Spring

as the gardens burst into life once more, aphids can potentially produce 600 billion descendants in a season, while a pond in one of the featured gardens becomes a mating ground for dozens of frogs.

‘It’s fascinating that a little shallow pond is full of life and provides a home for an enormous number of animals, not just frogs and tadpoles but also dragonfly larvae,’ says Chris. ‘So one minute your pond is empty and the next it has masses of spawn but they do get eaten by birds. I sat down beside that pond and saw a robin hop down and scoff a tadpole.’