Wa m tmp at
Action alert: With hotter and drier weather, water
in the garden becomes vital for all animals from insects
to larger mammals. Use ponds, bowls, pots with water
plants and more. Have them at different heights, and
some in the open, others in hidden corners. Refresh
thewaterregularly.Top tip: Plants need protection from increasingly
windy conditions. To help keep temporary windbreaks
in place, maintain an easily accessible supply of pieces
of string, old stockings and old T-shirts cut into strips,
for tying plants to stakes or supports. Also hay bale ties
or similar for tying frames together, and pegs to hold
temporaryscreensinplace.Get creative: Look at what you have in the garden
that can feed a creative streak. Use cuttings from trees to
create tripods and simple climbing frames, collect
strappy leaves to weave a simple basket; fi nd lengths
of short cuttings of bamboo or other partially hollow
stemmed plants such as salvias, that can be bundled
together in a frame and hung in trees or mounted
on posts, to make insect homes.
Penny Woodwardo aca)
ato grow, tolerant of heat
tiousand attractive. There are
efrom, many with curly edges,
n,some purple (called red). The
CavoloNero’ and ‘Red Russian’.
illproduce an abundance of
earofgrowth. Kale will cross with
oweringat the same time.
chareatubular shape, are ready
podsaredryand rattle. Cut off
pods to finish drying. Place a large
neath the pods, then rub pods between
llecting the small black round seeds.
oringseeds in dark glass bottles and
achet.Label with name, date and where
toreincool, dark, dry area. Seeds are
ouryears.Above: Bundles of sticks in a frame
make a simple insect home.
PHOTOS: ABOVE: PENNY WOODWARD/INSET: ISTOCK.