Do not despair if cats are having a field day of destruction in your garden as there are ways to keep them at bay, as Hannah Stephenson discovers

Now, I don’t want to be a killjoy about people’s pets, but when I see a neighbour’s feline stray into my garden, I just want to get my claws out.

I’ve caught them rolling around in my glorious borders of purple nepeta, otherwise known as catmint (red rag to a bull, I hear you say, but when I planted it years ago, I had no idea it would be such a moggie magnet), using my trees and shrubs as scratching posts and using a variety of areas of the garden to do their business. They’ve also been known to raid birds’ nests.

I don’t particularly want to dig my catmint up, but it might be prudent to replant it in a different place so that local cats will disregard other areas of my garden.

To date, the best deterrent I’ve found was a high-powered water pistol bought from a car boot sale for 50p which I left at the patio door and fired maniacally every time a cat dared to cross my garden path. But here are some other suggestions I’ve collected over the years.

* One fellow gardener reckons that the only way to stop neighbours’ cats wandering in is to have your own cat (preferably a tom), as this generally keeps other animals out of your garden.

* Alternatively, try to stop them getting in. Block your boundary gaps with prickly plants or prunings such as holly. Fit wire or string 10-15cm above the top of fences to make it difficult for cats to balance on them.

* Another solution is an old gamekeeper’s trick. Place half-full plastic bottles in borders, as the light reflection off the bottle is supposed to deter animals.

* Again, mailshot and other unwanted CDs can provide a shining light deterrent when threaded on twine with knots in between to keep them apart. String these across flower beds or hang from trees and the light reflection should deter cats, but maybe not forever.

* Don’t leave exposed soil in borders. Instead, mulch with stone chipping or pebbles, or keep the soil well mulched with a moisture-retaining material such as manure, as wet ground is not particularly attractive to them. Also, invest in a good selection of ground cover plants to deter cats from venturing into your border.

* Some gardeners swear by putting a couple of drops of decongestant Olbas oil on to used teabags and then scattering them around the area that the cats have chosen to use as a litter tray.

* If they’re scratching your tree trunks, wrap tree guards or fine chicken wire around the base of them.

* Cover ponds with netting to stop cats diminishing your fish supplies and position bird feeders in a clear area of the garden where they will be inaccessible to cats.

* Try fitting a squirrel baffle (downward opening cone or biscuit tin) to the posts of bird tables to stop cats climbing up them.

* There are a number of cat repellents on the market, including sprays and powders, chemical granules and ultrasonic devices whose sensors detect movement and heat and trigger a burst of variable ultrasound said to deter dogs, foxes and cats. This may not work long-term though,

* If cats in your garden are scratching up seedbeds, try putting a galvanised chicken-wire cage over the area and keep it in position until the plants are of a reasonable size.

Whatever method you choose, clear away any evidence of fouling first, as this acts as a magnet for more cats and more fouling. And if all else fails, buy yourself a high-powered water pistol to keep by the back door.

* Have you any idea how many worms there are in your garden? Well, this summer, vegetable sellers Riverford are hoping to get as many people as possible to dig for the critters as part of a national survey.

The Big Worm Dig will see participants digging a small patch of soil, identifying the worms and uploading results to the Big Worm Dig website. There’s even a clever trick with mustard powder that can help you bring worms to the surface.

“They may not be the most appealing of creatures, but we really need worms,” says Jake Swinhoe, who delivers Riverford vegboxes in Oxfordshire.

“They are like mini tractors, loosening up the soil to allow air and water to penetrate. They also convert soil nutrients into a form that plants can use more readily.”

For details, and a booklet, go to riverford.co.uk/bigwormdig