Gardening For Birds And Wildlife

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Why Garden for Wildlife?

For Conservation

For Pleasure

For Education

Conservation -. Gardens can provide all an animal or plant needs: food, water, shelter, breeding area and a sanctuary away from busy road, a great conservation opportunity. Wildlife gardening is one of the most important and rewarding things we can do to help. And no garden is too small - live in a flat consider installing a window box

Pleasure - Because you love watching wildlife. The joy of watching birds feed at a bird feeder. Waiting for tadpoles morph into Frogs or even become giant tadpoles. The pleasure of butterflies fluttering over the Buddleia.

Education - Wildlife gardening provides an excellent educational resource for children and adults alike. There are animals and wild flowers to identify, mini habitats to recreate and alternative organic gardening to put into practice..

Wildflower meadows

Wildflower meadows are wonderful - full of colour and buzzing with insects in spring and summer. Meadows offer food and shelter for invertebrates including Bees, Caterpillars, Grasshoppers, Hoverflies and Ladybirds.

Butterflies such as the meadow brown, small copper and common blue lay their eggs on meadow plants. Frogs and Toads will find shelter and insects to eat. Shrews, moles, voles, mice and other small mammals will find a home here and larger mammals such as foxes may visit. Birds, such as Goldfinch's, Greenfinches and Linnets, will feed on wildflower seeds. Blackbirds, Martins, Starlings, Swallows, Swifts, Thrushes as well as Bats will feed on the insects which fly above meadows.

If you have a poorly drained area of the garden consider creating a wildflower meadow. Stop mowing the lawn in late Autumn, which is just the right time time to plant spring -flowering bulbs and plants like the snakes head fritillary, Bird's foot trefoil, Field Scabious, Greater Knapweed, Moon Daisy, Lady's Smock/Cowslip and Ragged Robin. Consider planting young plants/plugs, seed sown on the surface of an existing lawn may have it difficult to compete with vigorous grass roots. Spring meadows should be left uncut until early summer, when the flowers have re-seeded. Rake off the mowings to maintain low soil fertility. On nutrient-rich ground you can grow cornfield annuals instead such as corn cockle, corn marigold, chamomile, corn poppy and wild pansy.

Wildlife Friendly Plants

Bergamot. Bushy Aromatic perennial. Loved by pollinating insects and birds. Flowers over long period, seed head provide autumn food for birds .	Foxglove Foxgloves prefer light shade. Bumblebees love them. Leaves provide spring food for emerging butterfly and Moth larva Biennial.	Purple loosestrife. Prefers a damp soil. The spikes of purple flowers appear in mid summer and attract bees. Perennial. .
Bird’s foot trefoil A useful plant in the wildlife garden, Larval food plant of the common blue butterfly, adults take nectar. Perennial	Greater Knapweed A meadow flower, long lasting attracts insects and Butterflies. Perennial .	Ragged Robin A plant for damp or heavy soils, the ragged robin is delicate and attractive. Flowering in early summer. Attracts long tongued Bees and butterflies Perennial.
Cornflower Annual wildflower, Loved by bees and common blue butterflies. Finches will visit the seed heads in the autumn.	Hyssop One of the best herbs for a sunny well drained spot. Important Bee and butterfly attractant Insects over winter on it	Red Campion A plant for light shade, A good plant to attract moths. Perennial .
Corn Marigold Annual with bright yellow flowers. Visited by bees and hoverflies for its pollen .	Lady's bedstraw Spreading wildflower loved by moths. Perennial .	St John’s wort St John's wort is a good bee plant, seeds eaten by Bullfinches. Will grow in most soils in sun, or a little shade. Perennial
Cowslip Scented wildflower, suitable to naturalise in grass for a spring meadow effect Perennial .	Meadowsweet Prefers a damp or heavy clay soil that does not dry out Scented For the moonlit garden attracting nectar feeding Moths and Bats. Seed eating birds take flower heads Perennial.	Teasel Teasels can reach five or six feet. Excellent for attracting bees, butterflies, hoverflies and goldfinches. Biennial .
Dill Loved by hoverflies. Seedheads eaten by birds, however slugs love this plant food which are then predated upon by other creatures (Hedgehogs, Frogs) .	Moon/ ox eye daisy Golden Marguerite Flowers in early summer, and attracts some of the early summer butterflies to it. it Favoured by many good bugs, hoverflies, ladybirds lacewings, and parasitic wasps. Perennial.	Verbena bonariensis Long lasting flowers beloved d of butterflies, provides food until the first frosts ad shelter for over wintering insects .
Evening primrose One for the moonlit garden. Hoverflies, Bees and butterflies visit it during the day. Insects attracted by scent. Fruit capsules containing tiny seeds taken by various finches	Greater Mullein Butterflies and other insects attracted to flowers. Food plant of the Mullein Moth caterpillar. Seed taken by birds .	Vipers Bugloss A biennial wildflower for Bees and smaller Butterflies such as Skippers. Likes free draining soil .
Field poppy Annual poppy Self seeds. Loved by Bees and Hoverflies.	Musk Mallow Pink flowers over a long period in summer, attracting Bees and bumblebees. Perennial.	Wild Marjoram Wild marjoram attracts the smaller Butterflies in great numbers, especially Gatekeepers and Common blues. The Cabbage white lay their eggs on it . Popular with bees. Perennial.
Field Scabious A pale mauve perennial wildflower, flowering well into the autumn months. Good for Butterflies .	Poached egg plant Sought out by hoverflies and Bees, Loved by aphids which attract insect eating birds and good predators such as Lacewings	Wild Pansy The wild pansy can behave as an annual, biennial or short lived perennial. Bees visit the flowers. .

