Topic: So what have you done this year and what's your plans for next year

[thifasmom]

To encourage wildlife into and to stay in your garden?

I'll go first, last year i built lots of insect type houses with scrap wood/ timber i had lying around. i also added two mini ponds with their own log piles, one in the vege section and one in the soft fruit section.

this year i put up 5 new birdhouses around the garden, one being the sparrow house to replace habitat destroyed due to roofing repair work, they then choose to use the guttering ::), hopefully next year they'll come around to the idea of using the nest box provided:



i also built a hedgehog house this September,



a bog garden was built this October around the vege pond.



and last weekend i created an insect tower behind the fruit section pond, that was such fun.



next year i want to create a mini meadow full of insect loving flowers and of course grass, the area will only be 4ft square, bu I'm hoping to replace and improve on some long grass habitat i destroyed this year when i completed the vege bed area.



We re-start to feed the birds this weekend, can't wait to see what visits us this winter.

[ceres]

Bought a pond liner on eBay to make a small wildlife pond on the allotment.  Lots of earth moving to clear the area first though!

[manicscousers]

ray took an old bath from a neighbour and replaced our leaky pond with it,
put up a mason bee box, ladybird house,
built a log pile, stacked all the old sweetcorn and sunflower canes against the fence,
have a large leaf cage for hedgehogs to get warm in,
left nettles growing along the fence (we use them for nettle feed)..

[thifasmom]

Bought a pond liner on eBay to make a small wildlife pond on the allotment.  Lots of earth moving to clear the area first though!

tell me about the earth moving, when i dug out to create the bog garden which is just over a spade depth and just under double spade width, i ended up with 3/4 builders bag worth of soil :o. thankfully the soil had to go back as i would have had nowhere to put it :-\.

put up a mason bee box,

thanks for reminding me, i want to get at least one of these in position early next year.

[Flighty]

I've no garden but on the plot I've got a small 'washing bowl' pond, a log pile, bird feeders, a wild area and grow lots of flowers.
This year I've seen foxes, various birds, frogs, bees, ladybirds, butterflies and other insects there.

[Georgie]

Good thread, Thifasmom, and well done on all you have achieved.   :)  Have you notced any difference in the numbers and varieties of wildlife visiting your garden?

This year I've done much the same as in previous years with a few additions.  I've increased the size of the log pile; maintained a water feature pond; sown an old windowbox with grass which is left long; grown more flowers to attract butterflies and beneficial insects including Cuckooflower, Garlic Mustard, Mustard, Honesty, Primrose and Sweet Rocket; grown larger plants like Lavender, Rosemary, Ivy and Buddliea; allowed herbs to flower; mulched the border; and bought a better bird feeding station.  I've use companion plants and sacrificial plants and most importantly of all I haven't used any chemicals.

Later on I'll leave the perennials like Verbena Bonariensis intact until spring, use Sunflower stems cut and tied in bundles under the Ivy for over-wintering ladybirds etc and leave seed heads and berries for the birds rather than cutting the plants back. 

Next year I'd like to make a deeper water feature out of an old bowl (I have very little room) and I'll continue to look out for more ideas to improve the wildlife-friendliness of my garden. 

G x

[manicscousers]

thanks, georgie, I forgot about the flowers, we let lots of herbs flower and grow companion plants  ;D

[Hosta]

I really like your insect tower - may use that idea in the childrens wildlife garden at work  :)

[Georgie]

Hosta

This link to a fact sheet about building a bug hotel might be useful.   :)  G x

http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cheshire/documents/advice_invertebrate_habitat2.pdf

[thifasmom]

Hi George, yes i have noticed a rise in some insects noticebly hoverflies this year and lots of frogs. overall there seems to be a rise in hedgehogs in the neighbourhood, both my mum and i have seen them in our walks which is nice since we haven't really seen them around since 2003. i rescued one a couple weeks back it had fallen down a hole my OH dug for a fence post, i placed it into my hedgehog house, not sure if it took the hint  :-\.

i like your idea of using a window box to create a micro habitat, might try that. I forgot to add next year i also want to add greenroofs to all my out buildings of which there are 3.

I really like your insect tower - may use that idea in the childrens wildlife garden at work  :)

thanks it was great fun to build and the more out the world things you have to build it the quirkier it looks  :D.

Hosta

This link to a fact sheet about building a bug hotel might be useful.   :)  G x

http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cheshire/documents/advice_invertebrate_habitat2.pdf

i got lots of ideas from other sites but this site is where i drew most of my inspiration  :).

