Your Wildlife Garden. Jackie Bennett

       Sow half-hardy annuals under glass

      BIRD FEEDING

      Unless the weather is particularly harsh, reduce feeding as nesting begins. Hard bread and peanuts are harmful to newly hatched birds, so restrict food supplies to soft fat or grated cheese. Reducing the amount of food supplied will encourage the adults to start feeding on the emerging insects. However, if the ground is frozen, keep up the feeding until the bad weather passes.

      DEALING WITH WEEDS

      Perennial flower and shrub borders should be checked now for weeds and unwanted seedlings. Perennial weeds like ground elder will need to be dug out thoroughly as even the tiniest section of root left in the soil can sprout again. Annual weeds can be dealt with more easily, by disturbing only the top layer of soil. Use a garden fork (or hand fork) to lift them out of the soil, pulling the plant and stem cleanly away.

      MULCHING

      To suppress further weeds from growing, cover the soil with a layer of mulch. This can be any material that excludes light from the soil, thus preventing weeds from growing. Black polythene or old carpet will suppress weeds and conserve the moisture already in the ground, although neither looks particularly attractive. A 5–8cm (2–3in) layer of chopped bark gives a natural woodland floor finish and birds do not seem to mind scattering the pieces to find insects. Another alternative is garden compost, which has the added bonus of releasing its nutrients into the soil throughout the spring and summer. These mulches will prevent the need to use chemical weedkillers and cut down on watering later in the summer.

      DIVIDING MARGINAL POND AND WETLAND PLANTS

      In established ponds, marginal species can outgrow their space in the shallow water around the edge and need to be renewed by division. Spring is the best time to do this, just as the plants are starting their growth.

      Dividing clump-forming plants

      This method applies to marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) and most other moisture-loving perennials.

       Marginal plants that grow in clumps or mounds can be broken up simply with a hand fork. Lift the plant out of the soil or water and, using the fork, prise away small clumps from the outside of the main clump. Choose young, healthy-looking parts of the plant and discard the interior which may have become exhausted.

       Replant the new pieces immediately, into other parts of the pond. If not needed immediately, they can be grown on in pots of wet compost.

      Dividing creeping plants

      This method applies to flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata), bog arum (Calla palustris), water mint (Mentha aquatica) and lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria). The roots of these plants have a scrambling habit and can be increased by dividing the horizontal rootstock into sections.