Want to know more about 'wee the beds', Butterworts and Toadflax's then take a stroll with us - we offer a varied programme of indoor meetings and field trips throughout the year.

Shrubs and Climbers

Berberis Thick prickly Intruder proof hedge. Attracts butterflies and bees. Valuable berries for winter thrushes such as Redwings, Waxwings & Fieldfare. Prefers sunny well drained soil	Honeysuckle. Sweet scented irresistible to Butterflies. Red berries for bird to eat. And gives cover for Thrushes, Finches, Tits and Warblers. Sun or partial shade, well drained position .	Pyracantha -Orange glow Dense spiny structure provides safe nesting places. Copious berries are taken by Winter Thrushes. Prefers well drained position, copes well with urban pollution .
Buddleia The butterfly bush. Undisputed top summer flowering plant for butterflies. Also attracts insect eating birds. Full sun, well drained .	Ivy Provides dense cover for nesting birds such as s Wrens. Berries taken by Winter Thrushes, Starlings and Finches. Ivy is the larval food for the Holly blue caterpillar. Fertile well drained position.	Wisteria. Scented shrub which attracts insects and the birds that eat them such as Flycatchers and Warblers. gives cover for nesting birds. Prefers deep rich soil in sun partial shade .
Clematis Alpina Provides effective cover w with it's dense tangle of foliage. seeds are ate by Sparrows and Finches Moist, well drained, sited in a north facing situation, sun or partial shade	Lavender. Attractive to bees, butterflies and Moths. Flycatcher's and House martins take flying insects around plant. Goldfinches seek the seed heads. Provides good nesting material. Full sun, well drained soil	Dogwood Perfect small trees for wildlife. A rich source of nectar for Bees. Fruits a favourite of autumn migrants, Woodpeckers, winter Thrushes and Sparrows .
Cotoneaster Popular with Bees. Provides good nesting cover, Winter Thrushes love the Juicy nutritious berries. Tolerates dry situation .	Lilac. Provides cover for emerging caterpillars and butterflies. Good nesting shrub for small song birds. Sunny well drained site, prefers acid soil .	Heliotrope Fragrant, long flowering shrub. Providing a non stop source of nectar for butterflies and bees. Tender perennial, grown as half-hardy annual. Full sun and fertile, well-drained soil.

Log Piles & Compost Heaps

A Water Vole A Kestrel in log pile

Plenty of wildlife makes its home in dead wood, and other animals use it as a source of food. In woodlands, fallen wood occurs naturally and many species have adapted to use this habitat. But in our increasingly tidy countryside, fallen and dead wood is not so common.

A pile of logs simulates fallen trees and is considered essential in a wildlife garden. You can usually find somewhere to put a pile of logs, even in the smallest backyard. It is best placed in a shady spot, so that it remains cool and damp. Use a mixture of wood and different sized logs with the bark on. Adding a pile of leaf litter can attract even more creatures, such hibernating toads, frogs or hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are worth encouraging as they will help keep the slug population at bay! You will need to add new logs as the old ones decay over the years. Decaying wood also supports a range of fungi .

