Gardening with Wildlife Gardening for Wildlife

We only have to look at what has happened to our native wildlife to realise how important it is for
us to garden with wildlife in mind. We have the unique opportunity at Bowbrook Allotments of
having green spaces to develop for wildlife but our activities on our own individual plots have an
impact too. Many allotment sites throughout the country are now changing the way produce is
grown with much more emphasis on a partnership with wildlife. For established sites this is a more
difficult proposition than for us at BAC, for they have to undo years of gardening with chemicals
and an established ethos where wildlife is not high on the agenda.

It is terrible to think that 97% of our meadows have been ploughed up and most of that land is now
under intensive arable culture or grassland saturated by nitrogenous fertilisers. Applications of these
fertilisers give such a boost to the growth of rye grass that it crowds out all else. Add to that the
massive increase in the application of pesticides and herbicides since WW2 and we can see the
seriousness of the problem. Our native wildlife has not stood a chance. It has been squeezed out by
loss of habitat and where it has survived it has been sprayed with poisons.

Alongside the disappearance of our native flora came the collapse of the populations of
invertebrates, farmland birds and mammals. With the decline in our populations of voles, mice,
shrews etc our birds of prey have suffered, particularly our owl species.

We know that our bees are in serious trouble with numbers plummeting at an alarming rate. It has
also become very obvious in recent years that the number of butterflies that grace our gardens and
countryside has dropped drastically.

Perhaps the most worrying evidence of the seriousness of our disappearance of our wildlife came
about when the populations of our gardens' commonest birds, the House Sparrow and the Starling
began to decline. Our gardens became noticeably quieter!

But it is not an irreversable process. We can help put things right by carefully thinking about how
we garden. There are many things we can do to begin to reverse some of these population declines.

But it is not a one-way system for we, the allotmenteers, can benefit as much as wildlife does. All
this can be done without jeopardising our main aim in working an allotment – the production of
fruit and veg. By gardening with wildlife in mind we get their support in return in our fight against
pests. Having pollinating insects and bees around will increase crop yields and of course gardening
to the sights and sounds of birds, butterflies and insects enhances the gardening experience.

To achieve all this we can move towards an organic gardening ethos and endeavour to attract
wildlife.

1. Move towards organic gardening methods,

*look after your soil,
*stop the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides or at the least reduce them to an
absolute minimum,
*use natural pest control,
*practise companion planting,
*use green manures,
*feed plants with natural fertilisers.

2.Attract wildlife onto your plot and help it survive,

*grow a patch of wildflowers amongst our veg.
*put up nestboxes for birds and bats
*feed the birds
*provide homes and shelter for wildlife

Looking After the Soil

Perhaps the first and most important thing for the gardener to consider is to feed and look after the
soil. The soil on our plots should be full of life. One of the reasons for gardening is to get back in
touch with the soil, something that has been lost in recent generations. We need to regain contact
with real food and where it comes from. Soil should be full of life.

Plants that are grown in soil rich in organic matter will be stronger than those fed with chemical
feed, and are thus better able to withstand pest and disease attacks. The best organic feed of all is
our own home-made compost closely followed by well-rotted manure, and these both feed the soil
and improve its texture so allowing plants to absorb the nutrients. In addition we can feed the plants
with foliar organic feeds made from comfrey or seaweed based commercial feed.

Leaves of comfrey and nettles steeped in water makes an effective natural plant food.
 The leaves of comfrey are good compost accelerators and make plantfood and the bonus flowers
attract bees aplenty.

By improving the soil we increase the activity and population of invertebrates and micro-organisms
living in it. These improve soil texture, feed on decomposed plant and animal materials and make
them available to plants as food. The real hero of the soil is the worm! His constant burrowing
aerates the soil and he takes down from the surface leaves and other organic matter. It is the worm
who takes our compost and manure that we apply to the soil surface and mixes it in with the soil.
There are said to be over a million worms under each acre of land so our site must be home to
around 4 million. That is a big team of workers!

Stopping the use of artificial pesticides, fertilisers and herbicides

What we do when we feed plants with artificial fertilisers is encourage rapid soft growth which
pests absolutely love. Pests such as aphids will actually be attracted to your plot, where they will
feed voraciously on this new lush green growth.

