I know it’s only February but it’s time to be thinking about the summer garden. I had a little mooch around the garden this weekend despite the strong winds and drizzly rain and was very shocked to see that one or two of my perennials, which were trying to throw up new shoots, had already been eaten! Oh no disaster! if these plants can’t get started we are certainly not getting any summer colour from them.

Tip – get out there this weekend and put slug pellets around any emerging plants. Snails have been hibernating all winter by burying into the soil and slugs which have been dormant whilst the temperatures have been below 5° are suddenly starting to emerge already. If you can kill them now before they lay eggs …..double wammy!Now I know the purists amongst you may disagree with slug pellets, harmful if birds eat the dead slugs and snails. Although I’ve never actually seen evidence of this for myself, I do still go out each morning and pick up any dead slugs and snails and put them in the bin. Result – I put the slug pellets around on Thursday evening, Friday morning I collected at least 10 adult slugs and snails, hmmm maybe my perennials are safe again….for the time being.