Today

We're all looking to be greener in our lives and why not start with the garden - a naturally green place to be.

Online garden expert Shoot has some top tips on how you can encourage the wildlife in your garden and how to take a greener approach to looking after it.

1.) Encourage natural predators to slugs and snails into the garden
Some birds, frogs, toads, hedgehogs, slow-worms and ground beetles eat slugs and these predators should be encouraged in gardens.

Rake over the soil during winter so birds can eat slug eggs that have been exposed. Provide a pond or other water body where the tadpoles can develop. It's helpful to have at least one side of the pool that gradually slopes up to dry land. This enables the young amphibians to leave the water in mid summer once the tadpole stage is over. Birds can heavily predate small amphibians, so growing plants around the pool should provide some cover.

Also give them a place over winter. Log piles provide good shelters but frogs, toads and newts will also find suitable places in hedge bottoms, compost heaps and under stones. Sometimes they will hibernate in the bottom of ponds. To avoid disturbing amphibians, especially in the hibernation period, ponds should not be cleaned out unless this is really necessary.

2.) Plant nectar rich plants
Plants such as buddleia are nectar rich, which encourage beneficial wildlife, such as ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies into the garden.

3.) Wait until early spring to prune perennials
Leave old growth on perennials, to provide winter interest and a hiding place for wildlife.

4.) Tend to your garden regularly during the growing season
Take a few minutes as often as you can to really look at your plants. If you spot insects or damage, try to find out what caused it. Quick and correct action can be the most effective organic control.

Control of aphids, for example, early in the season is important in protecting plants from the viruses they carry and from the fungal and bacterial damage their feeding can cause.

Weed regularly. Weeds compete with plants and as their root systems spread they each begin to require greater amounts of water and nutrients. It is important that weeds are removed early on in order to prevent competition occurring.

5.) Watch out for waterlily beetles in newly established ponds
The beetles are yellowish brown and 6-8mm long. The second generation of larvae is present in late summer (August to early September).

Control of waterlily beetles is difficult because pesticides cannot be used on plants growing in or adjacent to ponds because of the danger to fish, frogs, toads and other pond wildlife. Hand removal of larvae, pupae and adults is feasible on small ponds. On large ponds the damage often has to be tolerated. The beetles can be dislodged from the foliage by a jet of water, and fish may eat some of the floating larvae and beetles.

6.) Control of Vine Weevil
On mild spring or summer evenings, pull on your wellies, go outside and check plants and walls by torchlight and pick off any of the adult weevils found. In glasshouses, look under pots where the beetles can hide during the day and then trap adults with sticky barriers around pots or glasshouse staging. Also encourage natural enemies such as birds, frogs, toads, shrews, hedgehogs and predatory ground beetles.

Be vigilant even if it appears the problem is under control, as vine weevil population can grow if left unchecked.