If you have a large vegetable garden and little time there is no doubt that a mini tiller can come in very handy. Turning over the soil with a Mantis Tiller to end up with soil a good enough tilthe to sow or plant is relatively easy and what is more you can buy useful accessories. One of those accessories is for your lawn but as I have discovered that is one tool you do not need if you have a visiting badger.

I have seen badgers on wildlife documentaries and like just about everyone else have though how wonderful it would be to observe badgers live in the wild. Well one morning I woke to find out what it is really like to have your own local badger. My front lawn looks as if it had been gone over with a mini tiller but I am sure the Mantis would have created neater lines. The turf had been stripped back so that it could get to the grubs it enjoys. How did I know it was a badger? My neighbour told me the day before that she had seen one on her front lawn the evening before.

I put the turf back as carefully as I could but two nights later another patch had been attacked, and that is how it has been ever since. I am told that badger disposal is out of the question so, a bit late in the season really, this weekend I watered on a lawn grub killer. The theory being that if there is nothing for them to eat they will go elsewhere. I can but hope they do otherwise I will be planting potatoes instead of growing grass.

The hanging basket and containers are looking a bit sad now. Colder nights and shorter days are having an effect. It does not seem five minutes since I planted them up but at least now I can start planning for next spring.

This has been a good year for roses in my garden. English Rose Molyneaux has been superb and is still full of bloom with buds to open. Large flowered dahlias are lighting up the garden and hopefully they will be joined next year with the cutting taken this spring.

It may seem strange to be talking about the plans for next spring when we are only just into autumn but for me this is the time that I can look to see what has been a success, what has failed as well as being able to visualise ideas to improve the garden next year. To be a gardener you have to have vision, enthusiasm  and resilience. You can never be sure from one year to the next how good or bad the seasonal weather will be, what the winter or unseasonal weather and pests will kill off or what will suddenly thrive that has previously struggled.

So here's looking forward to next spring and if you would like your very own badger you only have to ask, I have one spare that you can have very cheap!

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• Badger distribution study - Information on the current distribution of the badger was collected from sighting reports from licensed trappers, federal animal control personnel in each county, and state and federal agency field biologists. ...