Gardens in Britain cover a larger area than all of our nature reserves put together, so how we manage them can have a major effect on our wildlife. Many people think that a wildlife garden means a messy garden but this is simply not true. By making a few simple changes and carefully choosing the plants you grow, can make a huge difference to local populations of bees, butterflies, amphibians, mammals and birds.
At Little Groves Nursery we have a small demonstration garden, which (we hope!) will provide our customers with a little inspiration. It is a ‘multipurpose’ garden, but it has many wildlife friendly elements that all gardens can be applied to most gardens:
• Nectar and pollen rich plants (with a long cumulative flowering period)
• A pond (with a shallow section)
• A native hedge (for nesting and food source)
• Bird feeding station
• Climbing plants (for bird nesting)
• Hedgehog box
• Wildflowers (used in appropriate locations in the borders)
• Bee homes
• Trees and plants that provide fruits
At Little Groves Nursery we stock a range of plants that are useful to wildlife (see our online shop), as well as wild bird seed and feeders etc and are always happy to give advice on how to make your garden more wildlife friendly.