Simple ways to bring wildlife to your garden
Simple ways to bring wildlife to your ga...
Jun 21, 2022
0 comment
Simple ways to bring wildlife to your garden Wildlife friendly gardens don’t need to be messy or overgrown. Find out more about how to integrate pollinator friendly features to encourage all sorts of creatures to the garden. The Garden Design Co, who brought ‘The Living Landscape Garden’ to BBC Gardeners’ World Live with the Michael Wheat Group, have shared some to make your garden a haven for wildlife… Find out more about their top tips below. /*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-divider{--divider-border-style:none;--divider-border-width:1px;--divider-color:#0c0d0e;--divider-icon-size:20px;--divider-element-spacing:10px;--divider-pattern-height:24px;--divider-pattern-size:20px;--divider-pattern-url:none;--divider-pattern-repeat:repeat-x}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider{display:flex}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{font-size:15px;line-height:1;max-width:95%}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__element{margin:0 var(--divider-element-spacing);flex-shrink:0}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-icon{font-size:var(--divider-icon-size)}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider-separator{display:flex;margin:0;direction:ltr}.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator{align-items:center}.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:before{display:block;content:"";border-block-end:0;flex-grow:1;border-block-start:var(--divider-border-width) var(--divider-border-style) var(--divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:first-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider-separator:before{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider__element{margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:last-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider-separator:after{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider__element{margin-right:0}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-start .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:first-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-start .elementor-divider-separator:before{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-start .elementor-divider__element{margin-inline-start:0}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-end .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:last-of-type{flex-grow:0;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-end .elementor-divider-separator:after{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-end .elementor-divider__element{margin-inline-end:0}.elementor-widget-divider:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text):not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon) .elementor-divider-separator{border-block-start:var(--divider-border-width) var(--divider-border-style) var(--divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern{--divider-border-style:none}.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern.elementor-widget-divider--view-line .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not([class*=elementor-widget-divider--view]) .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;min-height:var(--divider-pattern-height);-webkit-mask-size:var(--divider-pattern-size) 100%;mask-size:var(--divider-pattern-size) 100%;-webkit-mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);background-color:var(--divider-color);-webkit-mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url);mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url)}.elementor-widget-divider--no-spacing{--divider-pattern-size:auto}.elementor-widget-divider--bg-round{--divider-pattern-repeat:round}.rtl .elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{direction:rtl}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-divider,.e-con>.elementor-widget-divider{width:var(--container-widget-width,100%);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)} /*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 */ .elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=".svg"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block} Written by The Garden Design Co. team Wildlife friendly gardens – despite their often dated and negative connotations- don’t need to be messy, overgrown and unruly patches of land to attract wildlife.That is how ‘The Living Landscape’ garden has been designed to demonstrate. Combining both a manicured and controlled landscape with wildlife friendly features is the most practical way to introduce or encourage wildlife back into your garden. It isn’t necessary to devote your entire space to wildlife to make it friendly read on to learn how wildlife and mankind can live in harmony and flourish once again. Inspired by ‘The Living Landscape’ garden we’ve created a list of simple ways to integrate wildlife friendly areas into your garden. Introduce waterWater is nature’s elixir. A water feature is