Wow 8000wildflowers, that is impressive! Kind of what I have been aiming for. Yes I have a pond and a bog gardem, so all the ingredients are there, but need to work on the aesthetic. Your wild area proves that it's possible to have a wildlife-friendly area which also looks great.
I think those that want to create a wildlife garden also need to have an understanding of the specific wildlife that they want to attract but also have knowledge about the wildlife that's already nearby too.
Nearby perhaps meaning within say one mile from your garden. What wildlife is there nearby that you want to attract into the garden, bugs n stuff, butterflies, moths, mammals and birds.
Theirs no point in having a garden for wildlife to attract Dartford Warbler if the garden is in Scotland or having a garden to attract the Pine Martin or the Scottish Tiger if these creatures can only be found many miles away. These examples are a great exaggeration obviously.
What wildlife do you have nearby and plant up a garden to suite the wildlife that you know you have half a chance of attracting into the garden.
If you know that you have the Holly Blue butterfly nearby plant ivy and holly, if you have Brimstone nearby plant Alder Buckthorne, Bugle, Cuckoo Flower, Betony and Fleabane. Some butterfly's are very fussy and not just any flower will do, some require very specific plants and flowers at different stages of there lives throughout the seasons, Holly Blue is an ideal example, without both Ivy and Holly it cannot survive. Both are equally important or the lifecycle of the butterfly is broken and it cannot survive.
These plants will attract several other butterflies too.
A pond is a must and drinking water in shallow (1 1/2" Max depth) containers buried level with the soil with full 360degree view.
If you have hedgehogs, badgers and foxes nearby and want to attract them into the garden and hang around for a while for you to enjoy them find out what pulls these creatures into the garden, what do they want. Foxes and Badgers are easy, they just want feeding! but hedgehogs are different but not impossible.
A wildlife garden needs just as much time and attention as any other garden does to remain attractive to the wildlife that your wanting to attract.
Our RSPB, Wildlife Trust and other wildlife nature reserves are not natural wild places they are heavily managed and controlled and maintained throughout the year(s) to remain attractive to the specific wildlife that each specific reserve is famous for.
Find out what wildlife you have nearby (not just the wildlife that you have already) and create a wildlife garden to pull in that wildlife
I knew that I had Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Comma and others nearby and I occasionally saw them in my garden through the year. Having placed specific plants in the garden there's not a single sunny day that goes by at the right time of year that I don't see these butterflies now. A few weeks ago I enjoyed 4 Brimstones at the same time for several hours one day, half a dozen Holly Blues together is not unusual now but I knew they were nearby already.
My favourite wild areas are the verges alongside the country roads where you find all the native grasses and flowers. Any wild garden has to mirror this local flora.
My favourite wild areas are the verges alongside the country roads where you find all the native grasses and flowers. Any wild garden has to mirror this local flora.
This is a great example of what I'm trying to say I think, but remember that the grasses and flowers that you find nearby your garden living in Kent will be different from those living in Perthshire.
The diversity of wildlife that you could attract into your garden can be very different from county to county but it is also very different within the various areas of the town or village that you live in.
Just a few pictures of our "wild area" in fact we have two or three where we try not to disturb the nettles, grasses etc. Bees by the hundreds, butterflies etc. are frequent visitors. I love the natural colours of the flowers too.
This book is a fantastic resource for attracting wildlife know to be in habitats near to where you are. I recommend it absolutely; the author is an expert and knows what he's talking about.
It might already have been mentioned. loads of flowers are good for insects but remember the larval stage. You can't have butterflies without caterpillars and they need to eat
I love caterpillars too nut - I just wish we had more of them - unfortunately we have a farmer next door who is hell bent on using weed killer - I know he is not alone with this method, but just thinking how rich our childhood garden was full of insects compared with today - so sad. Still we try to do our bit by allowing nettles and other "weeds" to grow - what more can we do?
We can only do our best and keep a sanctuary for wildlife in the garden. My neighbouring farmer is as yours A brown line of killed foliage surrounds all his fields, sometimes extending into our garden.
