For years, gardeners have been told to provide supplementary food for garden birds. Reasons for this include helping to compensate for a lack of food during a hard winter, increase competition for food at fledging time, and help to get adults into good breeding condition in spring. But is feeding birds all it's cracked up to be? And if not, how else can we support our feathered friends? Join award-winning author and wildlife gardening expert Kate Bradbury as she talks to naturalist, conservationist and author, Nick Atchison.

Do you have a gardening question you'd like Alan Titchmarsh's help with? Submit your question in the comments below or go to www.gardenersworld.com/podcast/questions/

Alan will answer a selection in the Ask Alan podcast series from BBC Gardeners' World Magazine in February and March.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices