Find out if you have a colony of endangered butterfly or moth nearby and plant grasses and flowers that are specific to that species rather than allow any wild flower or grass to grow and establish.
It is so frustrating isn't it nut - to see all our good intentions hampered by some inconsiderate act. When I see the tractor heading for the field I hold my breath hoping that all the hedgehogs and other small creatures have found a safe place, I know he has to do his work and has limited time, but all these sprayed chemicals are doing to soil no good or my nerves.
Hi CC, thanks for the info, and yes I have thought of planting Thrift in the garden - the Glanville Fritillary is a frequent visitor to the cliffs where Thrift grows in abundance. We grow dandelion for the tortoises, one loves the flowers whilst the other munches the leaves!
I don't think the Glanville Fritillary visits Lincolnshire any more but I have the plants just in case it drops in on the way North. We've had a Silver Washed Fritilllary once or twice but not regularly.
Oooh, I am jealous!!, its not just green fingers its envy. I tried seeds, nothing germinated, wildflower plugs, which are expensive, (scoffed by slugs) so last year I treated myself to 1 piece of wildflower turf, nearly killed me digging up the lawn to plant it . I used the yellow rattle, not one germinated, I have been trying to get field poppies with no luck. The turf does look better this year, still no luck with the poppies, again I bought plugs, first lot scoffed by slugs, lat month I went down to inspect after rain, on a patch about a foot square were 29 slugs and 2 snails! Have put my last ones in today, bought some specially for lay soil, plus seed to sow in September. Went to Hampton Court Flower show on Sunday, bought 2 resin poppies with metal spikes! I grew my own ammi visnaga and majus, which I have planted in there as well.
A couple of packets of wild flower seeds, a couple of packets of poppies a few knapweed plants all in a raised bed. Some gardeners will think it looks a mess, but for two or three months of the year it rewards us with a variety of insects that we probably wouldn't see if we didn't have this "mess".
Posts
Find out if you have a colony of endangered butterfly or moth nearby and plant grasses and flowers that are specific to that species rather than allow any wild flower or grass to grow and establish.
It is so frustrating isn't it nut - to see all our good intentions hampered by some inconsiderate act. When I see the tractor heading for the field I hold my breath hoping that all the hedgehogs and other small creatures have found a safe place, I know he has to do his work and has limited time, but all these sprayed chemicals are doing to soil no good or my nerves.
If "Guernsey Donkey2" lives on Guernsey then I would want to get the Glanville Fritillary into my garden by planting a selection of these:
Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.), Hawkweeds (Hieracium/Hypochoeris) and Thrift (Armeria spp.) Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata).
Last edited: 30 June 2016 20:45:19
Hi CC, thanks for the info, and yes I have thought of planting Thrift in the garden - the Glanville Fritillary is a frequent visitor to the cliffs where Thrift grows in abundance. We grow dandelion for the tortoises, one loves the flowers whilst the other munches the leaves!
I don't think the Glanville Fritillary visits Lincolnshire any more but I have the plants just in case it drops in on the way North. We've had a Silver Washed Fritilllary once or twice but not regularly.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Yes, I've made a conscious effort to be more tolerant of the humble dandelion this year since reading about its value to our wildlife.
Oooh, I am jealous!!, its not just green fingers its envy. I tried seeds, nothing germinated, wildflower plugs, which are expensive, (scoffed by slugs) so last year I treated myself to 1 piece of wildflower turf, nearly killed me digging up the lawn to plant it . I used the yellow rattle, not one germinated, I have been trying to get field poppies with no luck. The turf does look better this year, still no luck with the poppies, again I bought plugs, first lot scoffed by slugs, lat month I went down to inspect after rain, on a patch about a foot square were 29 slugs and 2 snails! Have put my last ones in today, bought some specially for lay soil, plus seed to sow in September. Went to Hampton Court Flower show on Sunday, bought 2 resin poppies with metal spikes! I grew my own ammi visnaga and majus, which I have planted in there as well.
Last edited: 13 July 2016 19:55:08
Love it Guernsey, thankfully our national trust thicket metres from my house leaves wildflower areas which are gorgeous.
I can't see any mess GD
In the sticks near Peterborough