10 Tips for a GREENER garden
- Instead of using peat to plant shrubs in the garden, use J Arthur Bowers 'Mulch and Mix', or other peat-free alternatives.
- Cut down on spraying - plant companion plants like marigolds with carrots to deter carrot fly.
- If you must spray, use more natural products such as 'Naturen' which contains rape seed oil rather than insecticides which can have a disasterous effect on the rest of the food chain.
- Stop using slug pellets, use products like 'Growing success' which contain aluminium sulphate. This will take care of the slugs without harming the birds and hedgehogs that feed on them. Better still, encourage more birds and hedgehogs into your garden!
- Set aside an area of the garden and plant wildflowers only. Buy plants and seeds from reputable garden centres that obtain them from cultivated sources.
- DO NOT TAKE FLOWERS OR SEED FROM THE WILD. Many are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but all should be left for everyone to enjoy. Equally, do not introduce plants into the wild, some plants can quickly disturb the natural balance and it is illegal to do so.
- To reduce watering, cover the ground with 4 inches (100mm) bark chippings. This will also cut down on weeding required.
- To prevent squirrels digging up bulbs, cover them with wire mesh before covering with soil.
- Tidy up borders in spring as deadheads and leaves can provide food and shelter through the winter.
- Trim hedges in the autumn or winter, after all the berries are eaten.
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Things you can do for wildlife in your garden
Long grass - leave an area to grow long, cut at hay time (June-July) and again in late Autumn (October-November). Always remove cuttings. You'll be surprised at what plants come up and the area will soon be buzzing with insects.
Log and stick piles - attract mini beasts, the basis of the garden food chain.
Water butt - save water to top up the pond or water the borders
Rockery - provides shelter for amphibians out of water
Pond and marsh - the best way to attract new species into the garden. Maintain in autumn.
Trees and shrubs - choose those that give cover for nesting, nectar for insects and seeds or berries for birds. Evergreens give cover throughout the year.
Bird and bat boxes - provide places for nesting and for shelter
Bird table - make sure it is well stocked throughout the year, but no whole peanuts in the spring and summer, as young birds can choke on them.
Compost heap - recycle your household waste, reduce the amount of landfill and use the compost to improve your soil.
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