Planting Native Trees for Wildlife

Hi All,

This will be my last post of 2012 and it's a real shame that I can't say what great weather it is and what a hectic time I've had in the garden! The truth of the matter is that it still continues to rain and all hope of gardening has been quite literally washed away! The garden continues to be boggy and at times covered with a layer of standing water which makes all plans redundant!

As work has been non existent I thought I'd tell you about some native trees that I have been fortunate to purchase recently, and the benefits that they will offer to wildlife.

Unfortunately having spent the last couple of years trying to get the hedgerows in the garden into some kind of usable state for wildlife we have suffered on both sides of the garden with large parts of it being removed this year! As the trees and bushes in question weren't on my side of the boundary there was little I could do to prevent this happening. This was a real shame as some of the removed bushes and trees were laden with berries and I'd been looking forward to seeing what feathered visitors arrived over the course of this winter. The other negative for my family is the lack of privacy that the removal of these plants has caused (as shown below)

In this picture you can see that we are left with a simple wire fence and no cover for the birds and other wildlife. The two shrubs with labels on are a Guelder Rose and an Alder Buckthorn, both of which will grow into large shrubs/small trees and can be formed into a 'loose' hedge for wildlife.

Where the neighbours shed is now clearly visible, I have planted a Crab Apple to give height and fruit for birds. I have also included another Alder Buckthorn here and an evergreen honeysuckle, which will be trained along the bamboo framework. In time this should mingle in amongst the other shrubs to create privacy and another source of berries for wintering birds and summer nectar  for pollinators.

 Elder is a useful small tree for an informal and native wildlife hedge and I have planted several on both boundaries of the garden. The berries are loved by birds and the flowers can be used for making wine and cordials so something to keep everyone happy! (A word of warning though is that the berries can be toxic to dogs if eaten in large quantities so please be aware if planting in your garden!)

Another tree to keep everyone happy is the Hazel, which if kept hard pruned every other year should give a good supply of Hazel Nuts! More importantly another great wildlife tree to include in your native hedge or as a small tree. (A consideration here is that Grey Squirrels will be attracted to the supply of nuts)

Note that I have tagged all my bare root trees and shrubs. I have done this as they currently don't look like much more than a stray sapling growing and the tags will hopefully prevent me and more importantly anyone else from pulling it out before they grow up into a decent sized plant!!!

So before telling you about my bigger trees planted in the field, here's a quick run down of the plants mentioned above and planted in my hedge rows so far...

Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus), Grows up to 1.5m tall to form a small tree/large shrub, Small white flowers benefit pollinators, it has green leaves that turn red in Autumn and the winter berries are loved by Bull Finches & Mistle Thrushes amongst other berry eating birds.

Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula), Can grow 4m x 4m at full maturity but is good for creating an informal hedge. Glossy green leaves turn yellow in Autumn, the red berries that turn black will be eaten by some birds. Most importantly Buckthorns are the ONLY food plant source for the Brimstone Butterfly so we must try and get more people growing it in their gardens!!

Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) Smallish Tree with pretty pink or white flowers in Spring that are loved by pollinators and are especially attractive to bees. The Crab Apple is actually known to home over 90 species of insect! The fruits in the Autumn are loved by many birds but are particularly attractive to Robins, Starlings, Finches and Thrushes. 

Elderberry (Sambuccus Nigra) A really underrated small tree in my book, It can grow up to 10m but can be kept smaller and useful in an informal hedge, pinky/white flowers in June-July have a scent and are visited by pollinators, followed by black berries that are loved by many birds and will also be eaten by some small mammals such as wood mouse etc.

Hazel (Corylus avellana) Small Tree or Shrub that benefits from being coppiced but extremely useful either in a hedge or a small tree in a small garden. Hazelnuts will be taken by all manner of wildlife including Squirrels and Mice. Woodpeckers can be attracted to this tree as will Jays and Jackdaws who find the nuts irresistible! 

