News - Page 80

Putting out food and providing safe hibernating spots in the garden provides a lifeline for creatures like hedgehogs, ground beetles and frogs – they’ll reward your efforts by providing a built-in pest control service next year, as they eat vast numbers of slug and snail eggs plus aphids and other nasties.

Calathea is straightforward to look after, happy in any shady corner where it can have steady warmth and moist air (spray occasionally with tepid water to keep humidity high).

Prisoners at HMP Hull have scooped the Royal Horticultural Society’s Windlesham Trophy for the best-kept prison garden – the first time the prison has won the award.The annual prize recognises the value of gardening within prison communities and has been running for over 30 years. It is hotly contested, with 18 prisons entering the competition this year.

Capture an image of your favourite oak tree and you could win a brand new prize on offer from the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition.

The virulent disease ash dieback has been found in three new species belonging to the same family, raising fears that other plants including some garden favourites might be next in line.