Wildlife Gardening (3) Trees and Shrubs

Building a wildlife garden from scratch is a fascinating project, it doesn't matter how large or small the garden is, build it to suit the amount of land available. Within a short time you will be both pleased and surprised at the amount of wildlife visiting, so keep watching because the more you watch, the more attuned you will be and the more you will see.

Trees are the backbone of the garden and both trees and shrubs give structure to the garden, when considering planting trees, it is important to give some thought to both positioning and type of trees.

When choosing trees take into consideration, the size and shape, whether or not they flower and if they have berries, also important is how attractive they are to wildlife. Trees such as hawthorn, whose flowers are good for bees, its berries are great for birds and when used as a hedge its thorny branches are almost impenetrable, so it is perfect for birds both nesting and sheltering.

Oak trees support more wildlife than any other tree, but of course are far too large for most gardens, however if you have a garden of a fair size next to open ground or on the edge of a field then it begs for an oak tree to be planted. If children are involved then there is much fun to be had, collecting acorns planting them up in pots, watching them grow to a small but sturdy size. Replanting the one of choice in your chosen spot and taking the others out into the countryside and planting them, where you can take the children each week with bottles of water, to water them until they are established. These trees will always be precious to your children, even when they are grown and have their own children, the memory of the time spent with you doing this will remain with them for ever. They will also have the knowledge that for hundreds of years, the acorns they planted as children will still be standing strong, and even when their children's children are grown up "their" tree/s will still be growing, and will be supporting an enormous amount of wildlife.

When planting trees think about where they are best sited, remember small saplings will grow into larger trees and some will grow much larger. imagine them at full size, will they overpower or shade the garden too much.

One of the prettiest trees is an alder, but it does need a damp spot to grow. They are often to be seen by the side of rivers, and at certain times of the year they display last years catkins, last years tiny brown cones and this years catkins also. Alders are a good size for a largish garden and are attractive to both birds and insects.

We have three yew trees in the garden and one of them is home to a robin who nests in the depths of its dark greenery each year.

Fruit trees are great in any type of garden, bees will benefit from the flowers and the fruit will be enjoyed not only by you but also wildlife to the garden. Our fruit trees, apples, plum, pear and cherry and crab apple trees (Malus) are enjoyed by several types of birds as well as deer, foxes and badgers. In the mid autumn we are visited by redwings and fieldfares who feast on the windfalls, I don't think that we would have these birds if we had no fruit trees. Blackbirds and thrushes will also eat the windfalls, while blue and great tits and blackbirds will eat the fruit while it is still on the trees.

The difference between a tree and a shrub is that a tree has one trunk and further up branches leading off it, whereas a shrub is multi- stemmed from the ground upward.

Given the chance many shrubs will grow to the size of small trees, for instance Cytissus Battandierii, known as the pineapple shrub. It has blue green leaves and upright racemes of the brightest yellow, wonderfully pineapple scented flowers, each one covered in tiny black beetles, which are very attractive to small insect eating birds.

Eucryphia Nymansensis "Nymansay" is another tall shrub, which if left will happily grow to at least sixteen feet high, and four feet across, in a columnar fashion. The whole shrub will be covered in large white flowers which bees find magnetisingly attractive.

Buddleias are excellent in a wildlife garden and are extremely attractive to butterflies, hence their other name of butterfly bush. They are also attractive to bees, moths and insects.  They come in many colours and varying shades, colours include purple, mauve, violet, red, pink and even yellow. A few buddleias have small globe like flowers, but the majority of flowers are on long terminal panicles, of beautiful colours and are very fragrant. Plants can either be left to grow on year after year or can be cut back each February, surprisingly they will often make as much as six feet of growth in a season.

Cotoneaster is one of my favourite shrubs, in the spring it is covered in small white flowers beloved by bees and in the autumn bright red berries, which are loved by thrushes, blackbirds, and will also draw in redwings and fieldfares.

Wildlife gardens need trees and shrubs both coniferous and deciduous, these serve many purposes, most important is pleasure to both yourselves and wildlife. Think food, shelter, shade and for birds nest building also.

To be continued.

Wildlife Gardening

Wildlife gardens must be attractive to all creatures and a home to a wide variety, including insects. Buy or have fun making insect homes for them to overwinter. The more insects there are the better as they are an important food source for so many creatures, also you increase the chances of having bats either roosting and/or feeding in your garden.

Birds will naturally be drawn to your garden, but if you supply their needs other than what they find naturally then they will happily nest and stay. Once you have put feeding stations in place around your garden - where you are able to watch them, and added nesting boxes of various types, at the correct height  and in the right position (remember not facing direct sunlight), then birds will be encouraged to keep visiting and to stay. Birds also need to drink and bathe, feathers must be washed to keep them in prime condition and birds need to drink as much as we do, make sure the water is kept fresh and available at all times. There will be more about birds at a later stage in the wildlife gardening series.

