My Wildlife Garden in May

I photograph and post a lot of insect images - here are the habitats in my garden that support the amazing variety of species recorded this year. The most spectacular area at the moment is the 'Hedgerow garden', backed by a very tall hedge, which is a mass of Red Campion and Oxeye Daisies at the moment. The most productive for species is the 'Meadow' - an area left as long grass and supporting many meadow flowers - Cranesbill, Daisies, Vetches, Scabious and Yellow Rattle (not done quite so well this year). Obviously the pond is an essential habitat while much of the rest of the garden are kept as fairly controlled borders that are a mix of perenial plants - originally purchased but now many self seeded or grown from collected seeds, and wild flowers (small yellow foxgloves, campion, buttercups, linaria, scabious etc)

 

Garden Pond and Meadow

The only downside to having a wildlife garden for me is the amount of time I spend merely watching the plants and animals rather than working in it!! Here some images taken in very bright conditions - there were at least 8 pairs of Red Damselflies and 2 pairs of Azure Damselflies egg laying, plus Pond Skaters, Newts and Wasps coming for water for nest building. The Buttercups are giving way to Common Vetch, Yellow Rattle and Scabious

My Garden Meadow is Complete

Delighted that after three years effort, I have managed to establish Yellow Ratlle in my garden wildflower meadow. An annual wildflower that’s very beneficial to wildflower meadows as its roots attach themselves to roots of other plants, especially unwanted coarse grasses. Once attached they draw valuable nutrients from the grasses, thus weakening them, reducing the competition, allowing the wildflowers to flourish. At the moment, the meadow is yellow with Buttercups but among these there are Scabious, Bush Vetch, Germander Speedwell and White Campion in bloom. Around the shadier edges and in my separate 'uncut' meadow area, Dusky Cranesbill, Red Campion, Ribwort Plantain, Marguerites and Cow Parsley are putting on great displays