fantastic way to encourage all walks of wildlife into your garden, including birds and crucial insects in the ecosystem.You will be amazed by what even a small amount of water will bring to your garden in terms of wildlife. A small tub or a big pond, just watch wildlife flood in when water is near.Top tipsLeave beaches for animals to get out of the water easily when they enter to bathe or drinkAdd plants to margins to provide refuge and habits for amphibians, mammals, and insectsUse UK native plants to support our native wildlife avoiding invasive plant species Leave grass uncutButterflies especially, benefit from uncut grass as it creates a habitat for them to lay their eggs.Leaving grass uncut provides food for developing larvae, while nectar-filled flowers feed adult butterflies, moths and other insects. Bees also benefit from reduced lawn cutting schedule as the flowers in the lawn provide nectar for them.Top tipsDedicate a strip of grass in the garden which is to remain uncut as you maintain the rest of your lawnChoose a patch at a border edge or get creative with a winding strip through the centre as a featureFor bees, reduce cutting to once every two weeks instead of one (they don’t benefit from really long grass as much). Provide native treesThere is nothing better than native plants for our wildlife. Native shrubs and trees offer the best choice for wildlife, providing habits for insects, flowers for our bees and berries and fruits for our mammals and birds, but any tree is better than none!Top tipsEven adding one small trees into your garden has endless benefits to wildlife, no garden is too small! Pick a suitable tree for your gardens size by checking its mature height and spreadSelect a deciduous tree or berry forming evergreens for best benefits to wildlife and most stunning season displays in your gardenCarefully think about the new tree’s location, it’s better to consider this carefully than having to cut it down later These simple ways will have a huge impact on wildlife in your garden and more small things we can all take part in the quicker our wildlife can recover and flourish again hand in hand with mankind.Feeling inspired? Take a look at The Garden Design Co. who designed and built ‘The Living Landscape’ garden with partners Michael Wheat Group. https://www.thegardendesignco.co.uk Find out more about ‘The Living Landscape’ Show Garden, designed by The Garden Design Co. and Michael Wheat Group at BBC Gardeners’ World Live. Click here to find out more about the garden. Get top tips from our news page Find out more about What's On
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Hedges Direct talk top tips
Hedges Direct talk top tips
Jun 21, 2022
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Hedges Direct's top tips for shady or small gardens Getting the right hedge or shrub for your garden is crucial for an evergreen feature that looks good all year round, whether in a shady spot, small space or to encourage wildlife to the garden. At BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, Hedges Direct are proud to supply the hedging plants and shrubs to many of the show spaces. The Hedges Direct team have teamed up to share some of their top tips for hedges that are ideal for shade, small spaces and wildlife, and how to care for them. Written by Hedges Direct With over 120 species of hedging Hedges Direct have something for every taste and every garden. Shady garden? No problem. Short on space? They’ve got you covered. Looking for hedging plants to attract wildlife and pollinators? Look no further.  Here are a few suggestions that may help you find your perfect hedging. For shady gardens Portuguese Laurel is a favourable hedge plant to have in any garden as it is easy to grow in all soil conditions and situations from full sun to full, dry shade. It is often referred to by its Latin name Prunus lusitanica Angustifolia and showcases luscious dark green, pointed, glossy leaves on striking deep pink or maroon stems. Small, fragrant white flowers blossom in summer which are popular with bees and butterflies, along with small red fruits which are a favourite with birds. In the autumn, the fruits turn black.Portuguese Laurel is exceptionally resilient and hardier than Cherry Laurel, although some wind protection is advised in areas where windburn could pose a problem. Prunus lusitanica has a medium growth rate making it easier to maintain and shape. This Laurel species should only need trimming once a year in late summer although it can grow to be much taller if required. Small spaces There are numerous benefits and reasons why gardeners choose to buy Box hedging. This species of plant is native, shade tolerant and suitable for most soil types and sites other than wet or windy. Box hedging is a versatile, classic hedge that is favoured by gardeners for its dense and leafy appearance. People also prefer to buy box hedging because it provides a stunning, green privacy screen if grown to height. It’s a fantastic shrub for creating hedge borders, partitions, green