I have been in a similar situation, but found that all the council are after at the planning stage is a plan. The plan gets passed, they then never never check its implemented, and you then find its unenforcable anyway. Plant what you want and dont worry.
I've just finished updating and double checking my list of natives. Here's the link You can choose where the links go to. Google, the pfaf site which is interesting but to very scientific and check any information before using it, and the Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. My site makes it very easy to use since it's laid out in a list. The list came originally from the Natural History Museum site, hence the name NHM. It was supposed to be a list of only natives, however I noticed several anomalies, and probably others did too which is probably why they've taken it down. Well, if you look you'll see a couple of abbreviations a, and n. I toyed with the idea of removing these plants since this indicates that the species aren't strictly native, however I felt removing plants that have been here since the Bronze age a bit hard line so I marked them 'a' meaning here since before 1492 and 'n', meaning here since 1492. I suppose I should make it clear what native is, 'native' means anything that arrived to our shores naturally, by it's own steam. So the Collared Dove is native though it's only been here since the 50's and the poppy is not though it's been here for ±5000 years because it was brought by Bronze age farmers and the dove just flew here. Agg. means a species that is really a collection of species, the most notorious example of that been the Dandelion and Blackberry where there's hundreds of debated subspecies. Not all subspecies have been included and some not at all, but where I thought they were of interest or when one sbsp was native and another wasn't I've tried to include it. I have still to include other sbsp but may never get around to updating all. It's taken me weeks to do this update and months if not years to get the time to do it. I suppose you should ask the council what they mean by 'native'. Anyway as you'll see by the site there's hundreds of very garden worthy items to choose from. And you can get them from many sites which abide by Flora Locale's code of conduct including Emorsgate Seeds. But again check the entry since many offer invasive or none-natives such as Fox and Cubs, you wouldn't want to introduce that to your garden. By the way, you mentioned, Bluebells, sorry, didn't get time to read every post. If you live near other households that have Spanish Bluebells then I wouldn't get Bluebells since they hybridise so readily. The amount of times I shout and the telly when someone is encouraging us to get English Bluebells. It was the first and biggest mistake I made when I moved in here. A complete waste of time and effort, though you could argue I'm supporting the growers, better to just make a donation for them to grow them.
I should add, just scanning through the suggestions, so many aren't native. Only one crab is native. But again check with the council what they keen by native. I have another list of pages that gives the benefit of certain native and non-natives to wildlife. Some surprises there.
purple toadflax. self-seeds but easy to pull out. Looks good with roses. Trim it if you want a bushier plant next year. Large ones don't like to be transplanted.
I've done a lot of planting plans for sites that have to go through the BREEAM rating system, and one of the BREEAM credits is basically for increasing the diversity of native/wildlife valuable flora. These are often urban sites where native shrubs and plants in the borders are difficult. So, sounds like a similar situation to yours, and I can cut to the chase and tell you what I do!
Emorsgate EL1 flowering lawn mix to all grass areas. That's 13 species. Native bulb planting - Eranthis hyemnalis, wild daffodils, wild snowdrops. Add another 3 species.
Any native trees/shrubs/border perennials are then a bonus but not a constraint. But since your lawn covers the largest proportion of your garden, it makes sense to target that area. As a percentage of your garden, you will get the most natives in that way.
For the border planting, you could emphasise that, where non natives are used, they will be selected for 'wildlife value'... there are lists of such plants in the guide below, and referring back to say you have looked at local Wildlife Trust guidance will give a bit of credibility.
It's a handy one, as the species tolerate mowing so you don't end up with an unusable lawn.
I agree with councils promoting biodiversity in principle, but I think they tend to be blinkered and not understand the role that non-natives can play in extending the food and nectar sources available to wildlife...
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Posts
I have been in a similar situation, but found that all the council are after at the planning stage is a plan. The plan gets passed, they then never never check its implemented, and you then find its unenforcable anyway. Plant what you want and dont worry.
