Notes accompanying Howard Drury’s Presentation ‘Balancing Gardening with Wildlife
The future of our wildlife overall is in your hands.
Lost whole species of insects, animals and plants being lost along with their habitat around the world.
Can you remember the old wet meadows?
Draining of areas including peat bogs for arable and urban use
Falling acreage of woodlands, too many conifers
Gone are 250,000 miles of hedge habitat.
1960’s and the days of “chemicals”
Creeping concrete jungles
Effects of legislation including EU directives such as dredging
Today’s Position as Howard Interprets it
Cannot sustain rate of loss of habitat.
Birds are 90% dependent on urban habitat.
Individual gardens combining to form habitat corridors.
Aware of dangers of ‘Chemicals’ (Humans)
Green, environmentally friendly practices
Organic gardener profile and concept
Potager concept
Balanced ecosystem of friendly wildlife
Need to include plants, animals, and humans!
Friend or Foe or a Bit of Both
Badgers and Foxes (depends on where you live!)
Slugs, aphids are needed as part of food chain.
Eco balancing act of beneficial attributes versus detrimental attributes of each.
Importance of complete food supply chains
Many different types of habitats in our gardens
Combination of gardens and open spaces
Takes time to build up a complex, balanced ecosystem.
No one can possibly cater for all the requirements for all forms of wildlife!
Concept of Balanced Wildlife Garden
We need to consider all users Inc. humans.
Does not need to be wild or neglected.
Can keep conventional garden designs.
Very important to choose plants carefully.
Provide food, water, sheltered, breeding.
More different features = wider range wildlife
Gradual change, carefully reselecting plants
Creating habitat attractive features
Do not depend on native species.
Gardening With Wildlife Aims and Principals
May need to change horticultural concepts.
The Lawn –
Accept weeds.
Change mowing practices, height of cut etc.
Allow weeds to seed!
Consider use of alternatives to native species & cultivars to provide habitat and food
Understand wildlife needs, habitat / food.
Create linked corridors across urban areas.
Plants for Food
Need to feed entire food chain including pests!
Cottage garden style mix of plants
Choose plants to provide long season supply.
Avoid sterile F1 hybrids.
Flowers, nectar, pollen seeds, fruits, leaves
Poppies, Cornflowers, bellflowers
Herbs to attract many insects.
Night scented flowers for moths and bats
Does it have to be natural effect to work?
Chemicals, Plants and Wildlife
Should we say no to the use of ‘inorganic chemicals /fertilizers?
Chemicals are indiscriminate in their mode of action on wildlife but can protect plants.
This allows the next generation of pest to breed faster and may cause mutations.
Often insufficient or no natural predators
Must not break food chain of wildlife.
Must not upset the lowest microorganisms upwards.
Should we avoid use of weed killers (so-called toxins left in the soil)
Tidy Garden or Wildlife Shelter
Difference between staying and visiting.
Plants - birds nesting or feeding, hiding.
Natural features, rotting vegetation, mulch.
Artificial, dry-stone wall, log piles
Putting up bird houses, bat boxes, bee hotels
Examples of plants would include common Ivy, Wisteria, honeysuckle, and many others from around the world.
Avoid masses of hard landscape
Create many diverse forms of shelter.
Water
Difference between staying and visiting.
Plants - birds nesting or feeding, hiding.
Natural features, rotting vegetation, mulch.
Artificial, dry-stone wall, log piles
Putting up bird houses, bat boxes, bee hotels
Examples of plants would include common Ivy, Wisteria, honeysuckle, and many others from around the world.
Avoid masses of hard landscape
Create many diverse forms of shelter.
Soils
Acid or alkaline habitats (the Lizard)
Not necessary to improve all your soil.
Extension of organic gardening
Neutral soil has the widest advantages.
Use advantage of waterlogged areas
Adapt plans for light sandy or clay soils!
Work with what you have and accept what comes with it rather than changing it
Garden and wildlife worthy plants for dry, dusty areas.