With the right conditions your garden will soon be a home to short tailed field voles, bank voles, mice, moles - yes even moles. The first time you see a weasel disappear down one mole hole and appear from another, you will be enchanted and for quite a while you will have no more moles! Weasels are also great fun to watch as they energetically "play" round a pond, of course they are hunting really but they do it by leaping and jumping with such zest that you will be laughing every time you think of it.

I like to take photographs of the wildlife in the garden, however I have missed so many great opportunities because the camera is often in one room and I can't take my eyes off long enough to fetch it and if I do quite often it is too late. I know a couple who have successfully put up tawny owl boxes in the mature trees on their land and a shelf in an outbuilding for barn owls. Mature trees with holes are perfect for many birds to nest in, and as long as the tree is safe, leave it for the birds, dependent on the size and position of the tree and hole, one or another type will use it, tawny owl, starling, woodpecker, etc. We even had a great tit nest in a hole in one of our trees.

Wood piles are home to many creatures, more insects than you could imagine and so many types that you would never find unless you were searching for them. Weasels can be seen hunting all over and inside wood piles. Woodpeckers can be heard and if you are lucky seen drilling into old wood, searching for grubs. Hedgehogs often make their home underneath them and if there is a pond nearby, then under the woodpile will provide a welcome winter home for frogs, toads and grass snakes.

To be continued on next blog post.

A Wildlife Garden

A garden, for those lucky enough to have one and enjoy it, is a wonderful place. Even in the most formal garden, wildlife will abound, if not immediately in the main body of the garden then it will thrive in secret corners and unexpected places, giving sudden pleasure when it is found.

Most folk who have gardens love flowers, I also love flowers in our garden, however they are chosen with care, so that not only will their beauty shine forth and give pleasure but also each flower must be attractive to the wild life within or visiting the garden. Every plant introduced to our garden over the last thirty years has been with wildlife in mind.

I have kept a log of birds in our garden since we moved in, so far we have had visits from sixty-two varieties, actually in the garden. Four different varieties have been spotted in the field at the end of the garden, four others have been seen flying over the garden and if I include the river down the lane then there are another four to be counted.

There is so much joy to be had from a wildlife garden, once you start looking there are more creatures to be found than could ever be imagined, insects are so many and varied, beetles are so useful in the garden and many of them are so beautiful.

I have decided to make wildlife gardens the subject of my next few blogs, there is so much to write about them.

A Summers Day in an English Garden

Awoke to heavy pelting rain, drooping the slimmer branches, running off the leaves and pulling the petals from flowers. After it stopped I looked for signs of a fine day coming, but the sky was overcast and the distance looked misty. A short while later it began to rain, not the heavy pelting rain of earlier nor the soft misty Irish rain, but what I think of as English rain, heavier than a drizzle, but still a gentle rain that drops steadily and windlessly straight down, gently soaking everything.

Around lunchtime the rain ceased, the sky brightened and not too long after the sun shone and the sparkling rain drops on the grass dried up. Within a few minutes birds started to appear, first blackbirds, followed by robins, magpies, a thrush, a young green woodpecker and then two jays, one adult and one immature.

I also had a very good view of a delightful little wren, on the step the other side of the patio door, just two feet from my chair.

I haven't seen many squirrels lately, so was pleased when I walked into the kitchen this morning to see one waiting by the window for food.

I recently noted that the pineapple broom shrub (Cytisus Battandieri) was having a second flowering, but failed to say the Magnolia Soulangiana is also having a second flowering, although it is very attractive, it is not as stunning as the first flowering due to the thick covering of leaves on the plant. The Magnolia Grandiflora is making a grand show though, the dinner plate sized flowers have been blooming for over a month now, they don't just look amazing, they also have the most wonderful perfume, it is lemon scented and very strong.

The prize winning shrub in the garden at the moment though has to be the beautiful Eucryphia Nymansensis "Nymansay", it is about fifteen feet high and four feet wide. At the moment it makes a tall column of hundreds and hundreds of beautiful white blossoms, which are so attractive to the bees that they are all over the plant --- even sleeping in the flowers overnight.

Another beautiful display is made by the tall yellow daisies, they are ten to twelve feet high. They are multi -stemmed, bright yellow in colour and again so attractive to the bees, who also spend the night in them.

Willow Warbler,Young Goldfinches and Lone Female Pheasant

Willow warbler again in the pineapple broom shrub (Cytisis Battandieri), but also present were young goldfinches. Pleased to see these as we see the adult goldfinches every day in the garden, I'm sure they are nesting somewhere here, but I have no idea where. The main difference between the adult and the young is the absence of the striking red face, found only in the adult birds.

Checking out of the back bedroom window I was amazed to see  the hazel alive with birds, blue and great tits, robins, blackbirds and surprisingly a family of blackcaps. Usually when I look out of this window my eyes are fixed on the flint wall, because this is where I usually see the short tailed field voles. In future I shall make sure I check the trees and shrubs as well.

