GARDEN
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50 PLUS MAGAZINE
Cosmos – An easy to grow summer annual that comes in a variety of colours.
GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE Garden writer Julia Heaton explains how to use your outdoor space to provide food and shelter for birds, bees and other wildlife. With an estimated 16 million gardens in the UK we have a wonderful resource, quite literally at our fingertips, ready to help us provide for our native wildlife. And by inviting in flying visitors, like the birds and bees, we get the added benefit of seeing their wonderful activities up close. Planting the right kinds of flowers will encourage bees and other pollinators into your garden and provide them with the pollen and nectar they need to thrive. Go for native plants where possible and those with single, open flowers that allow easy access to the pollen and nectar. Bees prefer bright colours, especially blue, purple, violet and yellow and those with lots of perfume. If you’re unsure what to go for take a stroll around your local garden centre to see which ones in flower are attracting them.You can check if these are suitable by gently rubbing your fingertips into the flower - any pollen there will stick to it. Plant suitable flowers in clumps so they can move quickly and easily around them. And try to provide plants that will provide pollen and nectar for as long a season as possible.
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Plants for bees and pollinators Crocus – Blooming from late winter to early spring these look good in pots but also pushing through grass on the lawn. Mahonia – Hardy evergreen shrub with bright yellow flowers in Spring. Lavender – Rich in pollen and nectar, with gorgeous scent.
Verbena bonariensis – Its clusters of small purple flowers on tall spindly stems will provide nectar throughout summer and into October. Michealmas daisy – Brings late summer and autumn colour. This perennial can be planted in any soil and a well-lit position. Plants for birds The trick here is to select a range of plants that will provide food in the form of berries, nectar or insects as well as shelter where possible. Go for plants that flower and seed at different times, providing nourishment for them throughout the year. And remember that they have different preferences when it comes to nesting. So, for example, if you’re looking to provide for blackbirds then wall plants or climbers will attract them, while deep hedging is something wrens prefer.
Dahlia – The single flowered forms are best. They also tend to be hardy and lowmaintenance. Scabious – A common wildflower on chalk downland and a valuable source of nectar in early summer. Foxgloves – Has bell shaped flowers in a range of colours and grows well in shady areas. Common ivy (Hedera helix) – Its autumn flowers are a fantastic source of nectar and it provides berries for birds. Buddleja davidii – The butterfly bush thrives in most soils in a sunny space. Go for a dwarf type that is less prone to self-seeding. Sedum spectabile – A hardy perennial that thrives in sun and a real draw for bees and butterflies in late summer.
Look to the following: Rowan – Can provide berries from summer through to November depending on which species you choose; Honeysuckle – This climber will provide shelter as well as berries in autumn; Sunflower – Great to grow in summer then watch the seeds ripen and the birds flock to 23