I've just finished updating and double checking my list of natives. Here's the link You can choose where the links go to. Google, the pfaf site which is interesting but to very scientific and check any information before using it, and the Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora. My site makes it very easy to use since it's laid out in a list. The list came originally from the Natural History Museum site, hence the name NHM. It was supposed to be a list of only natives, however I noticed several anomalies, and probably others did too which is probably why they've taken it down. Well, if you look you'll see a couple of abbreviations a, and n. I toyed with the idea of removing these plants since this indicates that the species aren't strictly native, however I felt removing plants that have been here since the Bronze age a bit hard line so I marked them 'a' meaning here since before 1492 and 'n', meaning here since 1492. I suppose I should make it clear what native is, 'native' means anything that arrived to our shores naturally, by it's own steam. So the Collared Dove is native though it's only been here since the 50's and the poppy is not though it's been here for ±5000 years because it was brought by Bronze age farmers and the dove just flew here. Agg. means a species that is really a collection of species, the most notorious example of that been the Dandelion and Blackberry where there's hundreds of debated subspecies. Not all subspecies have been included and some not at all, but where I thought they were of interest or when one sbsp was native and another wasn't I've tried to include it. I have still to include other sbsp but may never get around to updating all. It's taken me weeks to do this update and months if not years to get the time to do it. I suppose you should ask the council what they mean by 'native'. Anyway as you'll see by the site there's hundreds of very garden worthy items to choose from. And you can get them from many sites which abide by Flora Locale's code of conduct including Emorsgate Seeds. But again check the entry since many offer invasive or none-natives such as Fox and Cubs, you wouldn't want to introduce that to your garden. By the way, you mentioned, Bluebells, sorry, didn't get time to read every post. If you live near other households that have Spanish Bluebells then I wouldn't get Bluebells since they hybridise so readily. The amount of times I shout and the telly when someone is encouraging us to get English Bluebells. It was the first and biggest mistake I made when I moved in here. A complete waste of time and effort, though you could argue I'm supporting the growers, better to just make a donation for them to grow them.
I should add, just scanning through the suggestions, so many aren't native. Only one crab is native. But again check with the council what they keen by native. I have another list of pages that gives the benefit of certain native and non-natives to wildlife. Some surprises there.
Thanks Jim, I've bookmarked that
In the sticks near Peterborough
The pfaf site should reed not very scientific, sorry. you're welcome nut.
purple toadflax. self-seeds but easy to pull out. Looks good with roses. Trim it if you want a bushier plant next year. Large ones don't like to be transplanted.
Not native though B3
In the sticks near Peterborough
I've done a lot of planting plans for sites that have to go through the BREEAM rating system, and one of the BREEAM credits is basically for increasing the diversity of native/wildlife valuable flora. These are often urban sites where native shrubs and plants in the borders are difficult. So, sounds like a similar situation to yours, and I can cut to the chase and tell you what I do!
Emorsgate EL1 flowering lawn mix to all grass areas. That's 13 species.
Native bulb planting - Eranthis hyemnalis, wild daffodils, wild snowdrops. Add another 3 species.
Any native trees/shrubs/border perennials are then a bonus but not a constraint. But since your lawn covers the largest proportion of your garden, it makes sense to target that area. As a percentage of your garden, you will get the most natives in that way.
For the border planting, you could emphasise that, where non natives are used, they will be selected for 'wildlife value'... there are lists of such plants in the guide below, and referring back to say you have looked at local Wildlife Trust guidance will give a bit of credibility.
http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/Wildlife%20gardening%20pack(1).pdf
Here's the Emorsgate seed mix I use
http://wildseed.co.uk/mixtures/view/56/flowering-lawn-mixture
It's a handy one, as the species tolerate mowing so you don't end up with an unusable lawn.
I agree with councils promoting biodiversity in principle, but I think they tend to be blinkered and not understand the role that non-natives can play in extending the food and nectar sources available to wildlife...