Wildlife GARDENERS’ QUESTION TIME

According to the Wildlife Gardening Forum, “The key thing about wildlife gardeners is that they are aware of and interested in the creatures in their garden and they manage their gardens with wildlife in mind.” So how does wildlife gardening differ from gardening? In a wildlife garden, efforts for wildlife are integrated with every other use for the garden – a wildlife gardener considers how their choices could affect nature.

Whether you have been wildlife gardening for years or have recently taken an interest in your patch due to the unprecedented crisis we are all facing, our special Q&A has picked the brains of experts to bring you the information you need to tweak or transform your green space into a haven for many species.

1 | POLLINATORS

What habitat do pollinators need?

Penny Reed @pennyjreed

All pollinators need the right kind of flowers, but different pollinators favour different flowers. For example, long-tongued species of bumblebee, such as the garden bumblebee, love foxgloves and red clover. Short-tongued bumblebees, such as the buff-tailed bumblebee, like shallower flowers – catmint and lavender, for example. Hoverflies like flat, open flowers, such as cosmos, helenium or angelica. Moths like scented, pale flowers such as honeysuckle. In general, a nice mix of cottage-garden flowers and native wildflowers is good. Pollinators may also need somewhere to nest. Bee hotels work well for some species of solitary bee (see p44). You can also make a hoverfly lagoon to provide breeding habitat for hoverflies that have aquatic larvae (see p42). DG

What are the best plants for bees?

Julia Goodridge, East Sussex

There are a great many to choose from. A few of my favourites include comfrey, Aquilegia, viper’s bugloss, geranium, field scabious, giant hyssop, single-flowered dahlia and thyme. DG

Is there a time of the year to avoid cutting back, digging up and planting when larva are emerging?

Claire Bloomfield, Hampshire

Insects are in our garden year-round, so it is best to avoid trying to be too tidy at any time. I cut back dead heads as late as possible, usually in April, when the new growth is already coming back. DG

What can I do in my garden to help endangered butterflies?

@oooooahhhhhh

Our really rare butterflies are unlikely to turn up in a garden. However, you could try providing foodplants for some of the more widespread but declining species – nettles, lady’s smock and areas of long grass are all favoured