If chemical pesticide sprays are used they are indiscriminate so kill beneficial insects in addition to
the pests. Pests reproduce more rapidly than their predators so get a stronger hold on the plot. Thus
pesticides often in the long term increase the population of the insect you are aiming to rid your
plants of. We are simply upsetting the balance of nature.

Of course in addition to this we end up eating the residues of the chemicals in our food.

Natural Pest Control

The alternative way of controlling pests is to aim to get a healthy balance of prey and predator. So
for each pest we must encourage a predator. We must create suitable habitats for predators and this
we can achieve by providing homes and shelters, and planting flowers to attract the predators. (see
later sections and appendices)

To help control aphids for example we need to attract from the insect world, lacewings, ladybirds
and hoverflies and from the bird world, members of the tit and finch families.

Companion Planting and Green Manures

Companion planting is a fascinating subject which works when we use it but until recently no-one
really knew why. Recent scientific research has confirmed that it works and has shown why.
Basically some plants when grown alongside others help them grow healthily, help deter pests and
can even put weeds off growing on your patch.

• French Marigolds grown alongside tomato plants deter whitefly.

• Chives and onions grown alongside carrots deter carrotfly.
• Nasturtiums grown alongside brassicas attract pests to their leaves and away from the brassicas.

(See also Appendix 4)

Green manures are crops grown to be incorporated into the soil to add nutrients. They are plants
that search deep into the soil and take up nutrients and store them in their leaves, stems and roots.
We need to dig these in before they flower when they are still succulent. As they break down they
release the nutrients back into the soil ready for the next productive crop to use. Some green
manures also attract beneficial insects/predators. Phacelia and poached egg plant both act as green
manures, suppress weed growth and attract beneficial insects.

Legumes such as lupins and winter tares fix nitrogen in nodules on their roots and the subsequent
crop can take advantage of this nitrogen. Green manures also protect the soil from weed growth and
prevent some leaching of nutrients from the soil in heavy winter rain.
(See Appendix 5)

Encouraging Wildlife and Helping it Survive

To encourage wildlife onto our plots we need to provide homes, shelters and nest sites and to ensure
they survive we need to provide food.

Growing Wildflowers
We do not want allotments to be become overgrown or untidy so we need to find ways that benefit
wildlife and look attractive. It is a fallacy that to attract wildlife you just let your garden go wild and
untidy! Wildlife friendly gardens can be as attractive as any others and have the added benefit of the
colours, scents and movement that our natural history brings.

The first thing to do is plant a patch of wildflowers or herbs on the plot. The best flowers to attract
insects, bees and butterflies are simple flowers, such as daisies rather than complex double flowers.
(see appendix 1 and 2) Some of the crops themselves attract wildlife too, this is especially true of
fruit. The flowers of apples, pears, blackberries and raspberries that are attractive for us to look at,
also attract bees, hoverflies and lacewings which are necessary for good development of fruit and
pest control. Once bees and butterflies visit these flowers they help pollinate them too. Multi-
tasking at its best!

There are many non-native garden plants that we can use to attract wildlife equally well. Some
naturalists would disagree and insist on native plants but thinking is moving towards combining
native and non-native plants in order to have maximum effect. We only need to see how the flowers
of buddleia act as a magnet for butterflies, bees and hoverflies. (Although buddleia has established
itself in the UK it is a native of China.) Earlier in the year marjorams attract the same wildlife and
later in the year that role is taken by sedum (ice plant) and eupatorium.

Honeybees on the flowers of sedum.

We have to consider supporting bees and insects throughout the year. Crocus are an important food
source early in the year especially for creatures emerging from hibernation. Ivy flowers perform a
similar role in late autumn and the ivy plant additionally bears berries enjoyed by blackbirds and
thrushes. Ivy climbing up our sheds is vital as a shelter for wrens and other small birds.
On our plots we have trouble with the caterpillars of the Cabbage White Butterflies and the only
way to protect them is to use netting with small mesh. Europe boasts about 250 species of butterfly
and only the Cabbage Whites attack our brassicas. It is untrue that all butterflies are harmful. Most
British butterflies are in danger following huge decreases in their populations following habitat loss.
For example in Lincolnshire the latest butterfly population survey showed that 12 species are now
extinct there. As gardeners we can help them to find refuge and thus help conserve these beautiful
and entertaining creatures. Alongside bees, butterflies are some of the best pollinators so rather than
damage our crops they can increase the yield.

