I agree with you re that bit about the hedges @AnniD. It comes down to the suitability of the area, and in that instance - how keen the farmer would be to take it on board. Rewilding certainly isn't the right term for any standard/average domestic garden, but we can all do things which help aid wildlife. Not quite the same thing. The farmer along the road apparently leaves one field untouched after removing the crop. That aids the tree sparrows, which the chap I met recently explained. He's involved in a project to help them, and link them with other communities of tree sparrows, so that situation is excellent for those little birds. However, if you walked along the road to the other side of that farm, I doubt if you'd feel happy with that farmer. There's about 3 or 4 houses which back onto a field, and at the top of it is where every bit of rubbish that farm produces is dumped. It looks like those photos you see of rubbish dumps full of seagulls etc. Eyesore doesn't even begin to describe it. Like so many instances in life, rewilding is just another trendy term to get people 'involved'. Sign of the times
I also do the chucking bits of old stems, branches etc into the back of borders. If it benefits one type of insect, then that's great. We can all do a little bit, and those little bits hopefully add up to a better whole, for the area we live in, if nothing else.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think people can get too caught up in the terms and reject a whole important movement because they don't like a word. 'Rewilding' seems to mean all sorts of things to all sorts of people. As I mentioned up thread, wilding projects around the UK have been running for 20-30 years and collecting data throughout, so they now have impressive results to share. Increased wilding on extant farms is one thing, regenerative farms are another model and wilding marginal (non-productive) land is another thing again. There is not a single model that will fit for everyone - it very much depends on what you have and what you want.
I imagine that people are getting resentful because wilding is turning up at shows like Chelsea this year, but it's not a new thing. It's like the wild bee nest boxes are popular now, but there are people who have been interested in wild bees for decades. Isabella's book came out a few years ago and it caused an explosion in interest. But she could only publish it because her project over 3000 acres has been running for 20 years.
I think Monty Don gets it wrong too - he hasn't done any reading in the field. To me 'wilding' doesn't remotely mean it has to be "all or nothing". It's about doing what you can do. Just leaving some areas to go wilder, or just growing wildflowers, or having a pond absolutely counts and is very valuable. I haven't found anyone in the field who is talking in militant terms (apart, possibly from Prof Dave Goulsen).
If people are interested, Knepp have announced this week new workshops in wilding in a garden setting - using their walled garden as an example. "We’ve been exploring how to kick-start natural processes as well as
create a dynamic, diverse, complex but beautiful space on a more
familiar and accessible scale." It's about celebration and delight.
Dead hedging is another option for off cuts. I try to stick to the mantra of if it comes down in my garden it stays in the garden, not always to 100% success.
I don't disagree with the idea, but it's simply not practical for many people, particularly those with smaller gardens if they are heavily planted. There will be a lot of 'stuff' produced in a year and it can't all be dumped in a corner or the 'corner' will become most of the garden in a few years.
A part of last nights episode which I didn’t comment on in my monologue was the stumpery piece. Biodiversity got a rudimentary mention but of all the things featured this was the one which is genuinely hugely impactful. Partially buried deadwood supports diverse communities of animals, plants and fungi. Not necessarily the sexy stuff so I was delighted to see them covered just a shame that other features were sold as nature friendly and not the one that really was.
Dont get me started in artificial bug hotels. That’s a hill I will happily die on.
Well I'm glad I'm doing something right! Pruned branches that are too thick to go through my shredder and get composted get cut into manageable lengths and shoved in the back of the borders or under the hedge where they gradually decay. It doesn't have to be visible or a feature to be good for the bugs etc. Artificial bug hotels, not for me. I occasionally come across things living in broken old canes and suchlike that I've left lying about..
Likewise, that is music to my ears, our 50ft ash tree had to come down, and much to my wife’s annoyance, I used the entire thing as half and fully buried habitat around the garden, and not for firewood! I did the same with a couple of smaller trees 5 or 6 years ago, and all those logs are full of lesser stag beetle larvae, praetor wasps, baby newts, you name it! I agree that there is too much emphasis on flowers for pollinators. I can understand why, as it fits in with most peoples idea of a traditional garden, but now that message is well and truly in the national psyche I think it would be great to start pushing the message of how beneficial foodplants are
Deadhedging simply not practical for many people, particularly those with smaller gardens if they are heavily planted.
So don't do it.
I put log piles and old branches under my existing hedges as there was lots of unused space back there, even in my three metre wide garden. Find whatever works for you.
On the whole I think a huge amount of gardeners want to help, but understandably most people only know what they learn on TV, or read in mags etc. Things such as no-mow may, perfect for pollinators sections in GCs, bug hotels etc are all the rage because people WANT to do what they can. Loads of people have a log pile or two for that reason, but not many know that a half buried log is probably much more beneficial, so things like the rewilded Chelsea garden are brilliant for expanding peoples knowledge
@AngiusFragilis Sorry you lost me a long wat back and I won't be the only one. @Obelixx I understand what yoy mean from a financial point of view. The point I am making is the actual show it's self.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Posts
Rewilding certainly isn't the right term for any standard/average domestic garden, but we can all do things which help aid wildlife. Not quite the same thing.
The farmer along the road apparently leaves one field untouched after removing the crop. That aids the tree sparrows, which the chap I met recently explained. He's involved in a project to help them, and link them with other communities of tree sparrows, so that situation is excellent for those little birds.
However, if you walked along the road to the other side of that farm, I doubt if you'd feel happy with that farmer. There's about 3 or 4 houses which back onto a field, and at the top of it is where every bit of rubbish that farm produces is dumped. It looks like those photos you see of rubbish dumps full of seagulls etc. Eyesore doesn't even begin to describe it.
Like so many instances in life, rewilding is just another trendy term to get people 'involved'. Sign of the times
I also do the chucking bits of old stems, branches etc into the back of borders. If it benefits one type of insect, then that's great. We can all do a little bit, and those little bits hopefully add up to a better whole, for the area we live in, if nothing else.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I agree. It's good to broaden the interest.
http://dbif.brc.ac.uk/hosts.aspx
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/hostplants/
@Obelixx I understand what yoy mean from a financial point of view. The point I am making is the actual show it's self.