The cinnabar caterpillars are thriving as their favourite plants flourish – and some bigger visitors are enjoying the wilder garden too.
Author Archives: nicola
Let’s talk about slugs
Despite being so universally disliked by gardeners, most slugs aren’t even interested in eating your salad. Let me take you on a beautiful, slimy journey through the world of slugs, and you may even learn to love them.
The cinnabar caterpillar and the ragwort: a garden fairytale
Our back garden population of cinnabar caterpillars are finding their favourite food in short supply this year. How can we help them?
The wonderful ways of worms
I know I’m not the only one who’s rescued countless worms stranded on pavements after rain. Have you ever wondered: why would an earthworm leave the security of a mulchy garden to risk life on an inhospitable pavement?
What do you call a woodlouse?
Cheese-pig, potato bug, Granny Grey, pill-bug, slater, or monkey pea? We have maybe 176 different names for the humble woodlouse, according to one count.
Centipede: power and speed (and motherly love)
With over 40,000 species of invertebrates in the UK to choose from, where should we begin our journey? Events conspired to show me the way – to Chilopoda, the centipede family.
small world 