By Annabelle from Life at No. 27
Encouraging wildlife into your garden never used to be the ‘done’ thing. Until the 1970’s, when Chris Baines arrived on the gardening scene and created a wildlife garden in front of thousands of viewers on TV. This one episode changed the future of gardening.
Roll to 2017 and most people, even those that aren’t interested in gardening want to help encourage wildlife, whether its hedgehogs, frogs, birds, bees or butterflies.
The everyday person wants to make a difference to conservation in their own patch, but the catch is that we all want a simple easy fix with no fuss.
Luckily there are many little hacks we can do at home to encourage pollinators and create a wildlife-friendly environment. Whether it’s simply adding a bird feeder, or taking it the next level by building a miniature wildlife pond or creating a plush DIY bug hotel with the kids.
The best trick of them all though is to throw, yes literally throw some wildflower seeds in pots or garden borders. I adore the most iconic wildflower, the bright red Common Poppy! Adding a pop of vibrancy and sheer delight to any garden from May through to July.
If you love flowers with big impact, then the Foxglove shooting to over 150cm high will certainly start a conversation and make bees very happy. Create a dynamic scene by adding Wild Marjoram as a backdrop, bringing delicate pink aromatic flowers year on year. It’s not just pretty and loved by wildlife either, it’s perfect for adding to Mediterranean dishes alongside a truss of tasty homegrown tomatoes. What more could you want, looks great, supports wildlife and tastes damn good!
Whether it’s the poppy, the foxglove, mint or basil, find your mix, get outside and join in the fun of bringing wildlife to your home!
Annabelle is a successful radio personality, blogger, vlogger and freelance writer using her fresh approach to promote the joys of gardening and grow your own.
Inspiring more people, particularly the younger generation, to put down their phones and pick up a spade. Annabelle has become a regular face at events throughout the gardening calendar and hosts a monthly radio show where she shares her allotment journey, the latest in the gardening industry and top tasks each month.
Through her passion and energetic enthusiasm, she aims to change the way allotments and growing your own are viewed and bring a stroke of ‘highlight and contour’ to the gardening world.
Visit the Life at No.27 website and follow on Twitter, Instagram and Face
