Wonderous Wildlife

One of the best things about having a garden is all the wildlife everything from ladybirds, butterflies and mayflies to field mice, bats, hedgehogs, birds and foxes.We are very lucky in the West to have Sparrowhawks, owls, pine martins and even the elusive badger!

There are lots of things you can do to encourage wildlife:

Don’t use pesticides [kills lots of caterpillars and other creatures]

Dont put down slug pellets [harmful to birds]

Dont use weedkiller [potentially lethal for cats and dogs, never mind the fact it could get into ground water]

Dont cut your hedges back too severally, particularly in spring when many birds are nesting

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Do plant a wide variety of plants, including meadow and field flowers

Put out food for the birds, as well as nesting boxes and a bird table. We have a bird bath which the birds love to use early in the morning and a bird table which unfortunately, our smallest cat likes to sleep in!

Place a old log at the bottom of your garden for insects which will attract hedgehogs

Dig a small pond [or a big one if you have the space!]This will add an whole new dimension to your garden. I used to have a small one but the lining has decayed but planning to dig it out and create a new water feature, more on that again!

It takes only a tiny bit of effort on your behalf to create a garden which will become a source of joy and inspiration, as well as a haven for local wildlife.