Managed woodland

This translates into how you manage your trees, keeping them correctly pruned and making use of the prunings. For example, growing and coppicing native hazel, Corylus avellana, will give you plant supports and peas sticks.

Woodland edge

The depth of shade might give you dappled light at certain times of the year. Growing spring flowering bulbs such as native bluebells, Hyacinthoides non scripta, under deciduous trees is an obvious example. But also try climbers such as honeysuckle, perhaps including early mid-season and late flowering varieties. This extends the interest for you but also for wildlife.

Do you prefer to grow edible plants? Rhubarb is happy in dappled shade as are gooseberries and raspberries.

Hedgerows

Hedges, obviously. But if you have panel fencing around the external boundary, perhaps you could grow a slim hedge as a division within the garden. Choosing an informal hedge, such as hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, gives you blossom in spring and berries in autumn/winter as well as provides a food source for pollinators and garden birds.

Wetland Habitat

Still freshwater - ponds and pools

Running freshwater – streams and rivers

Bogs and Marshes

Coastal habitats

 Still freshwater

Your pond would obviously be the first of these wetland categories. The size of ponds and pools varies, but even a tiny one in a half cask can offer a habitat for wildlife. Whatever size, make sure there is a sloping exit route (or more than one) for hedgehogs, cats and other creatures who may accidentally fall in. There are also nets and grids which sit just under the water’s surface if you’re concerned about young children falling in.

Running freshwater

Which are any streams you may have. You may think that you need a decent-sized stream for it to be wildlife friendly, but even a shallow slow moving rivulet is beneficial. It is a better means of aerating ponds when considering wildlife than having a fountain, more ‘natural’ if you will.

Bogs and Marshes

Remember the areas immediately around the water too, these offer you a different type of growing habitat. (more plants to buy!) For starters, think ferns if the area is shady (check they’re damp lovers, some ferns prefer dry shade), Persicaria for more decorative foliage and candelabra Primula for gorgeous flower colour.

Coastal

Seaside gardens! The combination of salt air and fresh winds can be challenging, but there are plenty of wildlife-friendly plants to grow. Tamarisk; gorse, Ulex Europaea; rosemary, and Salvia Rosmarinus are three very different shrubs but all possible contenders. For summer bedding that is popular with bees and butterflies especially, why not grow the cherry pie, Heliotrope marine? With highly scented purple flowers, it’s an all-around winner. And it will grow as happily in containers or borders.

Grassland Habitat

Wildflower meadow

Cornfield

Heathland

Sandy dunes

Wildflower meadow and Cornfield

These two have been combined as both are open spaces and compare well to standard open lawns, which is a grassland habitat. Many domestic lawns are of little value for wildlife, being a mix of a small number of perennial and annual grass species. However, you can increase the biodiversity by adding small plants of, for example, daisies, Bellis perennis, white clover, and Trifolium repens. Clover has the added benefit of increasing the nitrogen content in the soil, thereby helping to keep your grass green.

Rather than giving over your whole lawn to wildlife, increase the overall number of plant species by including a swath of wildflower meadow along with one of the edges. You could perhaps use it as a divider between lawn and vegetable patch, so the pollinators can easily find those flowering fruit and veggies which need pollinating if you’re to get crops.

Heathland

On acid, soil tries delicate harebells, Campanula rotundifolia, and the ‘true’ heathers, Erica species. For more alkaline soil, grow ling heather, Calluna vulgaris, and gorse, Ulex Europaea. To extend your garden plant selection, consider growing both ornamental and edible plants in raised beds.

Sandy dunes

Probably only found in coastal areas, but not always such a tricky one to plant as you might think! Many of the flowering plants sold as drought tolerant will do well here. Sea holly, Eryngium maritimum, with its metallic blue foliage is stunning, and you could underplant with Geranium Rozanne for a further zing of hot pink.

Rockland Habitat

Cliffs – coastal and inland

Scree beds (at the base of cliffs)

Shingle beds (shoreline)

Pavements, for example, limestone pavements

Cliffs

Before you all skip this section, I’ll just point out that domestically speaking, walls are cliffs. Grow small, crevice-loving plants that are attractive to insects, for example, Saxifraga species.

The oft-maligned rockery is another form of cliff habitat, yet it offers a home to so many exciting plants from small species tulips to Lewisia to Helianthemum (rock rose).

Scree beds and Shingle beds

A gently sloping scree or shingle bed would look natural at the base of a rock garden. Plant it up with smaller Sedum species (those often called stone pepper) Armeria maritima, sea thrift and Lychnis flos-jovis. Lithodora diffusa would give you a sea of blue, combined with ornamental grasses such as Stipa tenuissima, it would look even lovelier.

Pavement

Probably not something many gardeners will have as a natural feature, you could, however, look upon your patio or brick paths as semi-pavements. Grow ground-hugging plants in the gaps, or take out a whole paver to grow one or more Thymes.

Plants for Wildlife

The plants which grow in the above habitats will vary across the country due to the soil type, and also to other factors such as height above sea level. If you’re not sure which might do well, then walking around your neighbourhood and seeing what’s on sale at your local British Garden Centre are the best places to start.

Although it will partly depend on the wildlife you want to attract, a few simple rules to bear in mind are to be sure to include flowering plants which have preferably two of the following: –

open, single flowers

tubular flowers

seedheads with accessible seeds

hips and berries

And yes, you can still indulge in blowsy peonies and double-flowered dahlias! Wildlife gardens do not mean you have to give up these pleasures. You can ensure that there is food and shelter for wildlife and still have an ornamental garden for humans.

That’s all for this month, happy gardening until next time,

Marie