Climbing plants on the garden shed provide birds with a place to roost, nest or shelter. Honeysuckle
will have berries late in the year and the bonus of scented flowers in the warmer months for the
gardener to enjoy while resting with a well-earned cup of tea. A climber also provides a good site
for a nestbox.

When a crop has been harvested it is useful to leave a plant or two to go to flower and then to seed.
You will be amazed at how attractive the flowers and seedheads are and they will attract hoverflies
and bees. Some of the most attractive are parsnip, garlic, fennel and carrot. At the seedhead stage
goldfinches will be grateful for the seeds. The gardener will be delighted by the arrival of the
brightly coloured goldfinch. As with much in wildlife gardening it is a two-way process. It is fun to
experiment and leave odd plants of different crops to flower and seed each year – the results can be
surprisingly beautiful.

The flowers of Fennel like exploding uellow fireworks.

Boxes for birds and bats

Providing birdboxes and insect shelters are easy ways of ensuring wildlife considers your plot as
home. An open-fronted box for robins and a closed front box with a small hole for members of the
tit family could be accommodated on your plot attached to the shed or to a pole. These birds plan
the timing of their broods to ensure that there is food for their young. When young hatch their
parents will feed them on pests that feed on your crops. So many birds, even seedeaters, feed their
young on insects. Great entertainment for us to watch and good for our crops too! Dimensions and
construction methods can be found on the RSPB and the BTO websites as well as in several books.
(see appendix 6)

Birds need us to help them survive by providing food, shelter and nesting sites. They will enjoy the
variety of habitats our site and individual plots can provide.

At night bats take on the mantle of top insect predator and we can provide bat boxes for them to
shelter in. Bats are finding it harder and harder to find suitable sites for roosting and winter
hibernation. It can take up to three years for any bats to start to use new boxes so we have to be
patient.

Homes and shelters for insects and invertebrates

Shelters are variously known as "insect hotels", "insect stacks" and "bug homes". They can be made
in so many different ways from a simple tube filled with canes to an "art installation" of bricks,
pallets, and wooden blocks filled with twigs, leaves, cones, straw, canes etc. Examples of these will
be placed around the site and several are making an appearance on individual allotments. Basically
we are providing the nooks, cracks and crannies that bugs call home.

There are about 1 500 mini-beasts which inhabit our plots and all will take advantage of a wildlife
stack. I have known of frogs also living in such a stack.

The "designer" minibeast stack at Tatton Park Show 2009.

In contrast to the insect stack is a block of wood with holes of various diameters drilled into or a tin
stuffed tightly with twigs or canes. If you have few d-i-y skills or little or no time, a variety of
insect homes can be bought from garden centres, wildbird seed catalogues and from the RSPB.
The logpile
A quick and easy way of attracting beneficial insects is to build a logpile perhaps alongside your
shed or compost heap. This will attract beetles and centipedes which are voracious slug-eaters.
Fungi and mosses will grow on the logs as they rot. Our rarest beetle and perhaps the most dramatic
is the Stags Horn Beetle and they can be attracted to logpiles.

The Garden Shed

The shed is not just a place to drink our tea and store our tools, it can provide opportunities to
attract wildlife. We must make sure that there is somewhere to sit next to our shed where we can
take time to appreciate our wildlife whilst enjoying our tea. We may be rewarded by having our
own robin to share our biscuits.

Your shed should boast a water butt to collect rainwater from the roof, climbing plants for shelter,
nest boxes and insect homes attached to its sides. The ultimate shed should also been topped off
with a green roof planted with various varieties of sedum and small grasses such as fescues.
Many butterflies hibernate during our winter and sheds are often their chosen venue. Badly fitting
doors are often taken advantage of as entry points but it is possible to cut narrow slits in the sides
near the roof to give butterlies access.

