19th April 2023 - looking after the wildlife in your garden
Five Steps to help wildlife in your garden
1.Grow butterfly friendly plants
Adult butterflies and moths on almost any flower’s nectar – as will most other pollinators – but their caterpillars are choosy and may only have one or two plant species they’ll live on. For example, brimstone butterflies will only feed and lay its eggs on buckthorn bushes.
Planting an array of plant species that flower at different stages of the year will maximise the chances of a variety of butterflies and other insects visiting your garden.
The different shapes of flowers will attract different insects. The long, thin tubes of honeysuckle are particularly popular with butterflies, and bellflowers and foxgloves are great for bees. Flat flowers such as daisies and wild carrots will also attract these and a number of other insects.
Try to find out what butterfly and moth species are active in your area, and plant what their caterpillar’s food plants are to maximise your chances of attracting them.
In store at Meynells we have a wide range of native and local flowers – both in the packets of seeds we sell – including many wild varieties such as foxglove, poppy and cornfield plus packets of mixed wild seed designed specifically to attract bees and butterflies – but also the bedding and much of the plant stock on the outside trolleys is locally grown and therefore suitable for local wildlife – there is a colourful array of flowering plants just arrived this week to kick off the summer planting season
2. Feed the birds
Feeding the birds is important all year round not just in the winter and is especially important in Spring and early summer when the birds are nesting and feeding their young
A seed feeder is a quick and simple way to make your garden more attractive to birds.
We have a good selection of bird feeders in both our shops in Richmond and Barnard Castle to suit different size seed as well as peanuts and fat balls .If squirrels are a problem in your area, it might be better to purchase a squirrel-proof feeder instead which we also stock -these only allow smaller birds access to the food.
The type of food you put in feeders will affect the species visiting your garden. For example, meal worms are popular with insect eaters like sparrows, whereas goldfinches are partial to niger seeds – in the shop there is a wide selection of food for the birds including wild bird mixes , nyger seed , peanuts , fat balls and suet pellets - fat balls are a particularly good option for birds as they need food packed with energy.
If you set up a feeder, remember to clean it regularly
Also a sturdy bird table can be the centre decoration in the garden as well as a safe place for birds to feed and we have plenty of good quality tables for sale
Important support for wild birds in early summer are nest boxes which can be placed in sheltered parts of the garden – we have some lovely ones for sale also
3.Get the most from compost
Creating a compost heap in your garden from kitchen waste is a great way to reduce what goes to landfill and will create a minibeast haven. Minibeasts are small invertebrates such as millipedes, woodlice and spiders. These are an excellent source of food for other wildlife.
Worms help to create compost out of leaves and other organic material, and will likely wriggle their way into your compost heap. Spreading home-made compost on your garden will encourage worms wherever it spreads. Worms improve soil drainage and transfer important nutrients to the surface.
Slugs and snails may also be drawn to a compost heap. They are important recyclers, so if you spot them elsewhere in your garden, you can add them to the heap.
Slugs are also a food source for ground beetles and toads, and thrushes will eat snails. Avoid using slug and snail pesticides as these are also poisonous to other wildlife and can cause big problems in drinking water sources.
If you start a compost heap rather than using a bin, be aware that it is a warm spot that animals, including hedgehogs, will choose to hibernate in. If possible, avoid moving compost about during the winter months.
To get things started we stock compost activator
Additionally beneficial for small wildlife – we have a stock of bug hotels which are vital for small creatures to hibernate over winter and be ready to pollinate crops and flowers in the summer
4.Help the creatures of the night
Plenty of wildlife is out at night in your garden, even if you’re not awake to see it.
Honeysuckle and evening primrose are night-blooming flowers that release their scents after dark, attracting pollinating insects. There are 18 species of bat living in the UK and night-flying insects are an attractive meal for the insectivores.
In the summer months at Meynells we sell honeysuckle and clematis plants
You can also help bats by reducing or removing artificial lighting from your garden and around your property.
Artificial lighting can prevent bats from seeing objects in their path, potentially leading to impacts with obstacles
Hedgehogs are mostly night-time visitors that keep the garden ecosystem balanced. Coordinating with your neighbours to add a hedgehog hole – a gap in garden-dividing fences and walls – will help them get in.
Another way to help hedgehogs is to make them a house for nesting and hibernation.- at Meynells we have a stock of hedgehog houses and food for them
5. Add Water
There are six amphibians native to the UK, including common frogs, smooth newts and common toads. All of them are good pest controllers, feeding on a variety of invertebrates.
Adding a small pond to your garden is a great way to keep these animals happy and may even attract dragonflies in summer when they’re active. The insects that gather by water will also be popular with bats.
Ponds don’t have to be big, but if you do set one up, make sure it has sloping sides so if other animals fall in, they can get out.
Instead of a pond, you could keep a shallow, sloping-sided dish filled with water in the garden for birds. This offers both fresh drinking water and a bath. You will need to keep the water topped up and refill the dish every so often to keep it fresh.
New in this week!
As you may see as you pass our outside trolleys – they are full of colour and the start of the summer bedding and plants – in packs and in single pots- the first of the lobelia , geraniums, petunia, alyssium , marigolds, campunula, gardenia and sweet peas – I am sure there is plenty more to come ! Also new in are the first of the tomato , courgette and pepper plants and there are still plenty of onion and potato sets and a variety of vegetable plants