So that's a quick run down on my hedging now lets look at the three native trees that I have planted in the field at the bottom of my garden.

Wild Cherry planted as an 8foot bare root sapling in the field at the bottom of the garden.

Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) A medium sized tree that will grow up to 20m, white flowers in early Spring will be visited by early pollinating insects and the Cherries that appear in summer are a good food source for many bird species. Apparently the cherries also make lovely brandy!!! :-)

A Small Leaved Lime planted as an 8foot bare root sapling in the field at the bottom of the garden.

Small Leaved Lime (Tilia cordata) A large tree at 25m with small heart shaped leaves, In summer it produces a mass of sweet smelling flowers that attracts a huge number of pollinating insects looking for nectar. I'm hoping that this tree will be a great attractor of new insect species to my wild flower meadow/lawn. The dense foliage creates safe hiding places for many bird species. Apparently it is said that honey from bees feeding on the Small Leaved Lime tree is the best tasting honey that you can find anywhere! Many years ago this tree was also used for various medicines and teas to treat colds. fevers and inflammation as well as high blood pressure! 

My Common Alder Sapling, which I'm very excited about...

Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa) Now this is a magnificent tree with the potential of growing very large! It is a lover of damp or waterlogged ground so our low lying position should suit it beautifully! Many years ago the Common Alder would have been a common site in this area so having the opportunity to plant one myself is a real thrill. Alder can grow to 30m although are generally smaller than this. They reach maturity at 60 years and will live for 150years! They support a wealth of wildlife including many birds that feed on the catkins produced by this tree. Species commonly found will be Finches, Redpols, Siskin amongst others. The Alder Moth caterpillar feeds on its leaves as does the Alder Kitten Moth caterpillar! I'm hopeful that over the years we will see both of these moths and other species from this and the other trees planted.

Quick Tip

If you are planning to plant bare root trees in your own garden, make sure that you tie them to a good sized wooden stake which is set firmly in the ground. Use a properly designed rubber tie and fasten it near the base of the trunk. This will prevent 'chaffing' of the bark and allow the tree it's natural movement in the wind whilst holding the root system stable.

I hope that this post has given you an insight into what I'm still striving to achieve for wildlife in my garden, whilst giving you ideas of plants and their benefits for wildlife that you can take away and use in your own garden?

To finish off what has been a bit of a disastrous gardening year here are a few pictures of my feathered friends including a first and a new record for the garden making 2012 a very good 'wildlife year' in the garden....

This female Blackcap has been a daily visitor to the garden for quite some time now and is partial to the fat balls and sunflower hearts that I put out for the birds. A male Blackcap has now also started to visit quite regularly although the female will often chase it off!

Once again my Reed Buntings have made a very welcome winter return to the bird table and favour the loose mixed bird seed from the table.

This Brambling is the first to the garden since the winter of 2010 so a very welcome winter visitor!

 This Siskin is a brand new record for the garden and a great way to celebrate the end of another year of 'Higgy's Garden Project' The arrival of a new species in the garden is so thrilling and makes all the hard work so worth while! 

So that is about if for 2012! It's a shame that the weather has been unkind to us and we haven't achieved quite as much as we planned at the start of the year. However our wildlife count has gone through the roof with so many new species visiting us, our bird species tally is up to 45 and butterflies to 16 which is amazing! Other insects have found their way to the garden and I look forward to seeing some of the moths and butterflies from the different caterpillars that I've recorded this year!

The garden has allowed me to continue to develop my passion for wildlife photography and you can see some of the results on my new website that I recently built from scratch here....  http://www.northsomersetwildlifeandnaturephotography.com/

Amazingly this blog was also picked up by BBC researchers who are now interested in possibly using the garden in a new 'gardening for wildlife' program set to be shown in summer 2013! I await to find out if we have been successful, which is very exciting for me and my family and a fantastic reward for what we have been trying to achieve in the garden!!

