Where to start...?

[hairymunky]

Been reading "How to make a wildlife garden", and had a few ideas, but
before I jump in and make a total a**e of it, I though I'd ask a wee
niggling question:

Should my garden, be a natural part of the surrounding countryside ?
(I stay in a fairly rural site, surrounded by fields all round)
Or should it add some different aspects, not already available to the
local wildlife.

Thanks

[Carl]

I`d just look up some of the wildlife you wouldn`t mind atracting and then make it to how they live, eg frogs etc.
I`d try the more endagered species first though.

Best of luck mate.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by hairymunky

Been reading "How to make a wildlife garden", and had a few ideas, but
before I jump in and make a total a**e of it, I though I'd ask a wee
niggling question:

Should my garden, be a natural part of the surrounding countryside ?
(I stay in a fairly rural site, surrounded by fields all round)
Or should it add some different aspects, not already available to the
local wildlife.

Thanks

Perhaps raises a further question - just how natural is the surrounding countryside ? Given that any fauna you are looking to encourage is going to be coming in from the surrounding area, in practical terms you are limited by what is already there, so understanding your locality should help you decide to some extent the direction you want to go in. Thereafter it's perhaps a question of deciding how much space/food resource you want to give over to which species of flora and fauna.

Difficult choices - I'm envious that you have them

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Carl

I`d just look up some of the wildlife you wouldn`t mind atracting and then make it to how they live, eg frogs etc.
I`d try the more endagered species first though.

Best of luck mate.

although that won't necessarily be a realistic option if there are none in thesurrounding countryside to attract - in theory i'd like to see wolves , moose , bears , and coati mundi in my garden , but whatever habitat i create it is very unlikely that they will arrive

[Tursiops2]

Originally Posted by hairymunky

Been reading "How to make a wildlife garden", and had a few ideas, but
before I jump in and make a total a**e of it, I though I'd ask a wee
niggling question:

Should my garden, be a natural part of the surrounding countryside ?

If you're talking about designing a garden for wildlife from the ground up, as opposed to adapting a traditional "ornamental" garden, then the answer is unequivocally "yes".

Two reasons:

The first is that, as Cotham Marble says, the local countryside is the reservoir from which your garden will draw its inhabitants, and they will be drawn to the garden if it contains the sort of conditions they already live in.

The second is that the core of a wildlife garden is native planting, and if you plant the species that already grow well in your area, you know they'll do well in your garden.

The land that is now your garden was once countryside itself. Take inspiration from the spirit of the place, try and recreate that fragment of countryside (ecologically if not historically) and you won't go far wrong.
T2

[hairymunky]

Thanks for the input guys. I found a site that lets you pop
your postcode in, and gives you a list of plants that are
indigenous to that area. So I'll use that as a starting block, as
to which plants I should plant (as well as a nice stroll down
the burn to see what else grows locally )

No doubt, I'll be asking a few more questions on my way...


Cheers

[GME]

If you look on the 'information' link on the right of the blue WAB bar above there is a link(UK Wildlife Garden on the left) to some wildlife garden sites. I haven't looked at all of them but there appears to be an interesting online course you can do (might be a bit OTT but the site looked informative and the course covers loads of different areas such as:

Module 1: Why a Wildlife Garden? Explore the importance of wildlife gardening. Learn about wildlife garden design and layout. Understand the importance of an organic approach to wildlife gardening. Location. The needs of human inhabitants.

Module 2: Ecology in the Wildlife Garden. Creating a balanced ecosystem. Garden ecology. Understanding wild populations. Global footprint. Succession.

Module 3: The Health of Plants. Photosynthesis and limiting factors. Transpiration. Nutrition. The growing environment. Creating a balanced and abundant wildlife garden.

Module 4: More on Wildlife Garden Design. A full plan of your wildlife garden. Effective assessment of a site. Wildlife potential. The role of hard landscaping. Key design elements.

Module 5: Selecting the Right Plants. The right plants for your wildlife garden - the history of gardens and native plants. A complete planting plan. Understanding planting elements. Borders and beds. The Wildlife pond. Design and maintenance. Creating a wetland area. Populating your pond.

Module 6: The Woodland-Edge Habitat. Planting plan; selecting the right species; exploring natural woodlands. Shrub border. Hedgerows. Understanding the hedgerow habitat. Managing a hedgerow. Selecting the right species. Hedgerows as wildlife highways. Study wildlife.

Module 7: Grassland and Biodiversity. Natural lawns and wildflower meadows. Developing the right soil. Assessing your lawn/meadow needs. Reliable sources for seed. Preparation and planting. Biodiversity. Seedbanks. Studying wildlife. Common wild visitors and some rarer species. Identifying wildlife - tracks, droppings and other signs. National studies.

Module 8: A Healthy Soil. Soil types and plant growth. Drainage, nutrients, organic matter, and soil organisms. Digging methods. Attracting new species into your garden. Supplementary food sources for wildlife.

Module 9: Plant Propagation. Propagating native plants. Structure of seeds. Storing and sharing seed. Understanding germination. Vegetative propagation. Identifying, selecting and sourcing0 wild species for your garden. Nurturing wild plant species. Harvesting wild fruit, berries and fungi.

Module 10: Fruit and Vegetables. Incorporating fruit and vegetable area into your wildlife garden. Pest management in the wildlife garden. Organic pest control - biological control, crop rotation, companion planting. Protecting wildlife. Controlling predators. )

As I said, may be a bit OTT but definitely comprehensive!

[Jacky]

Hi - what was the site that had the species local to your postcode please? I know that there's no point in trying to attract species that are not local to your area as how would they get to you or go to from you? I always recommend the usual gardener's tip of having 'rooms'. A pond is the first thing, using the spoil to create a bank behind and have a spring or summer meadow grow long on this to hide amphibians as the come to and from the pond - no point in giving the neighbours' cats an easy time of finding their food! Then maybe a woodland verge area in a shaded spot, spring meadow under trees (as, by the time the trees have come into leaf enough to block light to the spring meadow, it's time to cut it back anyway), buddleia for butterflies, sunflowers for the birds etc. If you have 'rooms' in your garden, you wil give yourself something year round to enjoy, whilst also helping the widest variety of wild flora and fauna.

[Tursiops2]

here you are Jacky: The Postcode Plants Database - Natural History Museum

T2

[hairymunky]

Thats the dbase I've been searching the last couple of nights...