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Giving nature a helping hand

Neil Hepworth RHS / Neil Hepworth

Tim Sandall RHS / Tim Sandall

Mike Sleigh RHS / Mike Sleigh

Andrew Halstead RHS / Andrew Halstead

Graham Titchmarsh RHS / Graham Titchmarsh

Making compost and creating a wildlife haven

As gardeners at a busy garden, we are asked many questions, some of which come up more often than most. One subject we are questioned about routinely is composting. It is the most environmentally friendly way of dealing with kitchen and garden waste, plus it produces material that can be used as an excellent soil improver. In addition, it provides an incredible place for animals and insects to live, feed and hibernate. There are a myriad of bins, devices and accelerators on the market, all of which have their uses, however, there are some basic guidelines that will help with successful composting.

Place your container or compound in a semi shaded spot to maintain an even temperature and on bare ground to allow drainage and for the transfer of organisms. Try to get a balanced mix (40:60) of green, moist waste material (grass clippings, vegetable waste) to feed your micro-organisms and woody, brown material (leaves, chipped pruning’s, shredded paper) to provide an ideal environment for them to do their job. A spade full of garden soil or fresh manure mixed in will act as an accelerator. Turn your heap once a month, this prevents compaction and introduces air, vital in the decomposition process and finally, ensure it remains moist (especially open compounds in dry weather).

The transformation to useful compost resembling light soil and smelling like damp woodland can take anything from six months to two years. It can be incorporated into borders as a soil improver or used as a mulch.

Creating a garden haven for wildlife is on the wish list of many people, including mine, and making a few simple changes to your outdoor space can make a huge difference, supporting an enormous range of wildlife. 

Borders, filled with flowering plants and shrubs, give nectar-rich food to butterflies and bees, as well as seeds, berries and cover for birds and small mammals. Trees and hedges offer roosting and nesting sites for birds and mammals, as well as valuable shelter and cover from the elements and possible predators. The list of wildlife friendly plants is significant and wide-ranging - here is a small list of plants to maybe squeeze into your plot that will really make a difference:

Don’t be too tidy, this doesn't mean your garden has to look a mess, but piles of leaves and twiggy debris provide both food and habitat for many species. If you leave perennials uncut over winter, their hollow stems and seed heads can shelter hibernating insects. Create a log and/or stone pile; tuck them away in a shady corner. Introduce water; the smallest area of water is the single easiest way to add wildlife value to your garden. Allow a patch of grass to grow longer. Try to garden sustainably; avoid peat-based composts, choose sustainably-sourced wood for patio furniture, recycle all you can, and save water wherever possible, it will help ensure that your garden treads lightly on the world.

Jobs for early summer

Plant evergreen hedges and keep them well watered.

Plant container-grown shrubs.

Plant herbaceous plants.

Sow hardy annuals.

Sow vegetable crops outdoors including salad crops, peas and cabbages.

Prune spring flowering shrubs such as lilac, spiraea, forsythia and broom as soon as they have finished flowering. 

Spread a mulch of compost or shredded bark around trees, shrubs and roses when the soil is moist.

Plant up containers and hanging baskets with annuals.

If you have been growing plants from seed inside the greenhouse, take them outside to acclimatise before planting.

Mow lawns once a week.

Be water wise, harvest water where you can.

Regularly hoe off weeds.

Lift and divide overgrown clumps of Spring flowering bulbs.

Look at staking tall, floppy plants.

Shade greenhouses to prevent scorch and overheating.

Richard Wilson 

Horticulturist

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