I did notice while looking into the hazel at the birds, that all the nuts have disappeared already, either eaten or stored for winter by the resident squirrels. It seems churlish to begrudge them, after all they are unable to go the shops and buy anymore.

Pleased to see the lone female pheasant wandering round the garden again today, I'd feel even more pleased if there were more of them as there used to be in past years.

Birds, Flowers and Insects seen from the Back Kitchen Window

What a joy filled morning - up at 6 a.m. and again watched a female pheasant wandering about the back kitchen lawn.

A little later I noticed a fluttering movement coming down from the silver birch tree, it was a butterfly, an attractive speckled wood. It landed by the pond, where it rested in the warmth of the sun for many minutes. The garden was alive with bees, butterflies and many other flying insects everywhere I looked and no doubt anywhere I didn't.

The fennel which is an amazing wild life attracting plant for a garden, is now more than eight feet tall, it has more than a dozen stems and each of these have many forks in them. The whole creates an enormous plant, more than ten feet around and every stem large or small is topped by a flat panicle of yellow flowers. So densely are these panicles packed together that the whole is like an enormous bouquet of flowers. The best and most extraordinary fact about fennel is the very large and varied number of insects it attracts.  A veritable hoard, creeping, buzzing and flying all over and around, forming a cloud over the plant's flower head.

Perhaps the best plant in the garden this morning is the pineapple broom shrub ((Cytisus Battandieri), it is in the midst of a second flowering, bright yellow tightly packed upright racemes. Each flower is full of tiny black insects, the same type that fill the flower heads of the evening primroses.Each bright yellow cluster of flowers is set against a sea of blue/grey foliage surrounding it.

What made this shrub so special this morning was the number and variety of birds in and around it. The first bird I noticed was the tiny goldcrest as it moved restlessly about the branches. While watching it I noticed first one then a second coal tit, further along the branch were five blackcaps male, female and immature.    

Now my attention was really caught and I started to look in earnest to see what else I could spot. On the lawn underneath the pineapple broom shrub is a bird bath and bathing in it was a willow warbler, on the branch above I spotted another, which quickly dropped to join the first in the bird bath. Higher in the shrub I watched a garden warbler, when he flew it was to a nearby cotoneaster.

Seeing these birds this morning made me realise I just need to be more aware while garden watching.

The aforementioned birds were all special, but as well as seeing all of these I also saw blue tits, great tits, robins, a dunnock, a wren, two young blackbirds and on the grass underneath a pigeon and a thrush.

I had seen so much in this area that I wondered what was on the other lawns, checking them out all I saw was one lone magpie, gleaning the lawn for crumbs left by the foxes. Mind you the majority of what I had previously seen was not on the lawn.

Feeding the Foxes and the Magpie and the Sour Milk

Sometimes as well as the usual food we leave out for the foxes, we also put out other morsels, this happens for various reasons, maybe we have something left over we think they would like, other times we like to find out how much of an omnivore the foxes really are.

Most food put out is devoured, broccoli and cauliflower, need to be disguised either in a sandwich or with gravy over. Eggs are a real favourite and they also enjoy an occasional drink of milk, the container is usually licked clean, I suspect they really enjoy the spread scrapings at the bottom of the tub also.

Last night we left them a drink of milk in an old plastic spread tub, this morning it was mostly gone, there was just half an inch left in the bottom, during the day this curdled in the hot sun.

Mid afternoon it was approached by a magpie, who tentatively dipped his beak in to the container. On bringing his beak out, it was clear the milk was now solid as he had a lump of it in his beak. Undeterred he tipped his head back and swallowed it, the magpie then continued to eat the very sour milk until the container was empty.No wonder magpies are such survivors, I have not found anything they do not eat - even the broccoli and cauliflower left by the foxes, is soon devoured by the magpies.

Early Morning Visitor

Up at 6 a.m. again this morning and pleased to see the female pheasant wandering the lawns. This time she either didn't see me or was ignoring me, or perhaps she was a different one to yesterday, because we had no stretched neck or lengthening of her body.

Early Morning Female Pheasant Visitor

Six a.m. on this bright sunny morning, a clear, cloudless sky and there as I looked out was a plump, well rounded female pheasant, meandering across the middle lawn. Suddenly she spotted me watching her and from giving the appearance of being a ball she quickly became a line, her neck stretched up and her whole body lengthening to keep up with it. She stared in my direction and I in turn froze.

We stayed motionless for a few minutes until she, not sure whether I was a real person or not, decided against it and moved. Still she kept her body and neck stretched and her head held high, keeping her head at the same angle she took three steps to one side. Now she waited again still watching me, I didn't move. After a short while she turned her still long body, keeping her neck stretched, her head still held high she slowly walked away, while keeping her eye still fixed on me.

I thought she would disappear into the shrubs, but no, still at full stretch, eye still watching me, she turned and walked down the lawn where she disappeared under the bendy old apple tree.