My last job of the year is to thank all my readers and followers for staying with me and sending me some great comments and feedback! It's this interaction and feedback that enables me to keep writing and developing both the garden and the blog to make it interesting and I hope informative to you all? Please do keep the comments coming as I'm always so glad to hear from you...

So I wish you a very HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR and hope to see you all here again in 2013!!?....

Best 

Higgy :-) 

Somerset Native Wild Flowers & A Big Garden Wash Out!!...

Hello All,

I thought that it was about time that I actually put 'finger to key' and typed an update on what has, or mores the case, hasn't been happening in Higgy's garden!

Well to be honest There isn't very much to say, the wet weather has really put a stop to any sensible gardening as our low lying garden has been extremely 'squelchy' to say the least! In fact we have had days when the garden has sat pretty much underwater with only my (not so dry) dry riverbed preventing the rest of the garden from flooding as you can see below!...

 At about 2 feet deep you can see how my dry river bed became a reservoir with all the water from the garden running into it and draining away! The shear 'wetness' of the garden generally has brought gardening to a stop this year! 

With the garden so wet any thoughts of further projects become impossible! In some ways the wet weather preventing me from getting out hasn't necessarily come at a bad time, as my health hasn't been very good over the last couple of months and I have been laid up for much of it with a bad back and painful hips!

Despite the treacherous wet weather and health issues I have still been secretly planning a few things in my mind and will hopefully share these plans with you over the winter months.

Two things that I have been able to do recently is order wild flower seeds for my wild flower meadow and order a few native trees to plant out along the garden's boundary to enhance the hedges and provide food for insects and birds alike!

So with little else to report this is what I will be trying in 2013...

Wild Flowers 
As last year I will be sowing seeds direct into my meadow and also growing some as plug plants to be planted out in Spring. I have again generally gone for seeds that are native to Somerset or at least the South West where possible. Below is my latest list of seeds that I have ordered from my same supplier as last year Emorsgate Seeds http://wildseed.co.uk/ I have listed the common name with a link to Emorsgate description of each plant and finally its area of origin...

Common Spotted Orchid http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/43 (Somerset)
Small Teasel http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/47 (England)
Corn Marigold http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/7 (Cornwall)
Cat's-ear http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/66 (Somerset)
Pheasant's-eye http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/9 (England)
Wild Mignonette http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/115 (Somerset)
Bladder Campion http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/131 (Somerset)
Meadow Crane's-bill http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/58 (Somerset)
Yellow Rattle http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/2 (Somerset)
Night-Flowering Catchfly http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/129 (England)
Small Scabious http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/123 (Hertfordshire)
Greater Knapweed http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/33 (Dorset)
Common Poppy http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/8 (Somerset)
Cornflower http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/6 (Herefordshire)
Corncockle http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/4 (England)
Square-stalked St john's-wort http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/220 (England)
Hedge Bedstraw http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/54 (Somerset)
Nettle-leaved Bellflower http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/30 (Somerset)
Lesser Burdock http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/21 (Somerset)
Scarlet Pimpernel http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/14 (Somerset)
Common Knapweed http://wildseed.co.uk/species/view/32 (Somerset)

As you will see from the above list the large majority of plants that I have chosen are from Somerset or England generally. However there are a few rogue plants in amongst them, which might at first glance seem strange! There is actually some logic to this as I will try and explain. Common Knapweed grows very well in this part of North Somerset and did extremely well for bees last year, so I've included Greater Knapweed in the hope that it will also do well. Attracting more moths to the garden is something that I'm keen to do also so I have included Night-flowering Catchfly which should provide night time nectar for visiting moths! Corn Marigold is a native to Cornwall but having used it for several years I can honestly say that it is one of my best wild flowers for pollinators and only this year I kept it in flower from May until the first 'heavy' frost which was at the beginning of December! So I suppose the conclusion is that I am trying to keep as native to this region as I can, however there are valid reasons and benefits to certain species by adding a few other things into the mix also, so do your research and obviously be prepared to be a little 'flexible' once you've had a season or two and you start to build a picture of what works for you!

