My (not yet) Wildlife garden...

[dan-fisher]

This is at the embrio stage of nearly beginning to put some ideas together soon in the future sometime

It will be an on-going project over time. I'm committed to it and this thread i think it will get long, proberly dissappear for a time before continuing as i get back into it.

The only thing i've done here since buying the property 18months ago (at the very peak of the housing market!) is add the birds table and the feeders. Also i've dug and installed the pond which also is only 25% done. The rest is all inherited from the elderly previous owners.

Here is the layout...







All those plants are garden center low maintenance shrubs proberly non native non seeding or non flowering rubbish. Birds, bees and butterflies were all non existant before having the feeders and table - the birds nest in the front garden and the eaves but proberly from old habits. The changing garden has took their food away from it.

EVERYTHING is comming out, except for the connifers at the bottom where only some of it is comming out to make way for a new BIRCH TREE, far corner, second picture.

The garden flower i'm having i have the following short listed...

Bramble (BlackBerry)
Barberry
Buddleia (Butterfly)
Cotoneaster
Crab Apple
Firethorn (Pyrancantha)
Viburnum
Hawthorn
Holly (tree)
Honeysuckle
Rose (Rosa Rygusa)
Dog Rose
Primrose
Hedera Ivy
Lavender


Dandilion
Golden Red
greater napweed
Milk Thistle
Tickseed
Michadmus Daisy
Marigold
Sunflower
Yarrow
Skimmia


This dosn't include the bog area. This will include shortlisted :

Wild Hemp Agrimony (native)
Cuckoo Flower/Lady's Smock
Fleabane
Marsh Buttercup
Marsh Thistle
Ragged Robin
Willow collection



Birds, butterflies and bees appear to be priority to me. Can you see ones i've missed that are quite important ??

[Phoebe]

You have a good plan there Dan, it's late now but all I can think of is a patch of Nettles for the butterflies to lay eggs on . I look forward to seeing the progression of your garden.

[dan-fisher]

Thanks Phoebe. Does honey suckle count as nettles ?? They look like it and don't hurt

In that list is some plants that pollen early and some late according to the info i've researched them on.

The BIRCH. Is it OK to plant now does anyone know ??

[Kymba]

Dan it maybe worth you looking at the Woodland Trust as twice a year you can get from them free hedgerow/Tree packs or seeds to plant.
The hedgerow pack is:-
6 of each; hawthorn, hazel, holly, dog rose and dog wood.
The Tree saplings are:-
10 of each - Birch, Rowan, Cherry.
They are all packs to encourage wildlife.

The next pack delivery is March next year. But you can order now. I will PM you the link if you want it... and any you cant use you can donate to a local school or club or people you know.

[smartie]

Looks like a good list. You might also try to find a place for some teasels and a native mullein.

[goosey]

Hi Dan, don't forget to make room for a Logpile - for all those insects and with luck some lizards. Place some logs vertically into the ground aswell as the horizontal logs.
You mention a bog garden, will this mean a pond? If you don't plan on a proper pond - mini ponds in containers are great.

Good luck and enjoy all the planning, it will be so rewarding when it is all coming to life .

Shirley

[dan-fisher]

Originally Posted by Kymba

Dan it maybe worth you looking at the Woodland Trust

thanks for that link mate, wouldn't use it myself as it appears to be aimed on the larger scale, but the local primary school which both my kids go to are doing a wildlife pond and garden and have been looking for donations and help.. will pass it on. I can just pinch a few of the hedges from them

Originally Posted by smartie

Looks like a good list. You might also try to find a place for some teasels and a native mullein.

Yeap got the Teasel, but will look into and add native Mullein thanks.

Originally Posted by goosey

Hi Dan, don't forget to make room for a Logpile -
You mention a bog garden, will this mean a pond?
Shirley

Thanks Shirley. The pond is already in! You can just see it in the second photo and the 1st photo is some logs next to it.. The logs are firstly around the pond and secondly i have spoken with Belvoir Castle wood yard again and they have lots and lots of firewood offcuts, rotten wood, funny shapes etc that i can help my self too as i have done with the pond and these are all going to be piled up behind the conifers there up to waste level. Yogart will be poured in them (promotes something) and the rotting/insect life will continue. The fungi is already on the wood and it is quite wet, rotten and soft. Drop them and they break.

[Kymba]

You could also build a small Dry stone wall which is brilliant for attracting bugs of all sorts as they love all the little nooks and crannies it provides. I am going to have a small one built near my wildlife Cabin.

[Kayleigh]

Wow, how big is your harden Dan..
are you a keen gardener as its a big project..
Well the wildlife are going to love you.
Be warned gardening and plants get a hold of you..you see a plant and have to have it till there is no room left then you dig the bits of the lawn up..then some more lawn till there not much of that left then you grow climbers over every bit of spare gap..

I'm not sure the yoghurt works on wood it is normally put onto concrete to encourage algae growth to age it..
not sure its necessary with logs..I like the natural look of the wood..

Good luck and look forward to updates

[dan-fisher]

thanks Kayleigh,

Proberly the camera making it look bigger , i'd say 10 or 12m square of useable area.

I've never gardened in my whole life, i've always seen people in garden centres and wondered what the hell?!!!

But i'm changing, i'm getting older, my boyhood passions are re-emerging, i don't drink anymore, don't smoke anymore, don't race motorbikes anymore... Basically i think i'm growing up

Good thing though is the plants are going to do is work for me, and they'll need to earn their keep as well by producing berries, fruits, pollen, seeds etc all from the braking of spring to the darkest. coldest winter nights. Mixing early and late developers.

It's a mission, But i'm looking forward to it, the planting of the Birch and digging/filling the bog are next but i've got a busy few weeks at work so it may be a while before i'm cooking on..

dan