Many of us have been spending a lot more time in our gardens than we normally would at this time of year. Even the smallest garden can be a haven for nature and that nature can have restorative properties (author Richard Louv, coined the term ‘vitamin n’ for this).
Bracknell Forest Council have now launched their Year of the Garden campaign, with the following statement:
“Go wild in your garden and help the Bracknell Forest Nature Partnership to celebrate the Year of the Garden 2020!
While we are staying home to help save lives, your garden can become a great place to improve your wellbeing and support nature. Whether you have a small courtyard or a large garden, here are some simple actions that you can take to attract wildlife:
Create a log pile as a haven for beetles and other invertebrates
Grow a nectar bar for bees by sowing wildflower seeds
Make a small hole in your fence as a hedgehog highway”
Their website (http://www.digforbracknell.org.uk/yog.html) includes help-sheets that show you other things that you can do for hedgehogs, bumble bees and swifts. They are also running a Wild Garden Awards scheme to encourage us all to put more wildlife friendly features in our gardens. Even if you don’t apply for the award, download the application form as it give you even more ideas about some of the things that you can do in your garden.
Other ideas include no-may May, or creating a secret (butterfly) garden, and building a pond.
If you leave your grass, or part of it, un-mown for a month, especially during spring or early summer, you may be surprised by what grows. There may be wildflowers that will thrive if you don’t cut the grass for a month.
The Royal Horticulture Society and the Wildlife Trusts are running a joint campaign encouraging us to make a part of our garden butterfly-friendly by planting and nurturing nectar-rich plants (https://www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk/).
The Wildlife Trusts have a step by step guide for building a garden pond (https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-build-pond). You can also download a leaflet from this site. If you don’t have enough space for a pond, then how about building a mini-drainpipe wetland (https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/gardening-for-wetlands/how-to-build-a-mini-drainpipe-wetland/)?
Some of these projects may require materials or plants that you could struggle to get hold of at this time. You could use social media to see what friends and neighbours might be able to leave on your doorstep for you. You could even try the Binfield Environment Group Facebook group.