The only other thing that I have achieved recently is to get my native trees but I won't bore you with more details now and save it for my next post when I've got some pictures of them to post alongside my rambling words!

Finally I'll leave you with a run down of a few visitors to the garden that have kept me entertained whilst off work with my current injuries....

This Great Spotted Woodpecker is a fairly regular visitor to the garden now. I have also had a couple of visits from a Green Woodpecker although it generally sits in the large Oak tree at the bottom of the garden and out of range for a decent picture!

In November I found several 'Ruby Tiger Moth' caterpillars in amongst the long grass of the wild flower meadow. Having not seen one of these moths before I'm extremely excited to see what other types of species we get in the garden next summer!

My Blackcap pair have continued to visit and seem at home on the fat balls or generally hanging out in the bushes and hedges in the garden! 

It has to be said that it has to be everyone's favourite, the Robin and they never fail to disappoint. This little chap follows anyone who ventures out into the garden (including the dog!) and has also taken to sitting on top of some trellis by the kitchen window so that he can stare in at you as if asking for some food!

Finally some kind of mosquito or gnat which was sat warming itself up in the sun. At only a few millimetres long impossible to ID with the naked eye so I took a quick snap. Unfortunately despite a reasonable picture I still don't have an ID for it! Please feel free to ID this one for me if you can!!?

Well that's about it for now,  lets hope that the weather starts to improve and gives us some decent periods of dry weather to dry the ground out a bit and let us get out into the garden again! I'm really not sure how plants will do with all the wet around their roots and I'm sure next summer will be interesting seeing what has survived what hasn't and if anything has actually thrived from all the wet!?

Next time I will give you a detailed look at my Native trees and my reasons for the species I picked and how they will benefit wildlife in the garden.

As always a huge thank you for reading and following my ramblings! Please do leave comments and feedback as they really help me develop this blog and hopefully make it an interesting read for all to enjoy!?

Best

Higgy 

 

Build a Simple Bird Box....

Hello All,

Unfortunately the weather still hasn't improved and any thoughts of gardening have been dismissed due to the completely water logged conditions here. The fields to the rear of my garden have been under water many times this year but have been submerged completely for the last two weeks now!! Health wise I have been suffering with my hip and back again so in some ways the boggy conditions have probably been at the right time to allow me the rest and relaxation that I'm not usually very good at!!!

Despite being house bound my mind tends to be on the garden and of course the wildlife that I have now become so accustomed to seeing in the garden. The birds have been absent for some time as they have been going through the Autumn moult and of course the wet ground makes worming so much easier for them! For a second year the hedges are laden with berries so unless we get a real cold snap I expect numbers to be 'reserved' again! Having said this I have noticed a slight increase on the feeders so it pays to keep them topped up with fresh grub so  they know that a ready supply is always available in 'Higgy's' garden!!

Thinking of the birds made me realise that now is the perfect time to be making and cleaning bird boxes. Getting clean boxes in place now gives prospective 'tenants' the opportunity to picking the right box ready for the Spring breeding season. If we do happen to get a harsh winter the boxes also serve as a warm place for birds to roost, it isn't unusual for several birds such as bluetits to sleep in the same box huddled together to reserve heat and get through an icy night or two!

So with the above in mind I've dug out my old bird box plan and thought that I'd share it on here for anyone who is interested in making their own simple bird box....

The first thing to think about is the type of wood that you need to use. I favour rough cut and untreated wood as the roughness will help chicks climb out when they fledge and being untreated there is no chance of any nasty chemicals leaching out and harming the birds who will peck at the box to mark their territory and make themselves at home!....

The picture above shows the the wood required for this simple box. Generally I find 15mm-20mm thick wood about the right thickness as it makes a box that is sturdy but not to heavy. Please see below for my size guide....