walling (mazes and pathways) and beautiful and intricate parterre knotwork gardens. Buxus sempervirens is a favourite species of hedging, as it has a multitude of possible combinations for shape, height and use, which is why it’s consistently a top ten selling species of hedge plant.Buxus sempervirens has dense, small, round, dark evergreen leaves with an average growth rate of approx 10-15cm per annum. When you buy box hedging, it should be trimmed in late spring with hand garden shears, keeping the blade of the shears parallel to the hedge surface. For an even more low growing hedge, try Dwarf Box Hedging Plants (Buxus sempervirens Suffriticosa), or view the incredible selection of low growing hedging plants for more options and inspiration.As an alternative to Box hedging, it would be worth considering Euonymus ‘jean hugues’ – Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ is a dense, compact shrub with lovely evergreen foliage. Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ is a dense, compact shrub with lovely evergreen foliage. It is perfect for parterres and formal hedging as the foliage retains its dark green colour throughout winter. It is well suited to garden borders and hedging; with its slow growth rate this is a perfect option for smaller spaces. To encourage wildlife Hidcote Lavender is a lovely variety of old fashioned English Lavender (introduced in 1950) but with dark purple flower spikes – stunning for large planting schemes. Lavender ‘Hidcote’ is a hardy variety of Lavender native to the British Isles and is incredibly fragrant with vivid purple flowers that are a magnet for bees and other pollinators. This makes them an ideal companion to your fruit trees or garden veg patch. This variety grows to about 50cm and is included in our low growing section alongside a selection of alternative species. When set against the other main variety of British Lavender, English ‘Munstead’, Lavender ‘Hidcote’ has darker purple flower spikes, with a bolder colour of foliage that is equally as fragrant. Combine with other hedge species with flowers and fragrant hedging to create a vivid treat for the senses in your garden! Lavender prefers full sun, ideally south or west facing. It is suitable for poor or moderately fertile, well drained alkaline soil. Once established they are drought tolerant and they certainly do not like to be waterlogged or to sit in wet soil – plant on a soil ridge to avoid roots sitting in wet soil. Tolerant of seaside weather conditions. See also our range of hedging for exposed sites. Hidcote Lavender are available all year round – plants bought in autumn, winter or spring will flower in the first summer. Whilst Lavender Hidcote is a popular variety of Lavender hedging, there is also the following additional varieties for sale – English Lavender, French Lavender, White Lavender, and Dwarf Lavender. Get top tips from our news page Find out more about What's On
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Hedges Direct talk top tips
Hedges Direct talk top tips
Jun 21, 2022
0 comment
Hedges Direct's top tips for shady or small gardens Getting the right hedge or shrub for your garden is crucial for an evergreen feature that looks good all year round, whether in a shady spot, small space or to encourage wildlife to the garden At BBC Gardeners’ World Live, Hedges Direct have been proud to supply the hedging plants and shrubs to many of the Show Gardens and show spaces. You might have seen their Beech hedging troughs at The Living Landscape – A Nostalgic Experience Show Garden by the Garden Design Co with Michael Wheat, or their Beech pleached trees and delightful Pittosporums at Kim Parish’s Nurture through Nature Garden, with Landscapes of Distinction. Plus plenty of topiary & the ever popular Laurels throughout the show!The Hedges Direct team have teamed up to share some of their top tips for some of the hedges you might have spotted at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, that are ideal for shade, small spaces and wildlife, and how to care for them. Written by Hedges Direct With over 120 species of hedging Hedges Direct have something for every taste and every garden. Shady garden? No problem. Short on space? They’ve got you covered. Looking for hedging plants to attract wildlife and pollinators? Look no further.  Here are a few suggestions that may help you find your perfect hedging. For shady gardens Portuguese Laurel is a favourable hedge plant to have in any garden as it is easy to grow in all soil conditions and situations from full sun to full, dry shade. It is often referred to by its Latin name Prunus lusitanica Angustifolia and showcases luscious dark green, pointed, glossy leaves on striking deep pink or maroon stems. Small, fragrant white flowers blossom in summer which are popular with bees and butterflies, along with small red fruits which are a favourite with birds. In the autumn, the fruits turn black.Portuguese Laurel is exceptionally resilient and hardier than Cherry Laurel, although some wind protection is advised in areas where windburn could pose a problem. Prunus lusitanica has a medium growth rate making it easier to maintain and shape. This Laurel species should only need trimming once a year in late summer although it can grow to be much taller if required. Small spaces There are numerous benefits and reasons why gardeners choose to buy Box hedging. This species of plant is native, shade tolerant and suitable for most soil types and sites other than wet or windy. Box hedging is a versatile, classic hedge that is favoured by gardeners for its dense and leafy appearance. People also prefer to buy box hedging because it provides a stunning, green privacy screen if grown to height. It’s a fantastic shrub for creating hedge borders, partitions, green walling (mazes and pathways) and beautiful and intricate parterre knotwork gardens. Buxus sempervirens is one of our favourite species of hedging, as it has a multitude of possible combinations for shape, height and use, which is why it’s consistently a top ten selling species of hedge plant.Buxus sempervirens has dense, small, round, dark evergreen leaves with an average growth rate of approx 10-15cm per annum. When you buy box hedging, it should be trimmed in late spring with hand garden shears, keeping the blade of the shears parallel to the hedge surface. For an even more low growing hedge, try Dwarf Box Hedging Plants (Buxus sempervirens Suffriticosa), or view the  incredible selection of low growing hedging plants for more options and inspiration.As an alternative to Box hedging, it would be worth considering Euonymus ‘jean hugues’ – Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ is a dense, compact shrub with lovely evergreen foliage. Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ is a dense, compact shrub with lovely evergreen foliage. It is perfect for parterres and formal hedging as the foliage retains its dark green colour throughout winter. It is well suited to garden borders and hedging; with its slow growth rate this is a perfect option for smaller spaces.a To encourage wildlife Hidcote Lavender is a lovely variety of old fashioned English Lavender (introduced in 1950) but with dark purple flower spikes – stunning for large planting schemes. Lavender ‘Hidcote’ is a hardy variety of Lavender native to the British Isles and is incredibly fragrant with vivid purple flowers that are a magnet for bees and other pollinators. This makes them an ideal companion to your fruit trees or garden veg patch. This variety grows to about 50cm and is included in our low growing section alongside a selection of alternative species. When set against the other main variety of British Lavender, English ‘Munstead’, Lavender ‘Hidcote’ has darker purple flower spikes, with a bolder colour of foliage that is equally as fragrant. Combine with other hedge species with flowers and fragrant hedging to create a vivid treat for the senses in your garden!Lavender prefers full sun, ideally south or west facing. It is suitable for poor or moderately fertile, well drained alkaline soil. Once established they are drought tolerant and they certainly do not like to be waterlogged or to sit in wet soil – plant on a soil ridge to avoid roots sitting in wet soil. Tolerant of seaside weather conditions. See also the range of hedging for exposed sites. Hidcote Lavender are available all year round – plants bought in autumn, winter or spring will flower in the first summer. Whilst Lavender Hidcote is a popular variety of Lavender hedging, there is also the following additional varieties for sale – English Lavender, French Lavender, White Lavender, and Dwarf Lavender. Explore and get top tips from our latest news page Discover garden inspiration and take a look at the Show Gardens
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How to Build a Naturalistic Pond
How to Build a Naturalistic Pond
Jun 21, 2022
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Build a pond for wildlife in your garden, with help from an expert garden designer Small gardens can be havens for wild life, enticing pollinators, bugs and bees. Creating a pond in your garden can have instant impact, and attract a wide range of wildlife to your space.Lou Carson created a small pond in her Beautiful Border 2022, called Wildlife Oasis. Her small garden design illustrated the benefits of a garden pond to both wildlife and the gardener, and how it can be created as part of a natural looking border or small outdoor space.   Wildlife Oasis received a silver merit award from the judges. Below, Lou Carson shares some tips for creating your own pond at home. Written by Lou Carson Ponds should be included in all gardens as they provide a habitat for many animals and are always full of life.Ponds attract not just frogs, toads and newts but also numerous other small creatures such as dragonflies, damselflies, water beetles, pond snails, water fleas, water boatmen and pond skaters. The pond is also an important source of water for many mammals such as hedgehogs, as well as for many birds, which all like to come for a drink.Ponds can be a lifeline in a very dry summer when all other available water sources have dried out. Birds also like to bath in the shallow water at the edge of the pond. By surrounding the pond with pollinator-friendly plants many different insects such as bumblebees, solitary bees, hoverflies, and beetles are attracted.  The close-by pond will also give these insects a source of water which they will frequently visit. Some hoverflies are also particularly attracted to water and can often be found basking on stones or leaves close to the pond edge.Below outlines how to build a naturalistic pond similar to our one at the show. Step 1:  Dig a holeA pond can be any depth and width.  Start by digging a small area 60-80cm deep and at least 40cm wide.  It allows a deep area to avoid being frozen during winter for frogs to hibernate in.Start digging out wider and build a 40-50cm wide ledge about 30-40cm deep.  Ensure this is level as plants will need to balance on this.  Stamp into the ledge and pond base to compact the soil as much as possible.If the pond is wider than 2m, perhaps create another ledge 20cm deep for shallower plants to grow.Then create a 10cm wide ledge about 5-10cm deep for the edge of the pond liner to sit on.  Ensure this is level so the water does not drain away to one side.Remove as many sharp stones, roots and sticks as possible. Step 2: Lay liner and underlay Measure width + (depth x 2).  This is the minimum width of liner and underlay needed.  Add 50% contingency.Use only specialist pond liner with UV resistant coating.  The liner should come with a minimum 40-year guarantee.The underlay is a fabric which protects the liner from punctures. Cover the hole centrally with the underlay, then place the liner on top.  Do not do this in a wind – we had to secure ours with rocks and it still went flying! Step 3:  Add water and resize Add some smooth rocks or cobbles to temporarily secure the liner in place and add water, allowing the liner to flex into the shape of the pond, gently easing it into the ledges.Once the pond is 90% full roughly cut about 20cm out from the edge of the pond and keep the off-cuts of underlay or liner.  These will be used to protect the liner by placing under large rocks, and plant baskets. Step 4: Plant and decorate the edges Start adding plants.  Check the labels for how deep the plants should be place below the water level.  There should be a mix of depth sizes, oxygenators, and marginal plants.  There is space for at least one nymphaea (water lily) in the deep area and a mix of water irises, grasses and other plants scattered around the ledges.  Always include oxygenating plants.  These are plants which are submersed in the pond, creating a healthy ecosystem.  They breathe oxygen into the water and even out bacteria levels, enabling tadpoles, frogs, and insects to survive in the pond.  Below is a list of plants we used in our show pond.Place large rocks around the edge and fit in smaller rocks, cobbles and wood to cover the top ledge and edge of the liner.Do not yet tidy up and trim the edge of the liner as the pond will need a few days to settle and may shift deeper into the ground, compacting the soil. Step 5: Finish Planting and Trim Liner After a couple of days, the water will clear and the liner will have settled into place.  Finish tweaking the planting and trim the liner about 10-20cm from the edge of the pond.  Bury the exposed liner under soil, rocks, gravel, grass, etc.  It should not be exposed to sunlight as it will not last as long. Now just sit back and wait for the wildlife to come! Suggested Pond and Marginal Plants for Wildlife: Shallow or bog:Caltha palustrisRanunculus flammulaMentha cervinaMentha palustrisMyosotis scorpioidesIris Louisiana ‘Black Gamecock’Iris Louisiana ‘Dancing Vogue’Oxygenators:Ceratophyllum demersumRanunculus aquatilisMarginals:Primula candelabraLythrum salicaria Grasses:Carex elata ‘Aurea’Scirpus cernuusDichromena colorataDeep Water:Nymphaea ‘Inner Light’ If you’d like to find out more about the Beautiful Borders at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, click here. To find out more about Lou Carson, click here.Feeling inspired? Why not challenge yourself to bring a Beautiful Border to the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair in September? Find out more about applying here. Beautiful Borders Apply for a Beautiful Border
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How to Build a Naturalistic Pond
How to Build a Naturalistic Pond
Jun 21, 2022
0 comment
Build a pond for wildlife in your garden, with help from an expert garden designer Small gardens can be havens for wild life, enticing pollinators, bugs and bees. Creating a pond in your garden can have instant impact, and attract a wide range of wildlife to your space.Lou Carson created a small pond in her Beautiful Border 2022, called Wildlife Oasis. Her small garden design illustrated the benefits of a garden pond to both wildlife and the gardener, and how it can be created as part of a natural looking border or small outdoor space.   Wildlife Oasis received a silver merit award from the judges. Below, Lou Carson shares some tips for creating your own pond at home. Written by Lou Carson Ponds should be included in all gardens as they provide a habitat for many animals and are always full of life.Ponds attract not just frogs, toads and newts but also numerous other small creatures such as dragonflies, damselflies, water beetles, pond snails, water fleas, water boatmen and pond skaters. The pond is also an important source of water for many mammals such as hedgehogs, as well as for many birds, which all like to come for a drink.Ponds can be a lifeline in a very dry summer when all other available water sources have dried out. Birds also like to bath in the shallow water at the edge of the pond. By surrounding the pond with pollinator-friendly plants many different insects such as bumblebees, solitary bees, hoverflies, and beetles are attracted.  The close-by pond will also give these insects a source of water which they will frequently visit. Some hoverflies are also particularly attracted to water and can often be found basking on stones or leaves close to the pond edge.Below outlines how to build a naturalistic pond similar to our one at the show. Step 1:  Dig a holeA pond can be any depth and width.  Start by digging a small area 60-80cm deep and at least 40cm wide.  It allows a deep area to avoid being frozen during winter for frogs to hibernate in.Start digging out wider and build a 40-50cm wide ledge about 30-40cm deep.  Ensure this is level as plants will need to balance on this.  Stamp into the ledge and pond base to compact the soil as much as possible.If the pond is wider than 2m, perhaps create another ledge 20cm deep for shallower plants to grow.Then create a 10cm wide ledge about 5-10cm deep for the edge of the pond liner to sit on.  Ensure this is level so the water does not drain away to one side.Remove as many sharp stones, roots and sticks as possible. Step 2: Lay liner and underlay Measure width + (depth x 2).  This is the minimum width of liner and underlay needed.  Add 50% contingency.Use only specialist pond liner with UV resistant coating.  The liner should come with a minimum 40-year guarantee.The underlay is a fabric which protects the liner from punctures. Cover the hole centrally with the underlay, then place the liner on top.  Do not do this in a wind – we had to secure ours with rocks and it still went flying! Step 3:  Add water and resize Add some smooth rocks or cobbles to temporarily secure the liner in place and add water, allowing the liner to flex into the shape of the pond, gently easing it into the ledges.Once the pond is 90% full roughly cut about 20cm out from the edge of the pond and keep the off-cuts of underlay or liner.  These will be used to protect the liner by placing under large rocks, and plant baskets. Step 4: Plant and decorate the edges Start adding plants.  Check the labels for how deep the plants should be place below the water level.  There should be a mix of depth sizes, oxygenators, and marginal plants.  There is space for at least one nymphaea (water lily) in the deep area and a mix of water irises, grasses and other plants scattered around the ledges.  Always include oxygenating plants.  These are plants which are submersed in the pond, creating a healthy ecosystem.  They breathe oxygen into the water and even out bacteria levels, enabling tadpoles, frogs, and insects to survive in the pond.  Below is a list of plants we used in our show pond.Place large rocks around the edge and fit in smaller rocks, cobbles and wood to cover the top ledge and edge of the liner.Do not yet tidy up and trim the edge of the liner as the pond will need a few days to settle and may shift deeper into the ground, compacting the soil. Step 5: Finish Planting and Trim Liner After a couple of days, the water will clear and the liner will have settled into place.  Finish tweaking the planting and trim the liner about 10-20cm from the edge of the pond.  Bury the exposed liner under soil, rocks, gravel, grass, etc.  It should not be exposed to sunlight as it will not last as long. Now just sit back and wait for the wildlife to come! Suggested Pond and Marginal Plants for Wildlife: Shallow or bog:Caltha palustrisRanunculus flammulaMentha cervinaMentha palustrisMyosotis scorpioidesIris Louisiana ‘Black Gamecock’Iris Louisiana ‘Dancing Vogue’Oxygenators:Ceratophyllum demersumRanunculus aquatilisMarginals:Primula candelabraLythrum salicaria Grasses:Carex elata ‘Aurea’Scirpus cernuusDichromena colorataDeep Water:Nymphaea ‘Inner Light’ If you’d like to find out more about the Beautiful Borders at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, click here. To find out more about Lou Carson, click here. Explore the other Beautiful Borders Discover the Show Gardens
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Simple ways to bring wildlife to your garden
Simple ways to bring wildlife to your ga...
Jun 06, 2022
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Simple ways to bring wildlife to your garden Wildlife friendly gardens don’t need to be messy or overgrown. Find out more about how to integrate pollinator friendly features to encourage all sorts of creatures to the garden. The Garden Design Co, who brought the award-winning ‘Living Landscape Garden’ to BBC Gardeners’ World Live with the Michael Wheat Group, have shared some to make your garden a haven for wildlife… Find out more about their top tips below. Written by The Garden Design Co. team Wildlife friendly gardens – despite their often dated and negative connotations- don’t need to be messy, overgrown and unruly patches of land to attract wildlife.That is how ‘The Living Landscape’ garden has been designed to demonstrate. Combining both a manicured and controlled landscape with wildlife friendly features is the most practical way to introduce or encourage wildlife back into your garden. It isn’t necessary to devote your entire space to wildlife to make it friendly read on to learn how wildlife and mankind can live in harmony and flourish once again. Inspired by ‘The Living Landscape’ garden, which won the award for Best Show Garden Construction at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, here are some suggestions of simple ways to integrate wildlife friendly areas into your garden. Introduce waterWater is nature’s elixir. A water feature is fantastic way to encourage all walks of wildlife into your garden, including birds and crucial insects in the ecosystem.You will be amazed by what even a small amount of water will bring to your garden in terms of wildlife. A small tub or a big pond, just watch wildlife flood in when water is near.Top tipsLeave beaches for animals to get out of the water easily when they enter to bathe or drinkAdd plants to margins to provide refuge and habits for amphibians, mammals, and insectsUse UK native plants to support our native wildlife avoiding invasive plant species Leave grass uncutButterflies especially, benefit from uncut grass as it creates a habitat for them to lay their eggs.Leaving grass uncut provides food for developing larvae, while nectar-filled flowers feed adult butterflies, moths and other insects. Bees also benefit from reduced lawn cutting schedule as the flowers in the lawn provide nectar for them.Top tipsDedicate a strip of grass in the garden which is to remain uncut as you maintain the rest of your lawnChoose a patch at a border edge or get creative with a winding strip through the centre as a featureFor bees, reduce cutting to once every two weeks instead of one (they don’t benefit from really long grass as much). Provide native treesThere is nothing better than native plants for our wildlife. Native shrubs and trees offer the best choice for wildlife, providing habits for insects, flowers for our bees and berries and fruits for our mammals and birds, but any tree is better than none!Top tipsEven adding one small trees into your garden has endless benefits to wildlife, no garden is too small! Pick a suitable tree for your gardens size by checking its mature height and spreadSelect a deciduous tree or berry forming evergreens for best benefits to wildlife and most stunning season displays in your gardenCarefully think about the new tree’s location, it’s better to consider this carefully than having to cut it down later These simple ways will have a huge impact on wildlife in your garden and more small things we can all take part in the quicker our wildlife can recover and flourish again hand in hand with mankind. Feeling inspired? Take a look at The Garden Design Co. who designed and built ‘The Living Landscape’ garden with partners Michael Wheat Group at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2022. Click here to find out more about the garden. Explore the Beautiful Borders coming to the BBC Gardeners' World Live Discover garden inspiration and take a look at the Show Gardens
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