: mow less, plant natives, add a pond, link up with neighbours and follow a simple month-by-month plan.
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Centipede or millipede? How to tell them apart in seconds, why both are mostly good news for your garden, and when millipedes nibble crops.
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How to spot dragonflies and damselflies in a UK garden, which ones you're likely to see, and how to make a pond they'll want to breed in.
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Meet the friendly spiders in your UK garden. How to spot common species, what they eat, why they're harmless and how to make your garden spider-friendly.
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Identify the seven bumblebees most likely in a UK garden by tail colour and stripes, plus when they fly, where they nest and what they feed on.
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Why earthworms are a gardener's best friend, which ones live in your soil, and simple ways to get more of them working in your garden.
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Meet the ground beetles that eat slugs in your garden at night, how to tell the common ones apart, and easy ways to make them feel at home.
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Meet the solitary bees in your garden, from red mason bees to mining bees, and find out how to help them with a bee hotel and the right flowers.
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How to help honeybees in your garden: the best flowers for each season, a safe water dish, leaving clover and dandelions, and what to do about a swarm.
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How to spot common UK hoverflies, why their larvae are brilliant aphid eaters, and the easy flowers and habits that bring more of them into your garden.
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How to spot lacewings and their larvae, why they're brilliant aphid eaters, and simple ways to bring more of them into your UK garden.
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Wildlife activities for kids in UK gardens: minibeast hunts, bug hotels, pond dipping, winter bird feeders and moth and bat watching, season by season.
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How to recognise the common UK ladybirds, spot their spiky larvae, tell a harlequin apart and make your garden a place ladybirds love.
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Wasps get a bad press, but they eat aphids and caterpillars and pollinate ivy. Here's why they help and how to share your garden with them.
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The best nectar flowers and caterpillar food plants for UK butterflies, season by season, plus a simple border plan and what to skip.
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How to attract birds to your garden in the UK with the four things they need, food, water, shelter and somewhere to nest, plus what to plant and avoid.
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The best plants for bees in UK gardens, season by season, plus a simple border plan and a few easy mistakes to avoid. Great for pots too.
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How to make a hedgehog highway: cut a 13cm gap in a panel fence, gravel board or wall, mark it, and get your neighbours to link up the whole street.
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Easy ways to make your UK garden hedgehog-friendly: a 13cm fence gap, leafy hiding spots, the right food and water, and simple checks to keep them safe.
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How to build a wildlife pond in a UK garden, step by step: where to put it, depths, liners, native plants, what turns up and easy year-round care.
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Turn any UK garden into a haven for wildlife with a pond, native plants, log piles, hedgehog gaps, bird boxes and easy jobs for every season.
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How to build a bug hotel for solitary bees, ladybirds and lacewings: which materials to use, where to put it, and how to look after it through the year.
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How to bring frogs, toads and newts into your garden: a simple fish-free pond, places to shelter on land, spotting spawn, and helping toads cross roads.
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Help garden wildlife through winter: feeding birds, leaving hedgehogs to hibernate, keeping a pond open and plants that feed bees on mild days.
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How to welcome bats to your garden with a bat box, night-scented flowers, a pond and less outdoor lighting, plus what the law says.
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A compost heap can be a home for slow worms, hedgehogs, grass snakes and toads. Here's how to run one that makes compost and helps wildlife too.
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