•  Back Panel - 120mm wide x 250mm high
• Side Panels -  120mm wide x 250mm high at rear cut at an angle to 200mm at the front
• Front Panel -  120mm wide x 200mm high
• Floor Panel -  120mm x 120mm
• Roof Panel -   140mm x 160mm

• To make the box you will need a hammer, water based wood glue, 50mm long nails, galvanised large head roofing tacks, shed felt or preferably 1mm thick rubber pond liner, galvanised wire or hanging fixings and water based wood preserver in your choice of colour.

Now that you have your wood cut and everything that you need, start by fixing together the sides, back and front but include the base at this stage to ensure you get the box nice a square....

I use 50mm long nails to fix the panels together however I also use a thin bead of water based wood glue on each edge to add extra strength. To minimise risk of contact with birds using the box I only use glue on the outer edge which prevents seepage into the inside of the box.

A good tip for this stage of construction is to put the box together using just two nails on each side but don't hammer them all the way in yet as you may need to remove them and adjust if the box isn't quite square!....

Once that you have all four sides and the base in place and you are happy that the box is square you can hammer home the nails and add a couple more in each side to add extra strength. At this stage wipe of any excess glue and make sure that there is no residue inside the box.

Next take your roof section and lay it on top of some 1mm thick rubber pond liner or similar waterproof material...

Cut the liner so that you have enough to cover the front and side edges of the lid but leave at least 70mm off the back edge....

Fix the liner in place by pulling it tight over the edges and securing using galvanised roofing tacks. At this stage don't fix the liner over the rear edge.... 

Pull the liner towrds the back of the lid so that it's tight and secure with tacks along the top face as shown below. You can now trim off the excess liner from the front and side edges so that it is neat....

Place the lid on top of the box so that there is an small even overhang on the front and sides and fix it to the box by tacking the loose piece of liner to the rear of the box. This will hold it in place and act as a hinge when opening the box. In the picture below you will notice that I have actually used two pieces of Rubber to add extra strength....

Finally tip the box upside down and drill a couple of drainage holes in the bottom to keep it dry!

Hole Sizes....

It is your choice if you choose to drill the hole at this stage or prior to the box construction. There are however a few things to consider before reaching for the drill. To prevent predators such as cats and squirrels reaching in and 'hooking' out chicks the hole must be a minimum of 125mm from the base of the box. Your next consideration is what type of bird you actually want to attract to the box as different species prefer certain hole sizes! To help you decide I have included a list of species to hole size....

• Blue Tit            -  25mm
• Marsh Tit         -  25mm
• Great Tit           - 28mm
• House Sparrow - 32mm
• Tree Sparrow   - 28mm 
• Coal Tit            - 25mm
• Starling             - 45mm
• Pied Flycatcher - 28mm
• Nuthatch          - 32mm
• Redstart           - 32mm

Once your hole is drilled it's worth just slightly 'roughening' inside the box just below the hole as this will give young birds something to help them grip and get up to the hole.

And that's the construction finished!...

Now just choose your colour! Note that I have left the inside of the hole unpainted as although using water based paint I know that occupying birds will generally peck around the hole so I like to make sure that there is as little opportunity as possible for them to come into contact with it.....

You will also need to consider how you fix your box up but this will depend on what you are actually hanging it on. I don't have space to show different fixings but generally I use the galvanised wire and a couple of screws and then adapt it to whatever surface I'm securing it to. You might also want to consider a hook on each side to hold the lid down and prevent squirrels from opening it up to get at the eggs or chicks. Once again there are several options from home made with wire and a screw, to shop bought hooks & eyes, the choice is yours!!...

Locating Your Bird Box....

