Help: Starting out - Wildlife garden in London

[sgreszcz]

Hi there. I have been lurking on this site for a couple of months now, but am a little bit overwhelmed about how to begin attracting more wildlife to my garden.

Last year's project was to dig a couple of vegetable gardens, plant some miniature fruit trees, and some fast-growing trees for front-garden privacy (rowan, foxglove).

I am hoping to plant some long flowering smaller shrubs and perennials to attract insects or the same with berries to attract more birds. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Even though the house fronts on to a busy street, there is a church with massive mature trees in the back which provides nesting for birds and shelter for foxes. (The fox that lives in my back yard chews on whatever is left about and digs in the gardens).

I took some pictures this week around noon, when it was sunny out. The front garden actually faces North, but from March to October gets direct sunlight over the house:





The back garden is a little bit more difficult. It is south facing, but gets a lot of shade due to the fence and the large trees around the property. Hopefully there are some things that will grow in the almost full shade at the back:





Thank you in advance!

[slimrbp]

Hi,

We have a similar situation in our garden a number of shady areas. I planted some of the floowing and they are doing well.

Foxgloves
Cowslip
Oxlip
Primroses
Red Campion
Dog's Mercury
Clematis 'Old Man's Beard'


I found this site useful as you can list plants out by conditions (shade, semi-shade etc.).

British Wild Flower Plants - Norfolk UK

[Jez]

I'll add Betony, hedge woundwort, self heal, wood cranesbill, meadow sweet & sweet woodruff to the list. Dogs mercury that's an interesting one I wouldn't go for this myself though to the side of my spinney is a lovely carpet of it which has seen chiff chaffs feeding on mozzies!

[slimrbp]

Originally Posted by Jez

Dogs mercury that's an interesting one

Have to admit it wasn't a concious decision, I bought a mixed lot of wildflower plants for shade as we had just moved in and I was in a bit of a hurry!

[Jez]

I'd keep it in check as it can spread quite rapidly!

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by sgreszcz

Hi there. I have been lurking on this site for a couple of months now, but am a little bit overwhelmed about how to begin attracting more wildlife to my garden. Thank you in advance!

There are two very useful websites, if you are happy doing a bit of research, first is the Natural History Museum's postcode search The Postcode Plants Database - Natural History Museum and the second is Natural England's regional search Natural England - Gardening with Wildlife in Mind

Both site's give faunal associations for native plants so you can choose flora for particular animal species you might want to attract.

Just a couple of personal favourites to add to those already suggested - Butcher's Broom - good shade plant, Wall Germander - bee plant, meadowsweet - bee plant, geraniums, particularly G.macrorhizum.

CM