The last few months myself and Denise Leech of Greenfingers Designs have been working on a fun project to be unveiled at the Cardiff RHS Flower show next weekend.
The RHS have given us a plot of land to get creative and show some ways you can make your garden a home for nature. We believe that every garden can benefit wildlife so our garden will not be an Eden of rolling meadows and mature trees but a 3m square urban themed garden.
Our mission: to create an attractive wildlife haven in a concrete jungle.
But that’s not all! A garden is a great place for us to connect with nature and usually our first steps as children to meet our local wildlife. Our little garden at the RHS will be jam packed with quirky repurposed creations that you and your family can do at home such as ‘Whisks of Wool’ to give garden birds a few cosy bits and pieces to line their nests and ‘Spoon full of Seeds’ using recycled plastic bottles and wooden spoons for a bird feeder with a twist.
These and more will be hanging on a bicycle wheel – or ‘Critter carousel’ with ‘Bee friendly bundles’ and the ‘Bug Boudoir’ to give a haven for our silent heroes of the garden, the pollinators and greenfly gobblers. A Wildlife wall of stone and bricks and slabs would be great for slug swallowers like toads to make a home and a Hibernation station for those who prefer to spend the winter in bed. Bees and butterflies can buzz to our bountiful Bee Barrow, a wheelbarrow of colourful blooms, a feast for the eyes as well as for the insects.
And don’t forget water! A Big Bin Wash and Brush Up for our feathery friends to spruce up and a Micro Pond for frogs and amazing creatures like pond skaters.Sounds ‘Wheelie Wild’ doesn’t it?
A big thank you to the members of Cardiff Freecycle, Freegle and Gumtree – great sites to collect things for free and save from landfill – double win! And to Cycle Training Wales for providing our centrepiece – the bicycle wheel.
Hear from Denise next week and discover her other fab projects here: http://greenfingersdesigns.weebly.com/
RHS Cardiff flower show 2014 is 11 – 13 April this year – hope to see you there!