Never be afraid to call for help with your pest control problems.
Appendix 1

Gardening for butterflies

Plants to attract butterflies achillea

asters
buddleia
phlox
coreopsis
echinacea
helenium
nepeta
origanum
verbena bonariensis
hebe
eupatorium

Nectar Food Plants oxeye daisies

cornflowers
thyme
 honesty
scabious
thrift
petunia
purple loosestrife
sweet rocket
aubretia

Caterpillar Food Plants gooseberries

grasses
clover
hops
birds foot trefoil
mallow
angelica

Appendix 2

Herbaceous and annual plants to attract bees

achillea
asters
fennel
echinacea
echinops
helenium
monarda
nepeta
origanum
sidalcea
veronicastrum
liatris
coreopsis
dahlias
eupatorium
salvia
inula
ligularia
primroses
red campion
mint

Shrubs to attract bees

buddleia
cotoneaster
lavender
lavatera
berberis
choisya
lonicera
potentilla
pyracantha
 single flowered roses
wild roses
ribes

Appendix 3

Plants to attract birds

Shrubs to provide food for birds (berries, seeds, insects)

cotoneaster
berberis
firethorn
hawthorn
wild roses and cultivated ones that have hips
dogwoods
spindle
buddleia
lavender
guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)

Shrubs to provide nest sites and cover

gorse
berberis
firethorn
hawthorn

Climbers for nesting and food

honeysuckle
ivy
bramble
clematis

Herbaceous plants for fruit and seeds

cornflowers
evening primrose
sunflowers
wallflowers
asters
forget-me-nots
honesty
solidago
eupatorium

Appendix 4

Companion Planting
(I include here only ones that I have used or seen in action at the Garden Organic gardens at
Ryton.)
 Crop (Veg) Companion plant
Brassicas sage, dill, borage, thyme, nasturtium
cucumber chives, sage, dill
tomato tagetes, nasturtium, basil
potato tagetes, summer savoury
marrow, squash etc. borage, fennel, nasturtium
capsicum basil
carrot sage, dill, alliums, parsley, chives
lettuce alliums
beets alliums
french beans borage
runner beans sweetpeas, borage
broad beans summer savoury, borage
sweetcorn sunflowers
celery/celeriac alliums
parsnip radish

Crop (Fruit)
currants/gooseberries limnanthes
apples tansy, alliums, nasturtium
strawberries borage, alliums, limnanthes
raspberries tansy, garlic, tagetes.

Appendix 5

Green Manures
sowing time max time in ground
alfafa May-Aug 14 weeks legume
field beans Oct-Nov 20 weeks legume
chicory Apr-Aug 16 weeks deep rooting
crimson clover Apr-June 26 weeks legume
white clover May 26 weeks legume
lupins Apr-May 12/14 weeks good on light soil
mustard June 8-10 weeks clears wireworm
winter tares Aug-Sept 20 weeks legume

(This list is far from complete – refer to any good book on organic gardening fro a comprehensive
list)

Appendix 6 Information Sources

Books
"How to Create a Wildlife Garden" – Christine and Michael Lavelle
"Bringing a Garden to Life" – Jenny Steel

"Butterfly Gardening" – Jenny Steel

"How to Make a Wildlife Garden" – Chris Baines

"No Nettles Required" – Ken Thompson

"The Natural Gardener" – Val Bourne

Websites

BBC Breathing Places – www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces

Garden Organic – www.gardenorganic.org.uk

RSPB – www.rspb.org.uk/hfw

The Wildlife Trusts – www.wildlifetrusts.org.uk

Shropshire Wildlife Trust – www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Shropshire Organic Gardeners – www.shropshireorganicgardeners.org.uk

Bug Life – www.buglife.org.uk

Suppliers of nest boxes, wildlife feed etc.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury

Wiggly Wigglers - Tel. 01981 500391 - E-mail www.wigglywigglers.co.uk

CJ Wildbird Foods Ltd. - Tel. 01743 709545 - E-mail www.birdfood.co.uk

Vine House Farm – Tel. 01775 630208 - E-mail www.vinehousefarm.co.uk

Garden Bird Supplies - Tel. 0844 9948989 - E-mail www.gardenbird.co.uk

Charlies Stores Harlescott, Shrewsbury

Garden Centres Grosvenor Garden Centre near Chester

Percy Throwers Shrewsbury
Dobies Shrewsbury
Wyevale Telford