Gardening for WILDLIFE
In our previous issue we talked to Paul Sterry, ‘The Biodiversity Gardener’. Here, he offers his top tips for anybody who wants to follow in his footsteps…
Once upon a time I was a conventional gardener. Horticultural life was a constant struggle and I was seldom satisfied with the outcome. However, for the last decade, I have abandoned this approach and now manage my plot of land for the benefit of wildlife, not the human eye. This change of direction has come as a huge relief. More importantly, however, I have the evidence of my own eyes that the benefits to native wildlife, across the board, are meaningful, growing and lasting. I gain immense fulfilment from the knowledge that, at least in my small garden, the natural world has the upper hand.
Do your homework
Like many, I live in a semi-rural landscape that was rich in native wildlife in my youth, but is now severely depleted thanks to contemporary land use. In my part of southern England, true wilderness has not existed for millennia. The local biodiversity I knew and loved when growing up evolved over time as an unintended consequence of the low-impact way the land was managed, historically. All was well until about 70 years ago, when the environmental rot set in.
To combat degradation of biodiversity in the surrounding countryside, I have attempted to turn back the clock by a couple of centuries and create a microcosm of the habitats appropriate to my local area. Where I live that means meadows, woodlands, hedgerows, scrub and freshwater. My garden has become a ‘Noah’s Ark’ of native biodiversity from which future generations might just be able to build back Britain, biologically. Local knowledge is a good starting point for any budding biodiversity gardener when planning their own project – get to know your local patch and enhance your garden with local habitats and associated species in mind.
Soil
Soil is arguably the most important component in any biodiversity garden. It is a habitat in its own right and underpins the well-being of every other part of the garden, and ultimately every species. Healthy soil biodiversity is dependent on, and enhanced by, a stable environmental. Consequently, keep soil disturbance in your garden to an absolute minimum and, of course, do not use chemicals in any shape or form.
Patience is a virtue
Do not expect nature recovery and restoration to occur overnight. It requires time for species to colonise and complex relationships to develop. The budding biodiversity gardener needs patience and an appreciation of the gradual, incremental pace of change and enrichment.
Slow pace wildlife observation
If you were so minded, you could walk around my garden in a couple of minutes and think you had seen it all. However, if you have the eyes to see, plus a dose of natural curiosity and imagination, you could stand in one spot for an hour and continually make new observations. Throughout your period of reflection, swaying grasses and flowers, and the coming and going of butterflies and other insects, would create a mesmerising canvas.
The night shift
Another tip for appreciating your garden wildlife is to venture out after dark in search of the night shift. With the aid of a powerful LED torch all manner of creatures can be found. For example, caterpillars of many moths and
butterflies remain hidden in the day – some migrating to ground-level – and emerge to feed only under cover of darkness. Pond life is also most fascinating after dark, again viewed with the aid of a powerful torch.
Pond creation
A garden pond provides a welcome freshwater environment for aquatic creatures and those who depend seasonally on it for breeding. Although even tiny ponds provide some benefits to wildlife, the larger the better is generally the rule. When creating a pond from scratch, make sure it has shelving margins, not abrupt sides, and is deep enough (perhaps 1.5 metres) not to freeze solid in harsh winters. If possible, locate the pond in partial shade to avoid it overheating in summer, but not under a tree: falling leaves in autumn will soon clog it. In terms of plants, stock minimally with native aquatic species appropriate to your area. Avoid other introductions, specifically fish, if you want to benefit native wildlife. Native freshwater life will appear under its own steam and it can be fascinating to record for yourself the pace of colonisation.
Hedgerow planting schemes
Hedgerows are part of the landscape of Britain
and are vital habitats for wildlife, providing not just havens in their own rights but connectivity across the landscape.
If you want to plant a hedge and benefit your local wildlife then study your local established hedgerows and replicate in your planting scheme not just the species present nearby, but their relative abundance.
Meadows
When it comes to meadow restoration or creation, some good advice is to abandon any preconceptions you may have about what the habitat should look like. Forget the flowery visions portrayed on commercial seed mix packets; many of these contain a bizarre mix of annuals and exotics that are irrelevant to stable grassland communities in Britain and will never persist.
Instead, concentrate on the backbone of any meadow: its grasses. Although sources of nectar are important for many butterflies, for example, the caterpillars of most of our lowland grassland-breeding species actually feed on a range of different grass species. Grassland habitats evolve over time and new species are likely to appear, as if by colonising magic, as the years go by.
Fallen leaves
I try to avoid the term ‘leaf litter’ because of its pejorative undertones. Unlike plastic, for example, leaves are a welcome and natural gift, not polluting and antisocial litter. Rather than compost them, or, heaven forbid, burn them, I spread them like a blanket on the few remaining herbaceous beds in my garden.
Fallen leaves are a source of nutrition to be recycled by soil invertebrates and fungi. Equally importantly, they provide a brief and ephemeral habitat for invertebrates, many of which hibernate or pupate here.