WHICH bunch of critters do you reckon are the gardeners’ true friends, if we judge by what eats the most pests? Birds? Hedgehogs? Frogs and toads? Shrews? Ladybirds? Violet ground beetles? All are good contenders, but now consider how many of each might be living in an acre of gardens. Obviously, there can be few larger predators, and many more smaller ones.
Well, one group so far not mentioned, and all totally insectivorous, probably outnumbers all the others. Frighteningly for arachnophobes, there will be very many spiders – not thousands, not tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands, but probably millions. Many of them will be hidden most of the time. Think of those perfectly formed garden spider webs dripping with dew, and how many sheets of money spider webs cover lawns and low plants in autumn.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 12, 2021-Ausgabe von Amateur Gardening.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 12, 2021-Ausgabe von Amateur Gardening.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters