hi, I'm wanting to turn the top of my Grandads garden into a wildlife haven which is up quite a few steps as he is finding it difficult to look after it. Its a lawned area with shrubs around the edges and a hut in the middle.

I was wondering if any of you have made widllife areas in your gardens?? if so can you give me some tips only I don't know how best to sow wild flower seeds - does the grass need removing??? or would spiking the grass be just as effective??
Also what do I do about the wild grass side?? should I leave the grass to grow or can you get packets of wild grass seeds...which would mean a blank canvas is best???

hmmm please:help: its taken me ages to persuade him to let his garden grow wild and i want to do it right!!!:D

any other suggestions of what to include i.e best flowers to attract different species of bird and insect, should I include log piles?? ..........

What a wonderfull thing to make!

Yes definately a small log pile - if you can get some old fallen soggy logs with moss & fungus already on them from the woods that would speed up the naturalisation process of new wood added no end. Make the centre of the pile accessible to hedgehogs too by leaving an 'entrance' & internal space.

You would do well to sink an old upturned bin lid, or washing up bowl or similar to make some wet areas too. The shallowness of the lid will encourage bog loving creatures & plants, and the deeper bowl will get frogs in & the birds will bath in it.

As for plants - use any native British plants that grow in hedgerows & along roadsides. Beware of the prolific seeders like dandelion though if your Grandad has a nice lawn :thumbsup:

I have an ornamental fish pond, a pond for frogs and newts, a bog garden and a section of my garden thats going wild. Its only a small garden too and theres still lots of space for flower beds and a good lawn, plus a little rockery.

Bird seed for the budgie lobbed onto the ground soon germinates and turns into all sorts of plants.
I`d at LEAST make a little bog garden with some rocks or logs next to it, its amazing what it attracts.

I`d at LEAST make a little bog garden with some rocks or logs next to it, its amazing what it attracts.

Which beggars the question:

"What came first? The bog garden or the Jabberwocky?" :hihi: :P :hihi:

Is THIS (http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/wildflowers/create/index.html) of help?

Which beggars the question:

"What came first? The bog garden or the Jabberwocky?" :hihi: :P :hihi:

A frog flopped out of the bog garden a few years ago and vomited.

Thus, the JabberWock was born!

Jabberwock and gardening I don't believe it :D

If you can collect from S6 I have a book on making a wildlife garden. Its an ex library book I picked up quite cheaply so if you can make use of it you can have it. Its called Creating a Wildlife Garden by R & L Gibbons.

I wont ever need it as our garden is too tiny.

Jabberwock and gardening I don't believe it :D

Its my passion! I love gardening!


My neighbours call me Percy Throwup. :D

if you can get back copies of Organic Gardening Magazine they have regular articles about which plants atrract insects/butterflies and how to go about starting a wild flower garden. It's surprisingly difficult to do it properly but just having an area that is wild would be a great thing for wildlife of all types and hedgehogs/frogs etc will eat lots of pests. Log piles are a must for beetles and ladybirds (which also control pests). Good luck and show us some before and after photos

thanks for all the suggestions - i cant wait to start!! need better weather though!!

Going along to Wilkinson's:hihi: to get some more wild flower seeds - and i though anenome bulbs would be quite good.

I managed to find a book yesterday which shows you how to go about it - like cut sods of grass out - put the seeds in and lay the sods back on top - quite effective!

Iv found some purple poppy seeds which i pinched from when we went to jersey shusshhh hehe - and there beautiful - and il collect some wilds seeds from the hedgerows - if only id have though of this last autumn:(

Theres a tree in the middle and in the summer I love to sit up there so I might ask if I can make a tree seat - to sit amongst the meadow :hihi:
It best come good - I might try the bird seed thing - do you get lots of different grass types growing??
I really want some teasels and thistles too for the birds...and do you think I should get some fallen logs and make some sort of a mini pathway?? - il get a photo of the area next time im up there!!
and before and after shots - will doo:thumbsup:

cheers forumers :D

Can I suggest a book, "No Nettles Required: The Reassuring Truth About Wildlife Gardening" by Ken Thompson

Ken Thompson is at the University of Sheffield and did a study BUGS
- Biodiversity in Urban Gardens in Sheffield. The book is a sort of informal report on what he found. Maybe that sounds a bit
academic and dry - so here's a user review from Amazon, which is about
right.
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This little book is a thoroughly readable, amusing, fact based, accessible account of a research project that will be relevant to anyone with a garden or outdoor space. The advice is unfailingly practical and the received wisdom questioned. The book does not simply regurgatate the same old advice about wildlife gardening, but offers in many cases a new approach, based on the empirical evidence of the research. The author is clearly aware that wildlife gardening is viewed by many gardeners as expensive and/or unattractive, and he offers lots of sensible suggestions for things that cost next to nothing, perfectly in keeping with the most traditional garden and are proven to be effective. He stresses that anyone, no matter what size garden, can garden with wildlife in mind with very little effort. (And the illustrations at the chapter headings are charming.)
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Have a look in amongst all the packets of normal seeds because there are a couple of seed suppliers who sell wild flower seeds.