plant your own wildlife butterfly garden

[sandsnakes]

A very good article on in the online Ecologist about planting areas of your garden to attract butterflies and dragonflies.

You dont need to turn the entire place into a wildeness, so the the weed killer sprays next door won't complain!


From birds to dragonflies and butterflies to bees, Hazel Sillver explains how to turn your garden into a haven for wildlife
No garden is complete without wildlife. Who would be without the gentle hum of bees as they meander from one flower to another and the evening song of the robin perched on his apple tree. If you’ve had a rotten day, the sight of butterflies dancing in the late sun will cheer you up as you sip your G&T on the terrace, as do the daredevil antics of squirrels playing in the walnut tree. It’s a myth that a manicured garden doesn’t attract wildlife. You don’t need to live in a field or cultivate a jungle of nettles and rambling plants to have a garden that provides a habitat for a diverse range of birds, animals and insects.



http://www.theecologist.org/green_g.../super_nature_creating_a_wildlife_garden.html

 

[Bushwhacker]

Such a shame that people get rid of 'pest' plants.
Last year, amongst other so-called undesirables, I had a patch of Ragwort for the cinnabar moths.

 

[Harvestman]

It really bugs me when people dig up dandelions because they are weeds, and then plant something yellow that requires constant watering and looking after, and only flowers briefly anyway.

My garden is a minimally maintained mess, sandwiched between 2 perfectly manicured gardens. I get masses of birds in mine to feed on the insects that thrive there. The ones either sides are brightly coloured deserts.

 

[British Red]

You can have both. I have heard "its a wildlife garden" as an excuse for, frankly, laziness from many gardeners. When asked to name all the species of plants in their garden they get all "blustery" and start saying "oh, it doesn't matter...we get lots of.....".


Yeah, right. In other words, too lazy to cut the grass - just admit it!

I have been killing off lots of weeds in my garden - including Himalayan Balsam. If I don't, it will shade out all the natives and become monoculture. Dandelions are okay in small quantities, but, like sycamore trees, can become too pervasive unless managed.

Things we have done since moving in include....putting up bird and bat boxes, fixing the drainage including allowing wet and dry areas, sewing several hundred square yards of annual and perennial wildflowers, creating a wooded area with bluebells, ramsoms, pignuts etc. , creating shelter belts and wind pollenated areas, creating a "rotting wood" pile for stag beetles etc.... and so on.

As for the squirrel in the walnut tree, we managed the habitat there too. I think I shot them all - but if they come back this year, I'll eradicate them.

Red

 

[Harvestman]

I admit it, I hate cutting grass. But, I can name almost every species in my garden, including the grass species.

I've no problem with people gardening. It is a great pastime, and very healthy and rewarding, just not for me. I get irritated at the artificiality of insisting that some overseas high maintenance exotic species is better than some wild plant that would thrive in the same environment. Himalayan Balsam is a classic example of what can happen. Planted because it looks pretty, now totally out of control and causing all kinds of trouble to native species.

British Red, your garden sounds wonderful. Just the sort of thing I'd love to do, had I the land and the slightest love of gardening. Kudos to you.

 

[British Red]

We enjoy it. It was abandoned two years ago


Thats the way to do it by British Red, on Flickr

Creeping buttercup and dock had shaded out the paddock and the garden was deep in golden rod. The formal garden is about there now and last Autumn it was alive with bees, butterflies and dragonflies plus many nesting birds (including mistle thrush which was lovely)


Baby Mistle Thrush by British Red, on Flickr

No owls yet though

Native hedging and a small orchard is in now, the woodland has been planted and a traditional wildflower meadow mix sown. Ne interesting to see how it develops.

Red

 

[locum76]

You can have both. I have heard "its a wildlife garden" as an excuse for, frankly, laziness from many gardeners. When asked to name all the species of plants in their garden they get all "blustery" and start saying "oh, it doesn't matter...we get lots of.....".


Yeah, right. In other words, too lazy to cut the grass - just admit it!

I have been killing off lots of weeds in my garden - including Himalayan Balsam. If I don't, it will shade out all the natives and become monoculture. Dandelions are okay in small quantities, but, like sycamore trees, can become too pervasive unless managed.

Absolutely.