Earlier this year we applied for funding from the Action Earth Volunteering Matters fund for nature projects. One of our volunteers had suggested that we convert a border next to our old pond into a wildlife friendly space. We saw how many species were using the pond - dragonflies, pond skaters, frogs, birds - and wanted to increase this and welcome even more species to the garden.
As a group we got together and discussed which species we were most interested in promoting in the garden. We thought about what we didn't see as much of... there were lots of bees, butterflies and birds, but we were curious about what species were struggling in nature. After a bit of research we decided to create a space for the wildlife that visits the garden at night! Bats, moths, night flying insects....how could we help them?
The Butterfly Conservation trust had amazing resources that list all of the food plants for caterpillars and the nectar plants for moths and butterflies. Gardening for moths | Butterfly Conservation We printed these out and worked out what plants we already have and what gaps there are. We also did some online research to see if there were more unusual plants that might survive in this space - recently it has flooded every winter with heavy rains and so we needed a variety of plants that might be resistant to harsh conditions!
Already in the space we have an established birch tree and cherry tree, there is a white buddleia, viburnum opulus and wild rose. A beech hedge encloses the space, although it has been struggling with the heavy rains and some of the hedge has died back. We decided to replace this with basketry willow which will handle the wet conditions well and produce early bee forage in the spring with its fluffy catkins. There are some smaller shrubs including blackcurrants, spiraea, abelia and fuschias.
Many of the plants favoured by night flying insects are strongly scented, as they have evolved to emit their perfume at night to draw in the night time pollinators. White flowers are preferable as they stand out in low light levels and can be more easily seen by the night flyers.
So we have used the funding to plant a selection of white flowering plants that are beneficial to all pollinators, in particular using food plants for caterpillars and highly scented plants. We will pay attention next year to see how many pollinators are visiting the space, including some moth trapping to see if our biodiversity has increased.
Here are just a small selection of the plants we are testing:
- Cephalanthus occidentalis (button bush) - beloved by butterflies
- Fuschia hawkshead - a white fuschia - food plant for hawkmoths
- Echium vulgare "white bedder" - nectar rich flowers
- Hesperis matronalis "sweet rocket" - a heavily scented white flower, self seeds readily
- Nicotiana - various varieties - very popular with pollinators, an annual that we can save seeds from each year
- Galium album - hedge bedstraw - a food plant for many moth caterpillars, lower ground cover
- Pulmonaria "sissinghurst white" - an early season flowering plant for pollinators - helpful to the early emerging bumblebees
- Nepeta "alba" - a white catmint which is popular with all pollinators
- Oenothera speciosa - a perennial evening primrose that we haven't seen before
- Eutrochium fistulosa "ivory towers" - a tall fluffy flower that is very popular with butterflies and moths, flowers later in the year
- Klasea bulgarica - a tall thistle like plant which is hugely popular with bees, hoverflies, moths and butterflies, the seedheads provide winter food for birds as a bonus
- Sarcococca confusa - sweet box - strong scented flowers throughout the winter when little else is flowering, produces berries for the birds
- Lonicera "winter beauty" - another winter flowering plant that helps any bumblebees that may awaken from hibernation early due to mild winter weather
Alongside these plants we will also be sowing native annuals and wildflowers that can fill in the gaps and ensure food and pollen is available all year round.
Next year, we will be moving on to ladybirds and hoverflies! What plants do they need to thrive? What environments can we make for them?
We wouldn't have been able to do this without the funding from Action Earth - they are a brilliant organisation who have also previously funded a bog garden project that we did in collaboration with Grove Academy. They have up to £250 available each year to projects that look to improve habitats for nature and increase local biodiversity. We recommend applying!
- Team SAMH, at Dawson Park Community Garden