Posts
Wow 8000wildflowers, that is impressive! Kind of what I have been aiming for. Yes I have a pond and a bog gardem, so all the ingredients are there, but need to work on the aesthetic. Your wild area proves that it's possible to have a wildlife-friendly area which also looks great.
I think those that want to create a wildlife garden also need to have an understanding of the specific wildlife that they want to attract but also have knowledge about the wildlife that's already nearby too.
Nearby perhaps meaning within say one mile from your garden. What wildlife is there nearby that you want to attract into the garden, bugs n stuff, butterflies, moths, mammals and birds.
Theirs no point in having a garden for wildlife to attract Dartford Warbler if the garden is in Scotland or having a garden to attract the Pine Martin or the Scottish Tiger if these creatures can only be found many miles away. These examples are a great exaggeration obviously.
What wildlife do you have nearby and plant up a garden to suite the wildlife that you know you have half a chance of attracting into the garden.
If you know that you have the Holly Blue butterfly nearby plant ivy and holly, if you have Brimstone nearby plant Alder Buckthorne, Bugle, Cuckoo Flower, Betony and Fleabane. Some butterfly's are very fussy and not just any flower will do, some require very specific plants and flowers at different stages of there lives throughout the seasons, Holly Blue is an ideal example, without both Ivy and Holly it cannot survive. Both are equally important or the lifecycle of the butterfly is broken and it cannot survive.
These plants will attract several other butterflies too.
A pond is a must and drinking water in shallow (1 1/2" Max depth) containers buried level with the soil with full 360degree view.
If you have hedgehogs, badgers and foxes nearby and want to attract them into the garden and hang around for a while for you to enjoy them find out what pulls these creatures into the garden, what do they want. Foxes and Badgers are easy, they just want feeding! but hedgehogs are different but not impossible.
A wildlife garden needs just as much time and attention as any other garden does to remain attractive to the wildlife that your wanting to attract.
Our RSPB, Wildlife Trust and other wildlife nature reserves are not natural wild places they are heavily managed and controlled and maintained throughout the year(s) to remain attractive to the specific wildlife that each specific reserve is famous for.
Find out what wildlife you have nearby (not just the wildlife that you have already) and create a wildlife garden to pull in that wildlife
I knew that I had Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Comma and others nearby and I occasionally saw them in my garden through the year. Having placed specific plants in the garden there's not a single sunny day that goes by at the right time of year that I don't see these butterflies now. A few weeks ago I enjoyed 4 Brimstones at the same time for several hours one day, half a dozen Holly Blues together is not unusual now but I knew they were nearby already.
My favourite wild areas are the verges alongside the country roads where you find all the native grasses and flowers. Any wild garden has to mirror this local flora.
This is a great example of what I'm trying to say I think, but remember that the grasses and flowers that you find nearby your garden living in Kent will be different from those living in Perthshire.
The diversity of wildlife that you could attract into your garden can be very different from county to county but it is also very different within the various areas of the town or village that you live in.
Last edited: 30 June 2016 19:51:21
Excellent post above from Cottage Garden.
This book is a fantastic resource for attracting wildlife know to be in habitats near to where you are. I recommend it absolutely; the author is an expert and knows what he's talking about.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/RSPB-Gardening-Wildlife-Complete-Nature-friendly/dp/1408122308/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1467312730&sr=8-4&keywords=Adrian+Thomas
It might already have been mentioned. loads of flowers are good for insects but remember the larval stage. You can't have butterflies without caterpillars and they need to eat
wildlife is more than just the cutes and pretties
In the sticks near Peterborough
Ordered my copy
I love caterpillars too nut - I just wish we had more of them - unfortunately we have a farmer next door who is hell bent on using weed killer - I know he is not alone with this method, but just thinking how rich our childhood garden was full of insects compared with today - so sad. Still we try to do our bit by allowing nettles and other "weeds" to grow - what more can we do?
We can only do our best and keep a sanctuary for wildlife in the garden. My neighbouring farmer is as yours
A brown line of killed foliage surrounds all his fields, sometimes extending into our garden.
In the sticks near Peterborough