Wildlife Friendly's Garden Showcase

I'm thrilled that for this and the next two blogs, Wildlife Friendly - who so regularly responds to this blog - has kindly agreed (I asked very nicely!) to show us her garden. If you like what you see, I'd love to hear your comments. I for one think she is doing an amazing job and am so grateful she has found the time to put this together. Adrian

Location: Devon (¼ mile from the river, elevation 5m)

Description: Large rural garden surrounded by farm land and on the edge of a flood plain.
Back garden: Faces east, c ½ acre.
Side garden: Faces south, c ¼ acre.
Orchard: Leading on from the back garden, it’s triangular shaped and c ¾ acre

Soil: Clay, dry in the summer, water logged in the winter.

Main wildlife features:

Back garden:

• Large undulating grassed area (due to our ever increasing Mole population) which ends in a Ha-ha and the farmer’s field.
• A shade bed beneath a mature Oak.
• Owl box.
• Large semicircular bed filled with nectar rich flowers, evergreens, grasses and climbers (right).
• Bee and ladybird boxes.
• Two round raised beds, one for single flowered Dahlias the other for annuals and biennials.
• Pond
• Shrubbery
• Small, Silver birch wood with wood piles, tree stumps, timber pillars, nest boxes , insect house and Hibernaculum.
• Trees; Oak, Hazel, 2 Rowan, Flowering Cherry, Copper Beach, Beach, Cedar, 10 Silver birch.
• Climbers; 3 grape vines, Ivy, clematis, Golden hop.

 
Side garden:

• Round grassed area with a blue cedar in the centre (right).
• A number of flower beds.
• Mature Hazel, Hawthorn, Lilac and crab apple.
• Climbers; Wisteria, Ivy, Honeysuckle and Jasmine.
• Bird feeders.
• Nest boxes
• Greenhouse
• Dry stone wall

  
Orchard:

• Six raised vegetable beds.
• Five compost bins
• Strawberry bed
• Red and blackcurrant bushes
• Fruit/nut trees, Cherry, Pear, Plum, Greengage, Damson, Almond, Walnut, Hazel and six mature Apple trees.
• Spring meadow
• Raised, round Cornfield bed (right).
• Small pond.
• Lining one side is a row of mature Oak, Ash, Hazel and Hawthorn.
• On another side the hedge is half native half Laurel.
• The third side is a stone wall with a mixed boarder in front.
• The orchard is grass with mowed pathways.

Next time: Wildlife Friendly's 'Wildlife Wows' in her garden