[thifasmom]

i know i added that i would like to add green roofs to my out buildings, but certainly not on this scale :o.

http://www.greenexpander.com/2008/06/10/ultimate-use-for-a-green-roof/

or this ::)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/green_roofs_on.php

anyone got pics of their green roofs for inspiration?

[kt.]

I will be building some bird houses for winter,  and an idea from you.... build a little hedgehog house or two. ;)

[thifasmom]

I will be building some bird houses for winter,  and an idea from you.... build a little hedgehog house or two. ;)

i didn't have any spare timber lying around when i wanted to build it so i made it out of cardboard like described here as HEDGEHOG HOUSE - MARK 1 (Council Tax Band "A"):

http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/FAQS/hedgehog_homes.htm

to make it more water tight i covered the cardboard with the sticky back plastic that comes on a roll (as i had some lying around), made sure to wrap under the edge to prevent moisture seeping up into the cardboard then topped it of with a sheet of glass to keep the worst of the rain off it (if placed under a hedge or other sheltered site it should stay relatively dry). I made the tunnel entrance with bricks and a broken paving slab as seen in the picture.

it was quick and easy and the kids loved the instant gratification of helping to create it and putting in place in the time span of about an hour  :D.

[Georgie]

Hi George, yes i have noticed a rise in some insects noticebly hoverflies this year and lots of frogs. overall there seems to be a rise in hedgehogs in the neighbourhood, both my mum and i have seen them in our walks which is nice since we haven't really seen them around since 2003. i rescued one a couple weeks back it had fallen down a hole my OH dug for a fence post, i placed it into my hedgehog house, not sure if it took the hint  :-\.

i like your idea of using a window box to create a micro habitat, might try that. I forgot to add next year i also want to add greenroofs to all my out buildings of which there are 3.

That's good to hear.  This year my garden has been full of hoverflies and bees and dare I say it, far fewer slugs and snails than in previous years.  I put this down to having a better ecological balance after three years or so of wildlife gardening.  I've got frogs but sadly no hedgehogs.  I tried really hard to attract more butterflies this year but it has been a very bad year for them all round I understand.  Hopefully next year will be better.

I've though about a greenroof for my shed but it's getting on a bit now and I'm not sure it could stand the weight!  I'll need to put my thinking cap on but I'm wondering if adding a few full sized seed trays nailed to the front beam would work?

G x

[thifasmom]

I've though about a greenroof for my shed but it's getting on a bit now and I'm not sure it could stand the weight!  I'll need to put my thinking cap on but I'm wondering if adding a few full sized seed trays nailed to the front beam would work?

G x

check out this link it might be useful for adding a greenroof to an older structure, i suppose it could be described as adding a false roof with its own support over the existing roof.

http://www.livingroofs.org/livingpages/shedgreenroof1.html

this is the site page the above link came from, it has even more ideas for green roofing:

http://www.livingroofs.org/livingpages/greenroofsdomestic.html

this link is another structure that looks quite rickety :) but i dont think its a shed:

http://www.livingroofs.org/livingpages/berlin2.html

[Deb P]

I made an insect hotel from lots of bits of wood, pots, tiles, bricks etc. this year.....the only problem is that the foxes keep pulling it apart! I keep rebuilding it, but it lasts a couple of days at the most. I might have to give up on this one..... :-\

[thifasmom]

Deb p its shame the foxes keeping dismantling your insect hotel its fab to look at  :).

foxes i do like to see them but they can be a nuisance sometimes, the ones around my way think i put down cardboard on my empty bed so they could dig whopping great big holes in them ::), my neighbour thinks they can hear the worms just underneath and probably are going after them.

[Georgie]

Thanks for the links to livingroofs.  Those are very impressive structures but way beyond my capabilities.  I had something a bit more 'Heath Robinson' in mind.   ;D  Still, there's lots of useful hints and tips there.   :)

Awww Deb, how annoying.   >:(  What is it they are after do you think or do they just do it for fun?   ???  It there anyway you could make it a bit more stable, perhaps by driving in a few stakes around it? 

G x

[Georgie]

BTW, those of you who live in London might like to make a pledge to do one thing to create a wildlife and climate friendly garden and help transform the capital's three million gardens into a network of nature reserves.  Here's a link:

http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/gardening/Home/tabid/384/Default.aspx

G x

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've just got hold of a large old cold frame which needs glazing, which will add some possibilities for next year. I salvaged some glass as well, but it's wired, and I don't think it's going to be feasible to cut it.