The weather of 2023 has so far proven to be quite a challenge in the garden. A cold, wet Spring left the ground muddy and difficult to manage; with delicate seedlings requiring a little extra blanket. This was then replaced by hot days, with a month of hardly any rain. Never a dull moment !
At present, the sun is at its highest in the sky, the trees are full of leaves and the garden is blooming with life.
Our newly re-modelled pond at RSPB Fairburn Ings is maturing nicely and proving popular with the wildlife. Newts, froglets, diving beetles all taking advantage of the cool depths, whilst beautiful dragonflies and damselflies skim the surface.
During spring we recycled wood to create a raised border in which peas, broad beans, onions and beetroot were sown. There’s nothing quite like growing your own produce and when the peas taste as delicious as ours did, who needs a pan ?
The Welcome Garden at RSPB St Aidan’s has also seen big changes. The compost topped cardboard has worked a treat; holding back the weeds and enriching the soil. We also added a layer of wood chippings to help retain moisture. Filling the area with lots of pollen rich plants, mostly perennials, should ensure year on year food for nature and colour for us. Bees, ladybirds and all manner of creeping insects are regularly seen, as are Blackbirds with beaks packed full of juicy worms to feed to their offspring.
The biggest challenge we faced was with our resident Peter Rabbit and his friends, who took quite a fancy to some of our plants. A ‘buffet’ for wildlife was our aim, this wasn’t quite what we expected!
We sowed from seed, divided and donated the plants. Wildlife gardens are so rewarding and they don’t have to cost the earth.
Go on, give it a go, nature will thank you for it! More info and resources here.
Don't forget to show us what you're doing in your wildlife gardens! Tag us on social media, we love seeing all your posts and what you get up to for nature.
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Writing: Jackie Pilcher
Photos: St Aidan's wildlife garden- Jackie Pilcher
Dragonfly- Duncan