It’s the Royal Albert Hall birthday party for Britain’s most beloved broadcaster. Which big names will do the speeches? What will the orchestra play? And will it all be overshadowed by the great man’s TV clips? Follow along here Welcome one and all to The Guardian’s liveblog of David Attenborough’s 100 Years on Planet Earth. You will be pleased to know, as I certainly am, that this is not a century-long liveblog. Instead it exists to cover the 90-minute Albert Hall spectacular that BBC One is airing tonight. You may already be aware that today is Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, and so this is an extremely fitting tribute. Our greatest living national treasure is the subject of what’s being billed as “a journey of exploration and discovery through the prism of Sir David’s extraordinary life and career.” In short, there will be music, there will be film, there will be recollections and, if we’re lucky, there will be cake. Continue reading...

Instead of removing plant-munching caterpillars, gardeners asked to take relaxed attitude to support the moths many of them grow into As spring unfolds and plants come to life, gardeners often fight a losing battle against the caterpillars who munch their cabbages. Traditionally, advice for gardeners regarding caterpillars would be about how to get rid of them and stop unsightly holes in plants. But the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Wildlife Trusts are asking Britons to take a relaxed attitude to caterpillar carnage in order to support the moths many of them grow into. Foxgloves: These pretty plants are food for several moths, including the lesser yellow underwing (Noctua comes), angle shades moth (Phlogophora meticulosa) and setaceous Hebrew character (Xestia c-nigrum). Lady’s bedstraw: This native wildflower with frothy yellow blooms provides food for the hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) and bedstraw hawk-moth (Hyles gallii). Mullein: These tall, drought-resistant yellow plants are enjoyed by the brightly striped caterpillars of the mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci). Mint: This provides food for the mint moth and beautiful plume moth. It is also loved by bees. Hedges: If you have space, a mixed native hedge planted with hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), hazel (Coryllus avellana) and dog rose (Rosa canina) provides food for a multitude of caterpillars. Continue reading...