More rain!! We don't need it but that's nature for us ... and it's a bit of a shame as it's a rather wet weekend for our last weekend open at the garden today 31st October and tomorrow 1st November.
Robin: Nigel Blake (rspb-images.com)
Our volunteers have been working hard through it all and we will still be there, the birds will be there and our flowering autumnal plants and colourful trees will still be there so do come and see us if you feel like braving the weather for some extra tips on how to take care of wildlife in the garden through autumn and winter. There's a lovely walk around the National Trust Dedham Vale close by (bring your wellies!) and the tea room is open 10-4pm.
If you're keen on taking care of your own garden through the rainy weather, there are some tips from Country Living on how to take care of plants that could be taking a bit of a bettering and some extra information from the RHS on how to deal with water-logging and flooding. Many garden plants that thrive in wet conditions such as waterside Gunneras and woodland Ferns which are also tolerant of deep shade.
It was the last in the series of Gardener's World last night which will be repeated on Sunday morning at 8am but they will continue to post on Facebook and Instagram and we will be continuing our wildlife gardening blog right here through the winter with more tips and information on wildlife friendly plants and wildlife in our gardens.
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Brown Long-eared Bat: Laurie Campbell (rspb-images.com)
With it being Halloween today, what better day to find out a little more about our nocturnal garden friends, bats! We have 18 species of bat in the UK and trying to spot which species it is can be quite a challenge in the dark! Listening to their sounds and watching their behaviour are helpful clues and if you have a torch switched on, you may be lucky to get a good look at their colouring if one flutters through the beam. There are some bat spotting tips online from the National History Museum and some great photos on the different species from the National Trust. Find information from the RSPB on how to build a bat box, what to do if you find bats in the house and how the kids can play a game of bat and moth catch with each other.
I hope you get to see some of these intriguing creatures tonight or any time at dusk or dark, they seem to remain mysterious to us as we rarely get a chance for a good close up look.
Happy Halloween everyone!
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The Flatford Wildlife Garden is open for it's last weekend this Sat 31st October and Sun 1st November 10.30am- 4pm. Entrance to the garden is free, it’s push-chair friendly and dogs on leads are welcome. Parking is £5 in the National Trust Car Park next door.