While walking to the shop earlier, I was stopped in my tracks as I spotted the most joyous pink flower boldly growing from the gutter.
I know it’s a weed, but what even defines a weed? Weeds can be beautiful too. They supply vital nectar to pollinators, the same as any nurtured garden plant, plus the flowers upon close inspection can be just as stunning.
Where is the most unexpected place you’ve seen a beautiful ‘weed’?
Please leave a comment to share any of your finds.
Even the simple act of hanging a bird feeder will get the birds visiting your garden again.
Different types of food will attract different birds. Insect eaters such as blackbirds and sparrows love mealworms, whereas a goldfinch is partial to niger seeds.
To prevent spreading illness between your feathered friends, you must remember to regularly wash your bird feeders. Warm soapy water is all you need.
Somewhere to shelter and nest, plus a constant supply of water is important too. They’ll be permanent residents before you know it!
There is nothing more joyous than watching a mummy bird feed her hungry fledglings right in your garden.
Grow butterfly-friendly plants
To ensure a variety of butterflies and insects visit your garden, you need to plant an array of different plant species that flower at different times of the year.
Fruit trees that blossom at the beginning of the year will give vital nectar to any early emerging butterflies or insects. The rotting fruit will provide an excellent food source, later on too.
A small apple or plum tree in your garden would not only benefit the butterflies, but you too.
Who doesn’t love a crumble?!
For a late supply of nectar, try planting Verbena bonariensis or an old-fashioned pink Sedum. Both will flower late into the Autumn, providing energy to any late visiting butterflies, moths or other pollinators.
Verbena bonariensis.
Flower shape is very important too. Aswell as flat open daisy-like flowers, butterflies like long, thin tubed flowers, such as honeysuckle, buddleja and phlox.
Flowers which have many petals bunched together and have no visible centre are called ‘double-flowered’. These are no good for any pollinator, especially butterflies. They simply can’t access the nectar.
Hedgehogs are amazing at controlling the slugs in your garden, but unfortunately their numbers are rapidly declining.
In order to eat enough food they need to freely roam between many, many gardens in one night.
As we have become more security conscious and tidy in our gardens, hedgehogs no longer have free access to our land.
Rotten, holey fences, have been replaced with fences which have concrete gravel boards. Open slatted gates have become filled-in solid gates down to the floor and hedges are no longer in favour as too easy for burglar Bill to climb through.
Along with all your neighbours, why not add hedgehog sized holes into the bottom of your fences and gates to create a ‘hedgehog highway’ in your street?
Offering them food (small amount of meaty cat food) plus somewhere cosy and dry to nest or hibernate is another way to encourage them to visit your garden.
You can find out more about building a hedgehog house here
Bats feast on night flying insects, but can be hindered by artificial light.
Did you know that there are 18 species of bat living in the UK?
To prevent them from crashing into objects when finding their food, they need complete darkness, so go easy on your solar lights or turn them off when you go inside at night.
Moths, like butterflies also need a rich supply of nectar.
Some great night-scented plants you could try are: Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Evening Primrose, White Nicotiana and the night-scented Stock.
So there you have it…
By growing nectar rich plants you attract butterflies, moths and other pollinators. Then by letting those plants’ leaves and fruit rot down into fresh organic matter you attract insects and worms, which in turn attract birds and hedgehogs!
Nature is amazing. With just one quick helping hand, it can soon thrive and turn our gardens into mini wildlife hubs.
Which one of my 3 simple tips will you choose to try this weekend?
Please leave a comment letting me know how it goes.
These 3 quick and easy ways of adding water, can be done in a weekend and will give you instant results.
Water is vital for the survival of wildlife, but also calms the mind and creates peace.
A bird bath
Simply use a large terracotta saucer. Place some large perching stones in it, fill with water and you’ll have birds visiting your garden before you know it. You can even make a feature by standing the saucer on top of an upturned pot.
Place several bird baths around your garden.
Low ones for hedgehogs, frogs and ground insects and high ones for birds and flying insects, especially bees.
A container pond
Not got the time or space for a conventional garden pond?
A container will have all the benefits of a pond, but is much quicker to set up!You can use a large plastic plant pot, an old aluminium trough, a half barrel or even a washing up bowl!
Simply fix any holes with a waterproof sealer or use a pond liner.
Add some gravel to the bottom and fill with water (ideally rain water).
To ensure that any animals can escape if they accidentally fall in, you need to build some steps. This can be a large stick at an angle or a series of large rocks.
Equally, they need a way in, so again simply pile some rocks are logs around one edge.
Lastly, add a couple of water plants. These will help to attract insects, such as damsel flies or dragon flies. You can even buy pygmy water lilies, which are perfect for small pond spaces.
You can find a handy tutorial on how to make your container pond here
A solar fountain
Who doesn’t find the gentle sound of babbling water relaxing?
Not got electricity? Not a problem!
You can still make a small water feature, simply use a solar pump.
We filled this great plastic pot with decorative stones and water, placed a solar pump just under the surface and instantly had a great water feature for our decking area. You can just see the solar panel behind. It stores a lot of energy so the pump runs even when the sun goes in. We bought it from www.powerbee.co.uk.
Our simple solar fountain took less than an hour to set up.
So there you have it…
Which one will you try this weekend?
Please leave a comment.
I’d love to hear how it went.
Before you go, please don’t forget to give me a like and share.
Girl Gardener 