So here we are third and final installment in what I hope you agree has been a privileged look into Wildlife Friendly's Devon garden. If anyone would be up for showing us theirs too, just pop a comment at the end and I'll get in touch. I realise most people are  shy about this kind of thing, but I hope the joy of sharing with - and inspiring - others makes you consider it. Far better than just seeing my garden all the time! Adrian

What works a treat:

  • The pond has to be almost top of my list. The amount of wildlife it’s attracted into my garden is phenomenal. It is spanned by a small bridge where I can lose hours staring into the depths. The highlight is the Kingfisher who occasionally fishes from the hand rail (right).
  • The spring meadow and cornfield bed were new additions this year and will be a definite for future years. They have brought new species to the garden and have proved a huge hit with both insects and birds. Below right is Small Copper butterfly.
  • The log piles and tree stumps are beginning to reap rewards and have attracted some fascinating beetles and insects (such as the Hornet below).
  • Providing nectar rich flowers during every month of the year not only brings colour to the garden but it literally buzzes with insects.
  • Top of my list has to be the added interest gardening for wildlife has brought. No matter what time of day or night or which month it is there is always an insect, bird or animal putting on a show. Once in a while I see something that literally takes my breath away, this alone makes it all so worth while and rewarding.

 
Challenges or regrets:

  • Being on the edge of a flood plain means 70% of the garden floods a couple of times during the winter. Finding safe hibernating sites is a challenge.
  • I would have liked to turn the orchard into a wildflower meadow but the rich silt that the floods bring has made that impossible.

 
Future projects:

  • I need to identify and record more of the species which visit the garden.
  • Make a moth trap.
  • Adrian’s book (Gardening for wildlife) has been an inspiration and has given me future direction. I want to concentrate on persuading the visiting wildlife to stay and breed, all the information I need is in the book, all I have to do is implement it.