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A good selection for sowing early might be: Limnanthes douglasii (poached egg plant), Calendula (pot marigold), and Eschscholtzia ( Californian poppy). The green manure crop, Phacelia tanecetifolia is irresistible to bees if left to flower.

There is a good selection available in the flower seeds section of the Organic Gardening Catalogue. Each flower has a symbol next to it to denote which creatures are attracted to it. Pick a selection that will attract a range of insects. Hoverflies are great for controlling aphids, whilst bees are for pollination.

Garden Organic members can see our factsheets:

• Flowers for the wildlife garden
• Attracting beneficial insects

Japanese knotweed can re-grow from root fragments just 1cm (1/2") long. Before adding knotweed roots or stems to your compost, you should place them in a black plastic sack for at least six months to rot down completely. Check that it is all rotted before being added to your heap.

However, there is a real risk that you will inadvertently spread the weed around your garden if you use the compost you have made. So be very aware of this. It is not so easy to dispose of the material either as in 1981, The Wildlife & Countryside Act made it illegal to spread Japanese knotweed by dumping material or soil. Any excavated soil from areas where Japanese notweed has established must be disposed of at a licensed landfill site and not reused in further construction or landscaping.

When disposing of contaminated soil it is essential that the landfill operator is made aware of the presence of Japanese knotweed and that the soil is not used for landscaping or restoration works at the tip site. To ensure safe disposal, contaminated soils must be buried to a depth of at least 5 meters. Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty of care on all waste producers to ensure that any wastes are disposed of safely and that a written description of the wastes, and any specific harmful properties, is provided to the site operator.

Ivy leaved toadflax may work, although it usually grows in walls. How about thyme? There are many different types, the creeping ones will provide better cover. Thymes give off a scent when crushed, are evergreen, love poor well drained soil (sand) and attract bees when in flower. You can grow thyme from seed, or it is very easy to propagate from cuttings if you only want a few plants.

Organic thyme seed is available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue.