WILDLIFE HABITATS IN OUR GARDEN

Our garden is surrounded by fields of oats at the moment. A native hedge separates the fields from our garden. Some of this was planted three years ago, the part at the front much further in the past. We have a good selection of Rowan, Crab Apple, Hornbeam, Hawthorn, Spindle, Privet and Elder - all excellent for a variety of creatures. Fruits for the mice, voles and birds, flowers for the bees, butterflies and moths and places for the birds to nest and shelter. The front part of the hedge is entwined with Wild Rose, White Bryony and Wild Clematis. If you have Privet i your hedge, try and leave it to flower rather than trimming it - you will be amazed at the butterflies and bees you will get on the flowers!



Not only is a hedge is marvellous habitat for wildlife. The wildflowers in front of it are also just as marvellous. Red Campion adds a splash of pink and there are always bees on the flowers. Comfrey is another plant that like the semi-shade conditions provided by a hedge - and is another plant beloved of bees. As is Hedge Woundwort with its spires of purple-red flowers and its downy, nettle-like leaves.



The hedgerow in the field next door also has Bladder Campion and Blackberries growing alongside it, with the odd Teasel which has self-seeded next to it.

We also have two ponds next to each other. The first, smaller one was dug a year before the second. This has become rather overgrown with Cotton Grass, Yellow Flag Iris and other pond grasses. Willowherb has also taken a liking to it. When there hasn't been much rain this area becomes more of a bog now than a pond but it still has plenty of wildlife value. Purple Loosestrife grows beside its edges and when in flower is full of butterflies and bees. The main pond next to it is full of native oxygenators, a couple of Lilies, Bogbean, Water Forget-me-not, water snails, water boatmen and,at this time of year, dragonflies and damselflies. The colour of these creatures is vibrant and breathtaking.The two photos below show the pond two years ago when first dug and how it is now.



Leading up to the pond is our meadow area - every year this is different. The first year we sowed cornfield annuals and left it to set seed. We also planted a number of perennial wildflowers. The following two years we left it and just added extra plants, scattered a few seeds and then waited to see what would appear. This year we have Lesser Knapweed, Oxeye Daisy, Catmint, White Campion, Sorrel, Elecampane, Purple Loosestrife, Ragged Robin, Marshmallow - to name but a few and there are still more to come. As I write it is mainly white but this will soon change with the addition of pinks, blues and reds. The area is buzzing with bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and other flying creatures. I saw a slow worm there yesterday and a few weeks ago a couple of ducks flew in and spent the day floating about on the water or sitting by the pond. We have mown some paths to gain access to the pond and the whole meadow area is loosely enclosed with widely-spaced trees and shrubs. An rusted archway is the entrance to the area and this is slowly getting covered with honeysuckle, climbing roses and hops.

The front of the meadow area is just rough grass but, despite that, clovers and Wild Carrot have sown themselves there and soon that area will be a splash of white with the Wild Carrot flowerheads.


We made a wildlife stack (see blog earlier in the year)in February out of logs, old pots, hay etc and planted the top with wildflowers. We built it close to the far side of the pond next to a "grove" of Silver Birch trees. This area is now smothered in wispy tall grasses but the stack can be seen through them and I should imagine many creatures have made a home in it.



Also amongst the meadow area are two piles of logs acting as wildlife refuges, initially for frogs but we have had no frogs this year. But I would guess it is a pretty popular area for slow worms and maybe the odd grass snake which has been seen amongst the grasses. A patch has also been dug in the grass area for growing Kidney Vetch, a food plant that blue butterflies love. Having seen one or two of them flitting about I am hoping this patch in flower will encourage them to stay! I sowed California Poppies in between the plants as they are good nectar plants, although not native wildflowers to the UK.



To the right of the meadow area is a pergola which we have planted with various Honeysuckles and Clematis to provide eventually a nice sheltered seating area. This too is surrounded by grasses, Ox-eye Daisies, Red Campion and Meadow Clary.



In front of all of this is a very tall, majestic Hornbeam, a micro-habitat in its own right, catering for insects (particularly moths), birds and squirrels. Around 28 species of wildlife are supported by Hornbeam trees. A tawny owl took quite a shine to the tree last autumn and sat in there every night shrieking for about three weeks. I loved listening to it! The area under the tree is awash with Bluebells, Oxlips and Cyclamen in the spring.

This brings us to the front of the house which is mainly laid to lawn but a wildflower patch under the kitchen window adds a splash of colour - this changes every year as I generally leave it to do its own thing.



Part of the back and edge of the house has an older Wisteria climbing up it. When you walk through the leafy archway beside it you are greeted with intense humming coming from a swarm of honeybees that arrived three weeks ago and set up home in a space into the wall that they managed to discover through the Wisteria! However they are doing no harm and I quite like listening to them and watching them at work as I walk by.



At the far end of the front garden is a shady, sheltered area which has Primroses, Red Campion, Bluebells, Snowdrops and Ground Ivy. Definitely at its best in spring but still a good little habitat.



I would urge everyone to give over a little bit of their garden to creating one or two wildlife habitats. It brings immense pleasure to sit amongst it all and watch and listen to the creatures it attracts getting on with their daily lives. Even a sunken bowl of water will bring in new wildlife! When we moved here the garden was very bland. It is now home to many species of bee, butterfly, moth, bird and bat. We are also plagued with rabbits sometimes, which can be annoying when they eat what you have just planted, and the squirrels can be annoying when they eat all the bird food but - I wouldn't have it any other way.