Here's how to create flowerbeds and garden borders to be proud of...

Protect your Garden from Flying Pests

Most homeowners in the UK have a small garden in the backyard. In fact, gardening has been popular in Britain since Roman times. What is the appeal? Most folks actually like working outdoors in the dirt. They find it relaxing after a long week locked indoors. Others see it as a rewarding hobby or an easy way to save money as food prices continue to rise.

But gardening isn't always easy. Fruits and vegetable don't always grow as they should and bouts of bad weather or frost can kill plants in short order. Of course, there is nothing a gardener can do about the weather. However, when it comes to critters, a garden must take the proper precautions, or else he has no one to blame but himself.

For ground critters like rabbits, geese and deer, a small wire mesh fence should be enough to keep them out. But what do you do about bird control and bird proofing?

Keeping birds at bay is not nearly as challenging as it may seem. In large gardens, of course, scarecrows are an effective distraction. But for a small garden, many old pros rely on shinny objects like mirrors and aluminum foil arranged in the garden. Reflected light tends to scare birds off no matter how hungry they are.

Since birds love plant seeds, it may be necessary to lay strips of chicken wire over newly planted seeds. And for plants that are coming to maturity or are fully grown, it is probably a good idea to protect them with netting or fencing. It is almost impossible for birds to make it through these barriers.