Kniphofia (Redhot pokers from South Africa)
Echinops rito
Eryngium (sea holly from California)
Sedum spectable (Ice plant)
Ceanothus (Californian Lilac)
Lavendula multifidi
Compost Heaps
Vital part of wildlife gardening
Good mix of green and woody ingredients
No longer built in layers / use of shredder.
Save top of old heap to start new heap.
Ideally bigger than 3x3x3ft
Keep leaves separate (very valuable)
Avoid silly little plastic bins!
Encouraging Predators
Provide food and homes.
Role of nettles in food chain
Many native plants e.g. Comfrey
Nectar and pollen producing plants.
Scented herbs Thymes, Lavenders amongst roses, companion planting
Cannot use chemicals in any form.
Umbellifers attract many beneficial insects.
Think how to beat the problem ecologically.
Slug Eating Slugs
Some Slugs are Carnivorous (meat eaters)
29 species of UK slugs
Only 8 eat green vegetation.
8 eat decaying matter.
Others = Carnivores, eating each other and other pests
Plants for Predators
Echium ‘Blue Bedder’
Convolvulus ‘Tricolor’
Limnanthes douglasii (poached egg plant)
Nemophila menziesii (penny black flower)
Alchemilla mollis
Viburnum (especially winter flowering types)
Trifolium pratense (white clover)
Anthriscus sylvestris (cow parsley)
Convolvulus arvensis (bindweed)
Pruning and Clearing
May need to change timings of jobs.
Do not trim hedges when birds are nesting.
Do not burn prunings, leave in heaps to rot.
To tidy up or not?
Leaves are best left to rot in situ if possible.
Autumn mulching, no leaf clearing or composting.
Herbaceous borders, when and how to cut.
Hedgehogs and others over wintering
Good Border Plants
Dipsacus fullonum (teasel)
Echinops ritro (sea holly)
Verbascum bomyciferum (mullien)
Helianthus annuus (sunflower)
Digitalis (foxglove)
Calendulas (pot marigolds)
Plants for Butterflies and Moths
Need to Know full life history of species and hosts.
Scents of flowers can mimic pheromones!
Heliotrope, Ivy, Buddleia for butterflies
Oneothera, Nicotiana night scented moths
Sedum, Michaelmas Daisy, Lavender
Hebe, Iberis, French Marigold, Aubretia
Red Valerian, Marjoram, Chives
Herbs foliage Rosemary, Hyssop, Mints
Hedges not Fences or Walls
Provide shelter, food and link to other areas.
Look beyond native subjects, avoid conifers.
Value of mixed hedges
Include Berberis, Roses, Philadelphus, Syringa, Blackthorn, Willow, Cornus, Ilex
Cover with old man’s beard (Clematis)
Vegetation at foot of hedges is vital.
Flower Meadows
98% of all meadows lost since 1940.
Various types, chalk, wet, dry, acid, lowland
Annual cornfield meadow
Spring or long season meadows
Most are well drained and low nutrient.
Flat roof meadows?
When to cut after flowering
Maintaining correct ratio of each species
Personally, not a neglected lawn
Ponds and Wetland Habitats
Puddle to a lake, bog or marsh!
Evolved from village pond for water supply.
Natural dew ponds at lowest points cattle
Gently sloping on at least one side
Varying water depths
Surrounding habitat for wildlife protection
All Year-Round Food Supply
Understand needs of the wildlife AYR
Select plants to provide food over season.
Supplement when needed.
Safe feeding areas from predators
Delay some gardening tasks to leave food and protection.
Wildlife Friendly Shrubs
What do they offer? Food, shelter, protection
Not all need to be evergreen.
Use of near native species where possible
Pruning group Two or Three
Multiple attributes, e.g. Mahonia
Most valuable, often least liked (Hedera)
I will add images and more information as and when time permits
The information given in this fact sheet is provided in good faith. It is however of necessity general information and advice on the topic Howard Drury shall be under any liability in respect of the provision of such advice and information, and you are strongly advised to seek independent advice on any particular gardening problems or queries you may have, preferably from experts who can (when appropriate) inspect the problem before providing advice.
© 2024. This material has been produced by Howard Drury and must not be reproduced in part or full without the written consent of Howard Drury 8 Bagnell Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B13 0SJ
JHD/9/10/2024
