Ladybirds and Lacewings love to munch on aphids so encouraging their numbers will go a long way to limiting the damage wreaked by the dreaded pests.  Don’t be too hasty to tidy away hollow stems and other branches.  Provided these are not diseased they make a fantastic home for overwintering insects and ensure they are already in your garden for the onset of Spring.

Sowing and growing wildflowers is a fantastic way of encouraging many beneficial insects and birds into the garden.  Growing a wide range of plants is a really good idea.  Not only does this cut down the risks of certain soil borne diseases getting a hold in the garden but it also encourages the broad range of insects and slugs that birds love to feed on.  Where possible leave seed heads on flowers such as Echinacea, Sunflowers and Teasel during the winter months as these will provide food for birds, encouraging them to visit your garden.

If you are lucky enough to have hedgehogs in your garden provide them with a safe and secure place for hibernation during the winter months.  Hedgehogs love slugs and will do a fantastic job of keeping down numbers in your garden.  Always check unlit bonfires before lighting as these are often irresistible to hedgehogs when they are looking for a home.  Never feed hedgehogs with bread and milk, this can be harmful to them.  Instead give dog or cat meat.

There are a great many plants that will attract bees and butterflies into the garden, below is a few ideas to get you started;

• Aquilegia
• Borage
• Buddleja
• Echinacea
• Eryngium
• Geranium (cranesbill)
• Honesty (Lunaria)
• Lavender
• Penstemon
• Phlox
• Scabious
• Sedum
• Tagetes

Once you know what sort of soil you can choose the right plants to grow in your garden. Another way to gauge the type of soil you have is to look at the plants that thrive in neighbours’ gardens. Marker plants such as pink hydrangeas indicate an alkaline soil whereas rhododendrons and azaleas suggest an acid soil. However, to be more accurate carry out a simple soil test.  Pick up a simple soil test kit from the garden centre. Follow the instructions or use the steps below. Most soil tests use a similar principle.

1. 
   
   
   

   Step 1.

   Dig a hole in the garden soil about 4inches (10cm) deep. Take a small amount of soil from the bottom of the hole and place inside the test tube up to the first level.

2. 
   
   

   Step 2.

   Open the capsule and carefully tip the contents in with the soil.

3. 
   
   
   

   Step 3.

   Top up with rainwater to the fourth level.

4. 
   
   

   Step 4.

   Shake well and allow to settle. Now match the colour of the liquid with the easy to use pH chart. This soil is about pH 6.0, which makes it acidic and ideal for Ericaceous plants.

1. Step 1.

   Dig over the area of soil that needs improving. If the area is planted then take care not to dig close to the plants or disturb their roots. You can use the Soil Conditioner or organic Farmyard Manure as a mulch near to established plants and allow the worms and soil organisms to work it into the soil.

2. Step 2.

   Spread Soil Conditioner or organic Farmyard Manure over the surface of the dug area and work it into the soil with a fork. Soil Conditioner contains a high proportion of organic material mixed together with a generous proportion of organic Farmyard Manure. These natural materials will absorb and hold water in the soil and improve its structure, providing essential air pockets for drainage and for the roots to breathe. The high organic content also encourages the activity of beneficial soil dwelling organisms including worms. In your fruit and vegetable garden you could also try organic Vegetable Growing Compost.