A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE

Liz and Peter’s main aim was to garden organically and provide an environment in which wildlife could thrive – and they have certainly achieved this, with many more varieties of insects and birds visiting and nesting than previously. The garden contains a stream and a pond, which attract herons, frogs and much more, and their mix of beech, privet and hawthorn hedging provides the perfect haven for wildlife.

Five years ago the couple began keeping bees and now have two colonies. ‘Any plants and trees we add have to be pollinator friendly,’ says Liz. ‘And as we don’t use chemicals it means we have a lovely mossy lawn.’ They’ve planted many bulbs that have naturalised in the long grasses. The area has been left wild and on sunny days early in the year the bees will venture out to collect nectar from the snowdrops, crocuses and scillas.