Rockeries, dry-stone walls and piles of rock can give secure shelter to many larger species, and are particularly favoured by frogs and newts when out of the water. If you are building any stone feature in the garden, try to incorporate some voids (empty spaces) underneath the stones - frogs and toads in particular will soon take up residence!

Insects are important in the garden.

Insects are food for many birds and mammals like hedgehogs and shrews flower, their pollinators, predators, keeping pest insects, such as aphids, in check; Their important in the natural cycle of decomposition, returning dead wood, plant and animal remains to the soil .

Here are a few desirable homes for insects: A leaf pile rotting in an undisturbed part of your garden . An untreated wood or log pile rotting in a shady spot (Stag Beetle larvae need this habitat), Bundles of twigs stacked in quiet corners Sand, brick or stone piles in a sunny spot

A Compost heap is essential to any garden, the compost heap is a source of food and shelter for many creatures. Countless insects and invertebrates will be found there, living on the rotting vegetation, and hedgehogs and slow worms are among the larger inhabitants you might find. Besides the wildlife you will be recycling waste, producing a useful and valuable resource, improving the soil structure and ultimately encouraging good plant growth

It's best to think of the compost heap as a living thing. An community of organisms that require four basic ingredients to live. Give them a balanced diet, air, water and warmth and your community will thrive and do just what you'd like them to. By understanding these basic needs, anyone can create a productive community of of hardworking composting micro organisms that will reduce your organic waste into a fertile soil additive that your garden will love you for.

Just think as much as three fourths of household waste is organic and compostable. If everyone had their own compost heap, we could reduce landfill and produce tons of usable organic material each year

*Hot Rots (activators)*	*O.K.! to Rot*	Best Not
Comfrey Leaves	Tea bags	Meat
Young weeds	Old flowers & Autumn Leaves	Fish
Grass Cuttings	Fruit and vegetable scraps	Cooked Foods
Chicken/Pigeon Manure	Coffee grounds	Cat litter/Dog Faeces
	Gerbil, hamster & rabbit bedding	Disposable nappies
	Soft & Woody prunings	Newspaper & Glossy magazines
	Wood shavings & sawdust	Coal & coke ash
	Vegetable plant remains
	Bedding plants
	Old straw & hay
	Hedge clippings
	Strawy manures
	Perennial weeds

** Remember - Gloves should be worn at all times when handling any waste materials. Wash your hands with hot soapy water and rinse well under running water when you have finished.

Liverpool Residents

At a subsidised rate, Liverpool residents can purchase a compost bin/s. There is a choice of 3 different sizes:-

	Ecomax 220litre compost bin at a cost of £8.00*
	Ecomax 330litre compost bin at a cost of £10.00*
	Komp 250litre compost bin at at cost of £20.00*

*maximum of 3 bins per household and 1 reduced price kitchen caddy**.

**Kitchen caddies can only be purchased at the reduced price of just £2 when bought in conjunction with a compost bin.

Save Water -Water Butts also available.

To purchase your bin, telephone 0845 077 0757 or buy on-line at: www.recyclenow.com/compost

Ponds
A small pond or water feature is probably the most important wildlife habitat you can create. A pond will provide water for the birds to drink and bathe in, a sanctuary for Amphibians and aquatic insects. It often attracts shyer species that don’t use bird baths. A wildlife pond should be situated in an open partly sunny position, away from overhanging trees- falling leaves will clog your pond.

Dig a suitably sized hole, sloping gradually to a shallow end, include some shallow ledges around the pond perimeter for planting pond marginals such as marsh marigold, cotton grass, lizards tail and Pickerel weed. . Cover the hole surface with 5 cm (2 inches) of sand before laying a sheet of 1,000 gauge polythene or butyl rubber sheeting into the hole, allowing 50 cm spare around the edge. Place a layer of soil over the bottom of the pond to allow plants to grow and cover the edge with soil and turf. A gravel ‘beach’ in the shallow end gives birds and other creatures easy access in and out of the water. Stock your pond with natural plants such as Water hawthorn Water lilies, Golden club, Water soldiers and Hyacinths..

Tadpoles Feeding A Dragonfly Female Mallard in Garden Pond

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Registered charity no. 207076
Unless otherwise stated, copyright Laura Bimson/RSPB.)