Runner Ducks! watching then zoom through the garden, Tall, upright, and delightfully ridiculous, they move through the borders like wind-up umbrellas, always in a hurry, never quite knowing why. Keeping Runner Ducks 1. Why Runners? Not all ducks are equal when it comes to slug-slaying. While your average Aylesbury might prefer a nap and a swim, Indian Runners are the garden’s tiny workhorses. They’re lean, quick, and perpetually on the move, more wine bottle than waterfowl, with their comical upright stance and flappy-footed dash. They were bred for foraging, not floating. 2. No, We Haven’t Docked Their Wings One of the first questions we get. Their wings are short by nature, not by intervention. They’re not flyers, they run, hence the name, and their bodies just aren’t built for lift-off. It’s part of what makes them such perfect ground-level gardeners. 4. A Place to Nest & Natter They don’t ask for much, just a dry, secure coop, plenty of clean water, and space to roam. They’re social creatures too, so don’t keep just one. A trio or more is best, and they’ll chatter to each other all day long like elderly ladies swapping gossip on a park bench. No more than 1 drake per 3 females ideally! They don’t need a lake, just a small pond or even a repurposed baby bath to splash about in. 5. Let Them Work Their Magic Put them in your borders in the early morning or evening, never near seedlings, and they’ll hoover up pests like tiny gardeners in feathers. My dahlias have never looked better. And speaking of dahlias… Pre-Order Your Dahlias This year’s blooms have been so abundant, I’m already planning next year’s riot of colour. You can pre-order the same varieties I grow from @Crocus | UK Plant Nursery 🌱 this winter and use my discount code MMH15 at checkout for a little treat off your total tubers. Trust me: ducks and dahlias, an unlikely duo, but together they’ve turned the garden into something of a midsummer dream. Ad | Crocus Partner - @mymulberryhouse