For the best results generally facing your box in a North-east direction seems to be the most favourable position, however more importantly you want it sited where it is out of direct sunlight and sheltered from prevailing winds and rain. Also consider how easy the location is for a predator to access the box? Putting the box between 2mtrs & 5mtrs high and away from climbable structures will keep it's occupants safe from harm. Generally boxes potentially used by the same species should be situated a reasonable distance away from each other to avoid territory deputes. Distance between boxes used by different species such as Blue Tit and House Sparrows for example isn't so crucial, so if you are limited for space and want more than one box erect boxes for different species where possible. It is a good idea to avoid situating a box near a feeding station as the constant disruption of other birds feeding is likely to prevent the box from being used.

Well that's about it for now folks! I hope that this has inspired you to consider your feathered visitors this winter and of course provide a place for you to enjoy them coming and going also! Sited in the right location and viewable from inside the house can be a thrill when you realise the box is occupied and all your hard work has paid off!....

Please do send me your comments and questions as I will always answer any correspondence that I receive!

Cheers

Higgy  

     

Jungle Seating Area, New Species Success & Late Season Pollinators...oh and more Rain!!

Wow, what a dreadful summer we've had weather wise! I have never seen so much rain as we have had this year and to think that we were in drought back in spring!! I suppose the wet weather does focus your mind on the handful of jobs that can still be done in the garden doesn't it!?

As regular readers will already be aware we are situated on the edge of 'Wetland Grazing Marsh' which is 'boggy' at the best of times!! This summer has been a challenge as even on dry days the ground is still saturated, simply walking across the lawn is met with a 'squelch' and sight of water as the ground releases it like a sponge!

I honestly wondered and doubted how my wild flower lawn and perennial pollinator borders would survive being stood in constant wet soil but much to my surprise they seem to have done really well. I have tried to be a little more considerate in my planting by ensuring new plants have a good layer grit in the bottom of the planting hole to offer a little help with drainage round the roots. This year I have also done a little more plant maintenance and dead-heading, which appears to have really helped and combined with the wet seems to have made strong healthy plants. One example of this are my Corn Marigolds which are corn field annuals but I have managed to keep them in flower since May. This has had a knock on effect of lots of visiting pollinators including several new species which I will cover in more detail later on!

So before we talk about the wild life I'm going to take you back to a job I finished a while ago and have been promising to show for some time! With the wet weather and lack of hard landscaping recently this seems the ideal time to show you the conclusion to the 'jungly' path at the side of the Koi pond....

In case you've forgotten this is the area before the 'jungle path' project began!!...

Once the raised beds & path were built (as covered elsewhere) I was left with this area next to the raised decking and water butts....

Having decided on a small decked seating area I laid down weed membrane and built a frame for the deck to sit on. Due to the persistent wet weather I actually constructed the framework in my workshop..... and then wondered if I could get it out through the door-way!!!?...

Luckily my measurements were spot on and it came out through the door with a couple of millimetres to spare! The frame was laid in position and I levelled it using blocks under each section of frame...

 As you will see from the above picture there is a raised drain cover at a difficult angle which needed to be factored into my workings. Once the frame was in place boards were laid on top and screwed into place (below). I chose 'basic' rough cut wood rather than decking boards as I felt it fitted in better with the 'jungly' look I hope to achieve here....

With the boards fixed in pace I trimmed the edges and built a 'trap door' to fit neatly into the recess. This gives instant access to the drain if required and I chose to run the boards in a different direction to make it a feature rather than trying to hide it....

To finish off I built two raised beds from the same material and planted with ferns which should grow quite big and do well in the shady situation here....

Finally the end result and how this area looked this summer. Unfortunately the damp weather has prevented some of the more 'tropical' type plants such as the banana and Cannas from reaching their full potential. You will see that I also add flowering plants in my 'jungle/tropical' areas to help attract the pollinators throughout the whole garden, which is something I always strive to do....

So I hope that you will agree this part of the garden has taken on a massive transformation and is now a usable space rather than a dumping ground as it was before?

Without further ado here is this months wildlife successes in Higgy's garden...

BIRDS

A pair of Goldcrests put in an appearance last week and seemed to be 'sussing' out the feeding area. As is always the way I spotted them from an upstairs bedroom window and my camera was downstairs so no picture for the record which is annoying!!

BUTTERFLIES

Despite the wet weather we've recorded a great year for butterflies with both Gatekeepers and Small tortoiseshells showing a massive increase in numbers seen! Peacock butterflies have also shown an upward rise in the garden. Here are pictures of two new visitors since my last post....

Green Veined White

Small Copper

MOTHS

I've not really recorded moths before so this is a new venture for me and is proving extremely interesting. I have already started to include some 'moth friendly' pollinating plants in the garden but this is something I look forward to studying and reporting in more detail as time goes by....

A couple of recent moths...

Siver Y moth seems extremely common in the garden. In this picture you can clearly see the 'Y' shape on it's upper wing which gives it its name...

This was a very interesting find as it was initially identified as a 'Blue Underwing' which is extremely rare! Unfortunately it is now thought to be the more common 'Red Underwing'...

This pretty little moth is a 'Gold Spot' seen here on purple Toadflax which has proven itself to be the most visited plant by pollinators in the garden!!...

OTHER WILDLIFE

My hedgehog has put in an appearance again which is great as I desperately need help with the ever increasing number of slugs! The next door neighbour had a slow worm in his garden, it was only a few feet away from where my log pile so I hope that it is living amongst the logs! This year seems to have been extremely good for Dragonflies and we've had several species in the garden recently.

There have been a few other identifiable new visitors and I will leave you with a look at a few which have taken advantage of my late season pollinating plants. I'll name the plants to give a guide as to what I plant for late season pollinators etc...

GOLDEN ROD - currently covered in bees & hoverflies...

ASTER - make a colourful addition to the late border and again attract all pollinators...

COSMOS - an annual that I grow in my wildflower area, despite not being a true wild flower it's loved by bees, flies and butterflies and will flower all summer until the first frosts so long as you keep deadheading it....

CORN MARIGOLDS - These are my number one wild flowers and this year dead heading has kept them in flower since May! I now also plant clumps in my 'tropical' borders as they are such good attractors!...

PERISCARIA - Basically a cultivated wild flower which is well visited by honey bees in my garden and moths at night! Below is Periscaria being 'munched' by a 'Knot Grass Caterpillar' These hungry caterpillars will strip a plant so you will need to decide if to remove or leave!??....

JAPANESE ANEMONE - Late and long flowering, a useful plant for colour and it will get visited by pollinators although not as prolific as others mentioned...

LARGE LEAFED PLANTS - worthy of a mention as at this time of year all pollinators will sit for several minutes in the sun to warm up. The large leaves are a natural radiator of the suns rays and an ideal place for all sorts of pollinators to warm up! Here a Comma butterfly is warming itself sat on a large leaf...

VERBENA BONARIS - Probably one of the best known bee & butterfly plants and rightly so! It flowers for a long period and late into the season. It is also loved by all pollinators. Below shows a Small White feeding on it.....

RUDBEKIA - is bright, colourful and long flowering for all pollinators, seen here with a Small Copper...

HELENIUMS - One of the best late flowering perennials, they came in all sizes and varied colours creating a nice clump of nectar rich flowers. Gate Keeper butterflies seem to find them irresistible as shown here...

Well that's about it now folks, I hope that you've enjoyed reading this post and it's helped to brighten up another dull and wet day!! Now is a really good time to get any of the above pollinating perennial plants in the ground whilst there is still a little warmth in it. By planting now you will actually be providing nice strong and healthy plants for the pollinators in your garden this time next year! For any further planting ideas, or suggestions of different plants please feel free to send me a message or leave a comment. I reply to all messages and comments and use them to gauge interest in the posts I write....

I have no idea what I will be posting about next time as the weather has stopped a lot of my planned projects in the garden this summer! Please do watch this space and I will update you anything that happens in the garden between now and then!!!....

Many thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings

Cheers

Higgy